News And Data Visualization: The Visual Construction Of Meaning In Digital Journalism Introduction

Abstract

This study examines the role of data visualization in digital journalism and explores how visual discourse shapes the construction of meaning in contemporary news reporting. The research aims to analyze the epistemological, political, and discursive functions of visual representations by focusing on television coverage of the 2023 Turkish elections. The study highlights the scientific and practical significance of understanding how media organizations use graphics, maps, and visual interfaces not only to convey information but also to frame political reality. A qualitative visual discourse analysis was employed to evaluate visual composition, color regimes, scale choices, and text–image relations across four major national news channels. The findings show that each channel constructs distinct visual regimes that reflect institutional editorial policies and ideological orientations. Data visualizations, therefore, act as narrative devices that shape public perception by emphasizing certain data while obscuring others. The study contributes to the field by demonstrating that data visualization is not a neutral technical tool but a key mechanism in the production of political meaning. These results offer practical implications for improving visual literacy, strengthening transparency in data journalism, and encouraging more ethical visual communication practices in news media.