A trip to NPR’s ‘Borderland’
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If you do nothing else today, make a run to the NPR website that's been set up in support of the network's Morning Edition series from the U.S.-Mexico border.
Among other things, it explains why NPR took "radio" out of its name a few years ago in recognition of its many ways of telling stories. And what stories are captured in the "Borderland" app!
It begins with a counter that tells you what's happened in Borderland just since you started reading:
Among the most impressive aspects is that NPR's digital team doesn't just jam radio stories onto a page. Instead, it uses fewer words from reporter Steve Inskeep, which actually makes them more powerful.
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It provides a compelling explanation of the border, and the "fence" that's designed -- somewhat poorly -- to satisfy calls for more security.
And it makes it hard to turn away, because we're forced to meet people...
... and confront the empty houses that symbolize the impact of violence.
The border is littered with the things people have to leave behind. Why are we so struck by a tube of toothpaste?
Inskeep powerfully tells the story in the first person.
People drop their possessions as they climb the wall — or are made to empty their pockets as they are arrested. A yellow toothbrush stood out on the path. Others were strewn about, along with two toy helicopters, deodorant and a torn child’s shirt. My 4-year-old could have worn it.
And we are confronted with the "thicket" of the language of Borderland. What do we call the people who cross it?
It'll take you a half hour to zip through the breathtaking presentation. And then, you get one final head-shaking snapshot.
