What was the last piece of journalism that moved you? Not something that elicited the flat reaction of "Wow, that was cool." But rather, a piece of journalism that literally rocked you from within. You felt compelled to jump out of your seat in the same rhythm of your heart and scream about it using the oxygen at the very pit of your stomach?
I have been struggling to explain to people what my "dream job" in journalism is. I could imagine it, but articulating it was difficult. I was feeling discouraged, that maybe perhaps my dream was too far fetched and imaginative. And then I saw "Hollow."
"Hollow" is an interactive documentary piece covering the deteriorating state of a small county in West Virginia. The once booming area has seen a decline in population, economy, and overall quality of life since the 1970s. It's a collection of stories from people whose pride in their roots shed light on a kind of optimism that makes you want to give everything you can to the cause.
The incorporating of video, audio and photos was done so rhythmically and in an engaging, organized fashion. You're drawn into the story as it takes you through the history of the county- the highs and lows, the changes and its evolution, how to came to be where it is. It forces you to follow the story- though "forces" hardly seems like an appropriate word to use because of the effortless fluidity of the piece.
My struggle to explain what my dream job has ceased, with much thanks to those who made "Hollow" possible. This piece, every single aspect of it, moved me so soulfully that all I can do is think about the stories I wan to tell in a similar fashion. I'm eager to uncover untold stories and to tell them so my work may evoke a similar feeling in those who come across it.
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