Washington Post Recognizes Black History Month

In light of Black History Month, the Washington Post created a multimedia package titled "Being a Black Man" (http://www.washingtonpost.com/wp-srv/metro/interactives/blackmen/blackmen.html) that includes videos, narrated galleries, biographies and photos of various black men in the Washington area. The package addresses questions such as "What does it mean to be a black man?" and "Why are so many black men in prison?" in attempt to draw attention to the everyday struggles black men face.

Personally, I found the package very effective because the interaction of a multimedia site gave me much more freedom than a newspaper. If I got sick of reading, I could switch to video and vice versa. I usually skim through news stories in less than 10 seconds, but the converging mediums held my interest for much longer. If the story were printed in a newspaper, I'd probably read the first few lines and move on.

I am not an avid reader of the Post, but I consider it a pretty influential news outlet so I'm sure the package has done well. "Being a Black Man" may have done better on CNN, despite its focus on Washington residents, however, because it deals with a national issue. The struggle for equal rights and fair treatment is something African Americans face all over the U.S. and I admire the Post's decision to address it. One women, featured in the video "How does society view black men?", complained that the news only covers negative aspects of African Americans, especially in cases dealing with crime, which places the race in a false light. "We only hear of the ones that are doing bad and wrong," she says. "We never hear of the ones who are pursuing a higher education or come from a two parent home."

I think using multimedia gives the piece more meaning because it features a ton of sources, but is not overwhelming. When you attach a face to a person's words, his or her message definitely carries a greater weight. I don't think I would change much about the package, but if I had to change something I would include more people of different races. It would be interesting to see how, say, white or asian Washington citizens would respond.