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Instagram explainers

As the Myanmar situation escalates, one tool that is used to educate the masses is Instagram and the technique deployed: the visual carousel. British-Burmese author MiMi Aye has published over 15 such visual explainers, with some titled 'In Myanmar, no one can hear you scream'.

In what is a contest of ideas and access to information, these explainers are an organised mish-mash of text, screengrabs, archives and important call-to-action. Here's another example from user @patchoulipearl. Have you come across any?

China's truthtellers

Using the OS that powers a laptop/desktop as a visual language, this CNN package reveals the details Beijing left out in the pandemic story. There are navigating links at the bottom. The timeline section stood out as it compared what was revealed and what was hidden. What else you felt was important in this package?

National Security Law

From featured photograph (top) by Katherine Cheng. On Sunday (28 Feb), 47 pro-democracy activists and former lawmakers in Hong Kong were charged with conspiracy to commit subversion under the National Security Law (NSL) – the most sweeping action taken against the pro-democracy camp.

This is part of a larger body of work documenting protests in Hong Kong. Katherine, a Chinese-Canadian documentary photographer based in Hong Kong, reached out to Visual Stories Asia when we requested visual professionals to submit their work. Thank you! 

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We are looking for visual journalism professionals who are open to licensing their work. This can be either a photographic outtake, a previously commissioned illustration or infographic, a video still from a published package or a data viz gif. Or hit reply!

100 days farmers' protest

We have been following this story closely with some of the strongest visuals featured in the Caravan with protests from Rajasthan as well as from Reuters' Danish Siddiqui from (believed to be) Uttar Pradesh.

Thousands of farmers had gathered at different sites on the outskirts of the Indian capital to demand the repeal of three agricultural laws that they say would destroy their livelihood, as reported in Time's cover story.

Photographer Kanishka Sonthalia visually navigates this important story documenting the women leading these protests. This is that one thing worth reading in The Brief.

“We had fun. I created awareness. I showed my skills. We made people smile. And that’s it, the project is done."

Though this is outside of Asia, this Tom Cruise deepfake is worth including. The headline says the public shouldn't be worried about 'one-click fakes'. But still, it is unnerving to watch.

The creator's point is that deepfakes take a lot of work and a professional impersonator. But then, technology will improve and only time will tell.

Disposables

We are stretching this category to introduce you what some are calling the next Instagram. You take photographs, you can't see how the photos turn out, the images "develop" 9am on your phone the next day. Talk about delayed gratification.

“You never looked at the picture, you never checked the lighting,” the founder said. “You just went on with your day, and in the morning you got to relive it.” 

Yay or nay?