Journalism Reflection: The Boston Globe (Multimedia)

If you've ever been to Boston or know someone who has, sure enough you (or they) have heard of Brigham's. The ice cream and restaurant chain has been a staple in this city and its surrounding areas since the early 1900s. At one time, it seemed as though a Brigham's was on every corner. Brigham's ice cream is certainly part of the "local" flavor of Boston as is reflected in its ice cream flavors such as "Curse Reversed" (to reflect the Red Sox winning the 2004 World Series) and the "Big Dig" (the name of the city's large construction project). So when news broke that the last Brigham's in the city of Boston was closing, the Boston Globe sent a reporter to the restaurant during lunchtime.

As technology continues to expand and is constantly changing, the newspaper industry is changing with it. Had this Brigham's closed 10 years ago, a newspaper reporter probably would have shown up at this event with a notepad. Now, newspaper---and broadcast---journalists serve as "multimedia" journalists, presenting their story on multiple platforms. In addition to writing an article about the restaurant closing, the Boston Globe made a slideshow and a video. Being a broadcast journalist, I decided to highlight the video. You can view it here.

As a broadcast journalist, I am always faced with the question "why should people care about this story ?" Obviously, those involved in the story care about it but how about the average viewer who has no prior knowledge of the topic or issue at hand? To make viewers care, a successful journalist should humanize the story-tell it through the eyes of a person (or people) who it affects. The Boston Globe did a phenomenal job in this story video. After watching members of the long-time waitstaff cry and faithful customers say "I've been coming here for 30 years...I don't know what we'll do now," I couldn't help but start tearing up.

While the video is shaky and does not utilize many broadcast techniques such as proper interview framing, sequencing shots, and shooting video from a variety of angles, the reporter does an excellent job of making the viewer care. It doesn't matter if you've been eating Brigham's ice cream for years or had never heard of the chain before this story. This video makes you realize how important a sandwich and ice cream shop has been to this community, and the many lives it has touched. That is great journalism.