Author:
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Crocker Stephenson
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Source:
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Milwaukee Journal Sentinel
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Date:
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01/27/2007
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Format:
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Serial
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We found the approach to this story about the ethics of medical intervention refreshingly bold and fair-minded.
We see this story about a severely disabled boy and his fraught past as in part a demonstration that being truly "impartial" can require shedding that civic, "just-the-facts-ma'am" journalistic stance. Stephenson manages to be fair to all parties while approaching the story with a human, down-to-earth voice and stance. He also manages to impart the full emotional weight of the story without lapsing into mawkishness. The story could be taken for a "pro-life" piece, but in the end it's more complex than the usual pro-and-con portrayal of the issue.
We liked the bold use of language, too, the sometimes poetic prose.
In an innovative step, Stephenson developed a relationship with readers before publishing: "Early in the reporting process, I created a blog, announced to readers what I was working on and invited them to contribute their views, insights and stories. The blog sought not only to vest readers in the creation of the story, but to also make as transparent as possible the reporting process, both from my perspective as writer and from the perspective of the people I was writing about.
"We augmented the published story with excerpts from the blog. These excerpts helped deconstruct the narrative, even as they contributed to it. Showing readers how the story was made enriched the narrative and strengthened its reliability.
"I'm all fired up about this blog thing. I am in the process of creating one for veterans and service members, which I hope will deepen our coverage of men and women (I hate the word "troops") returning from Iraq and Afghanistan."
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