Impact case study database

The impact of Vyner’s research can be seen in three key areas: a) changing industry practices, b) presenting different perspectives, c) raising awareness and esteem amongst marginalised groups.

Changing industry practices

Vyner’s research has been at the forefront of shifting industry strategies to include illustration as part of news reporting. The commissioning of editorial illustration would traditionally provide a visual context ‘in support’ of an existing editorial opinion, where the text determines the content for the illustrator. However, Vyner’s method, whereby the illustrator creates the original content, has encouraged editors to take an innovative approach to commissioning subject matter, where the artwork drives the narrative.

An expert in reportage illustration said:

Tim has repositioned the illustrator as a part of the press corps in a way I've never seen before...Tim is not only put within the press corps but is looked at as someone that the press aspires to be like… Tim is also expanding the role of the reportage artist into journalism by providing copy alongside image in his commissions (E6).

The Urban Sketcher’s website similarly uses Vyner’s work as an example of “the way new technology is playing a part in the revival of interest in reportage through new ways of production, recording and distribution” (E1, p7).

In 2018 The Telegraph (with a circulation of over 300,000) gave half of the back page of the Sports Edition to Vyner’s illustrated journey of the World Cup. The Head of Sport at The Telegraph wrote that “It was a point of difference which separated our coverage from others and gave readers a new way to enjoy the tournament and a different perspective on it… It shows a freshness and willingness to innovate on our part”. He also highlighted that Vyner’s coverage provided “good insights into what it was like to follow the tournament from a “fan” point of view’ (E5).

Using iPads and other technology, newspapers including The Times, The Telegraph, and media companies like @Tortoise now look to commission reportage illustration as a regular feature in its own right. The projects Vyner has developed since 2014 invariably involve risk-taking. After initially approaching a media company, gallery or sponsor, possible outcomes are explored in collaboration with a team of people, including designers, editors and agencies. The unpredictable nature of these projects often requires brave commissioning from a select number of creative directors and editors. Vyner’s reputation for delivering high quality content, built over a number of years, has given national newspapers the confidence and insight to publish his work.

Vyner’s research practice has encouraged commercial organisations to consider reportage illustration as a meaningful way to grow new audiences. His approach directly influenced editorial decisions about the way The Telegraph decided to cover the 2018 FIFA World Cup. The FIFA World Cup in Russia in 2018 was controversial for a number of reasons. Political instability, fans’ safety and expense meant that the newspaper initially had reservations about how popular the World Cup was going to be. It was Vyner’s ability to be ‘in the room’ that persuaded them that reportage illustration would engage wider audiences who were interested in travel, history, arts and culture, as well as sport. Discussion with the Sports Editor and Creative Director resulted in a feature called ‘Back of the Nyet’: a daily illustration drawn on site, alongside a written diary to contextualise the images for 35 consecutive days. Advertising for their World Cup coverage listed Vyner as part of their team of sports journalists, enticing readers with the promise that “Throughout the Cup, The Telegraph will publish specially commissioned drawings and animations by artist Tim Vyner, capturing the atmosphere on the ground in Russia” (E5). Vyner’s research into reportage illustration provided Telegraph readers with a unique insight into the experience of attending the World Cup, offering a richer engagement with the tournament for those not able to attend in person.

Exposing people to different perspectives

Vyner’s adoption of new technologies, and success in changing the way the work is commissioned, has increased the reach of his research and created new ways of connecting with audiences.

The ubiquity of mobile phones and ‘citizen journalism’ has diminished photography’s special status in the hierarchy of news gathering. Reportage illustration provides a different way of looking at things and new ways of telling stories. The Author of Reportage Illustration Visual Journalism says that: “The creative power of the reportage illustrator holds more value within a contemporary journalistic landscape. Tim’s drawing is a kind of performative act… people come up to and look over his shoulder” (E6). Speaking in an interview in 2018, a former Senior Art Director of The Times gave Vyner’s work as a prime example of readers’ positive appreciation of and engagement with reportage journalism (E1, p4).

By presenting and sharing alternative perspectives on events and places, fans and participants can engage with reportage illustration ‘in the moment’, by seeing the artist at work on location. At the World Cup in 2018, Vyner was interviewed regularly on live streams from Russia to online platforms such as ‘itsnicethat’ (E4) , arts magazines, the BBC, and events including public lectures at major heritage venues, such as the Holburne Museum in Bath (a live Instagram feed of the Holburne event had had 780 views; E2). Drawings published in the sports pages that illustrated Russia as a World Cup host appealed to a range of Telegraph readers, attracting those with an interest in travel, as well as sport’s fans.

The discovery and presentation of stories and images away from the football match or main event is key to Vyner’s development of reportage journalism. The author of Reportage Illustration Visual Journalism commented that “[Vyner] is looking 90 degrees to find the story off camera. That's a really good journalistic trait to not just passively be commissioned by an art director” (E6).

Vyner’s research is used to reflect on the unique cultural legacy of a particular tournament and to provide discussion and context for each event through retrospective exhibitions (at venues such as the National Football Museum; E4), public lectures and online showcases. It is also impacting on future generations of illustrators: "Tim’s practice is utilised in pedagogy as an example of ambitious, boundary pushing work" (E6).

Raising awareness and esteem amongst marginalised groups

Reportage Illustration has helped to raise awareness, challenge preconceptions, and champion the rights of marginalised groups, such as street-connected young adults.

Vyner’s proposal to capture the life and spirit of a Street Child United (SCU) tournament in 2018 became an integral part of two tournaments, raising awareness of the rights of street connected young adults, and connecting with participants in a way that facilitated debate and built confidence. Vyner’s reportage illustration of the Street Child World Cup provided an individual record of this spotlight event as it happened. Artwork was exhibited during the tournament at the final congress, and provided a platform for participants, sponsors and organising charities to discuss and evaluate their experiences. Participants from the Team Egypt girls’ team said, “The focus of these paintings was on the people and the cultures, more than the backgrounds…”, “This was the first time that I saw this kind of art. It was new to me, completely” and “artistic activities are a pathway towards expressing my feelings” (E8).

Vyner’s work has transformed the practice into a highly valued form of visual journalism, embedding it in the core values of the SCU tournament. The project manager for SCU said that Vyner’s use of colour and his style of drawing “represents the spirit of the event much better than any other art form” (E7). The CEO of Street Child United clarified the benefits of using reportage illustration, rather than photography to document events: “it’s gentle it’s safe. And it’s slower. It is easier to join in and it facilitates esteem”, while the use of art is crucial to their international work “because the illustrations don’t need language to explain them. So you have kids from all over the world who can just look and they can get it immediately.” Talking about how Vyner’s work connected to the key message of the charity, he said: “We say ‘I am somebody’ and [Vyner’s] animations do this. Seeing themselves as part of this, someone has taken the time to draw me, I matter” (E7).