I call it refreshing.
Others may call it “the honey story”.
It is one of those simple stories that could have appeared in a newspaper 100 years ago and still would have delighted readers of any age.
We don’t see enough of these stories anymore. It includes an element of human interest that guarnatees that it will be popular.
Every journalism student past and present hears early in his/her career that among the most important determinants of news is human interest, that story that tugs at the heartstrings, that makes us stop to read, and perhaps to share with anyone near us.
The section Album in the Sunday New York Times does just that. Located in the Metropolitan (New York) section, Album profiles interesting people and places around the city. In Sunday’s edition Album was printed across double pages with the story of Olmedo Renteria, a 78-year-old magician who performs on subway trains. Indeed, Mr. Renteria, who is blind, was a well known magician who appeared on TV in his native Ecuador, but his luck when he came to the US and started performing in subways, which he has done for 30 years.
Notice that the text of the story is short, reminding me of the amount of copy that fits into an Instagram message. Indeed, this is perhaps a print version of the same, but ample and robust with six photographs, a double page and a story that I am sure was shared and enjoyed by many this rainy Sunday morning in New York City.
I know that some in the newsroom consider this type of story old fashioned. I think stories like the one in this Album never ever go out of style.
Read the complete story here:
TheMarioBlog post #2984