Ben Blank, Innovator of Graphics for TV News, Dies at 87

Even being a Newhouse student, I have to admit, I have never thought about the graphics used in television news reports. I'm pretty sure most students would feel the same way. But if it wasn't for Ben Blank, we could be finding ourselves bored with television news reports. 

Ben Blank introduced illustrations, graphics and symbols to television news. According to Steven Heller's article in the New York Times, "[Blank] believed that to pique and retain the viewer's interest, it was necessary to provide a visual mnemonic that would serve as a logo for the story. This was especially useful when a photograph or film was difficult to obtain on deadline. The image, known in TV news-speak as the "over-the-shoulder" graphic, could be repeated as needed to show narrative continuity from day to day. Mr. Blank also called it the "think-quik visual".

Before Blank improved television news with these graphics, television broadcasts were black and white and quite boring. 

Unfortunately, Blank died February 3, 2009 at his home in Teaneck, NJ. Blank was 87 years old and survived by his wife, his two daughters, his son and his four grandchildren.