The Majeri Award for Graphics Journalism recognizes innovation and leadership in the graphic journalism industry. Presented by the Ball State University Department of Journalism in Muncie, Ind., the award is given to an individual who has created a body of work that improves graphics reporting. Alberto Cairo, a professor of professional practice and Knight Chair in Visual Journalism, has been named as the 2018 recipient of the Majeri Award for Graphics Journalism. 

Cairo teaches courses on information graphics and visualization and is the author of The Functional Art: an Introduction to Information Graphics and Visualization, published in 2012, and The Truthful Art: Data, Charts, and Maps for Communication, published in 2016. His career extends farther than the U.S., having received a master’s degree in information society studies from the Universitat Oberta de Catalunya in Barcelona and writing a book in Spanish on infographics that was published in Alamut, Spain in 2008.

“I have been working on infographics and data visualization since 1997, having led teams in Spain and Brazil, and taught mostly in the United States, where I also do consulting,” Cairo said.

Cairo received the news of his nomination last month.

“I was very happy of course!” he said. “This is a big honor.”

Cairo will be honored along with other award recipients at the annual Eugene S. Pulliam Awards luncheon on April 11 on Ball State’s campus.

Later this month, Cairo will also be presenting at the first annual International Chart Day. Congressman Mark Takano from California collaborated with the Society for News Design and Tumblr to create a day to share insights on how to make high-quality, visually engaging and informative visuals.

“As I’ve written extensively about charts in the media … they thought I could be a good speaker,” Cairo said. “Recently I’ve been doing a lecture tour that touches on many of the topics that worry Takano, such as how charts can be used to lie instead of to inform the public.”

International Chart Day will take place on April 26 on Capitol Hill.