The Juxtapose App
- Heather Ernst
- Apr 26, 2019
- 3 min read
Juxtapose is an application which allows users to compare two similar forms of media, including GIFs, photos and maps. The tool, created by Knight Lab, allows journalists and really anyone to tell stories by comparing to similar images or frames. There are plenty of journalists, including myself, who discuss changes in the then versus now and this app allows us to give our audience a visual of those changes. An app like Juxtapose is amazing for highlighting stories that explain slow or abrupt changes over time including, deforestation, war, growth of a skyline and many more. Juxtapose is extremely relevant as well for displaying the impact of a single event like a protest or a natural disaster. So, for these reasons, as journalists we can use this platform for current news, profiles or really any story that you can use a visual comparison.
Juxtapose is a super easy application to use, all one has to do is find to similar sized photos, copy the URL to the image you want on the left and paste it and do the same for the right image. Then, Juxtapose allows the user to label each image and give credit to the source in which you found that image as to not get in trouble for copyright. The app gives you some options on the layout and look of your images and then you can choose to either preview the Juxtapose or create it. Once Juxtapose has created your image, they give you an option to copy and paste a link to your image or an option to copy and embed your image into a website, blog or any other place you could use it. The best part about Juxtapose is they provide examples on their website of countless news sources that have used Juxtapose and the link to where you can find them and see how they used the app. I love this because it gave me a clear example of what you can do on Juxtapose and the various levels other journalists have used it in their writing.
Not only is Juxtapose super helpful and easy to use, it is also a free and open source that anyone can use. All you must have to use the app is links to two similar pieces of media and then you just copy and paste, and you have a great visual comparison. While it may seem like a comparison between two similar photos can be done by anyone by just attaching the two images, however, Juxtapose uses a slider tool so you can see each full image, or the images compared. Here is an example:
As you can see, the image is much more than a side by side comparison but an in-depth view of the changes going on in our society and on our planet. The app itself is a great storytelling tool that is so broad and easy to use. Not only does the site offer the side by side frame comparisons, but they also offer ways to create other interactive features including maps, timelines and inline audio. With so many options it is hard to go wrong with an app like Juxtapose if you are a journalist. It is so important in our day and age to use interactive tools in our stories that can be viewed on various digital platforms including your phone or tablet. Juxtapose gives users the option to do just that and reach a greater variety and span of readers around the world.
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