“ZDF heute” ist von Gestern

So everyone is talking about election campaigns in germany right now …and the new design for the ZDF news programme “ZDF heute”. No doubt about it: looks nice, shiny, sparkling like an iPod turned into a TV studio.

The new "ZDF heute" Look and Feel

But wait, why are they using this WWII-era-like antiquated cylindrical map projection for their new world map (looks like Miller projection)? Where Russia seems to be almost four times larger than China and (of course) Greenland as large as South America!

Don’t get me wrong. I’m not that Peters projection fundamentalist, like those cartographers from the TV series West Wing. But, in fact, there are far better choices for world map projections with better compromises between shape and area distortions than a cylindrical projection. For instance Winkel Tripel or the Robinson projections.

I’ve got another question too – why some areas in the map are raised and others are lowered – like Mexico is shifted below the US? Actually that question appeared at the ZDF’s internet forum as well. The answer was: it’s an artist’s impression (not a map!) – it looks more pleasant this way :) Any questions left, huh? Read Mark Monmonier’s How to Lie with Maps!