Today several writers on an email list I frequent were buzzing about the charticle, which is basically a hybrid of an article and an illustration. They said it wasn't real writing and that it's bad for writers, because it means fewer words (and hence a lower pay scale).
Au contraire, my freelance friends.
I had happen to enjoy a good charticle, because they are faster and easier to write than normal articles (which means that yes, you're making less money but you're also spending less time on the project). Granted, they're not award-winning journalism, but charticles appeal to readers who are pressed for time (aren't we all?) and need visuals to comprehend things. Supposedly our children (I mean children in general, not MY theoretical children) will grow up to be plagued by illiteracy and ADD, so I'm sure we'll be seeing more charticles in the future.
As New York magazine's weekly Approval Matrix proves, even short pieces like charticles have room for a cleverly crafted bit of irony or humor. Granted, you have to be pretty sharp to be witty in under 200 words. I just did it in 190.