Press Freedom Typesetter
The project explores how typography can function as a tool for visualizing data. I chose press freedom as the focus of my research because it directly affects the conditions under which people produce and distribute text-based content. Restrictions on media through censorship and surveillance impact what people write, how they communicate ideas, and whether others can access that information. The website links press freedom data from RSF (Reporters Without Borders) to the visual properties of type, making reading sensitive to the conditions under which communication occurs.
The distortion effect draws inspiration from television glitches, such as RGB misalignment and animated noise. Television remains a primary tool of state propaganda and information control in many countries with limited press freedom. The color-separated text mimics how a message might appear when corrupted or manipulated, visually representing the distortion of truth in authoritarian media environments.
Dataset: Reporters Without Borders
Tools: HTML, CSS, JavaScript
Libraries: Blotter.js
Typefaces: Nuances