As a matter of editorial policy, Saline Journal publishes one and only one image with each article. The primary purpose of these visuals is to summarize and attract readership to the written articles with which they are associated. This is a medium to be read.
At the same time, some stories are best told, best understood by registering in an instant. Beyond the few words necessary for labeling (and, in deference to a virtual space where text must still be relied upon to facilitate indexing and retrieval, hashtags), pictures can and do stand on their own.
For this, the repository of choice for Saline Journal is Instagram. [1]
In some cases, they serve as the proverbial picture worth a thousand words, sharing a place or event with just one post.
- Mid-March simulator play at X Golf Ann Arbor
- Freshly-washed 2008 Bentley GT convertible at Mr Goofy’s
- Exhibitor display just after March Saline Craft Show opening
Other times, the use of hashtags connects real time updates on stories as they unfold over time.
- The first #SalineHotel post dates to February 28, 2018 — an hour or so after developer Saline Lodging Group closed on purchasing land for construction of a new Best Western Premier hotel (thus far, this hashtag has only been used by Saline Journal)
- The #lpgavolvik hashtag dates back to the inaugural golf tournament played at Travis Pointe in 2016, though most vigorously used by Saline Journal and broadly applied to show players, behind-the-scenes, and some of the ways in which the event was used to support worthy local causes
Saline isn’t an island, of course. So Instagram helps connect “Saline” to myriad outside areas that impact the way life is lived and business is done here. Sometimes the dots for those tangents are readily connected. Other times, seeds that are planted take a while to show fruit.
This is the one area of social media in which Saline Journal consistently contributes.
Update: February 4, 2019— We’ve raised the bar on this aspect of Saline Journal reporting by migrating our image hosting to flickr. [2]
Update: November 8, 2019— Our Instagram feed is now dedicated to hosting “Days Imaged” content. [3]
References
- Saline Journal (Instagram feed).
- Dell Deaton (flickr feed).
- “Days Imaged” Saline Journal.
