Borrowed Infographics and Data Visualization in the Online Media of Russia’s Volga Region: A Case of Functional Imbalance

Abstract

This article examines the functional imbalance of borrowed infographics in online media, where the informational function is often reduced to mere illustration. Borrowing content has become a routine practice in contemporary newsrooms, allowing editors to quickly fill multimedia sections with visually appealing materials. However, the reuse of infographic content carries the risk of losing informational value, especially when materials are taken out of their original context or modified without proper adaptation. The study analyzes media texts published between 2021 and 2024 using content analysis and survey methods. The empirical base includes six online outlets from Kazan, Nizhny Novgorod, and Samara in Russia’s Volga region. The analysis identified several factors contributing to functional imbalance, including editing, format conversion, and image degradation. Among them, loss of image quality proved particularly significant as many materials featured blurred visuals, unreadable legends, or indistinct graphic elements. Presentation slides, however, generally retained informational value when supported by sufficient context in the accompanying text. The results reveal that the imbalance stems from a superficial approach to graphics in editorial work, where visual appeal often takes precedence over informational content. In many online newsrooms, borrowed infographics, photographs, and drawings are treated as interchangeable decorative elements, and the partial loss of visual or textual components is not considered critical to the publication’s perceived quality or credibility.