Rhosd Island Illustrates the Chaos

This image, which is the icon to open the article from USA Today, gives readers a good preview of what they are going to be reading. The image is set up as a scene portrait which is a very effective method in photography. The photo illustrates much of the chaos most businesses are facing as they make their way through the buildings after the storms that hit the east coast. The tumbling shelves and unused products which line the floors of this mans business is a good illustration of the emergency state that Rhode Island residents face. The image is definitely an attention grabbing picture, which is very fitting for this article.

The article talks a lot about the government aid which is now making itself present a few days after the storm. Also, they mention a lot of the damaged scenery and building structures the flooding has caused. The article quotes a lot of opinions and frustrated emotions Rhode Island residents are having. Rhode Island official, Don Carciere states,

"If there is a part of the country that needed federal support, it's Rhode Island. We were in the economic storm before anybody else. We've been in it longer, and now we've been hit with another storm. Shopping malls, small businesses and mills are still under water in the state, which has nearly 13% of its residents unemployed.”

Especially in a story like this graphical images are a key part of readers really understanding the importance of the article. Just reading about another city that has been damaged by Mother Nature does not have the same effect as being able to visualize the scene that the article is describing. There are all types of portraits which can be used to help illustrate an article and this icon was well selected to spark interest in the topic for views on USA Today. Readers are almost 50 percent more likely to read an article if they have an image to associate the topic with first.