3 GREAT STORIES: The all-New York City edition

Every week, I shine the spotlight on some of the best storytelling in the business and offer my comments. “3 Great Stories of the Week” will post every Monday at 8 AM.

Eric Garner chokehold death protests: Day 4 in NYC (12/6/14, Yahoo): If the nation’s eyes last week were glued to Ferguson, this week they turned to New York City.

When a grand jury failed to indict the officer whose chokehold of Eric Garner led to Garner’s death, community members of all races gathered at various protests throughout the city. They have continued for four straight days, and they have drawn larger crowds than many expected.

Sometimes words come short, and images prevail. For me, this photo gallery from Yahoo! News — culled together from other sources and curated, Big Picture-style — is such an instance. While each photo comes with a caption, the gallery as a whole stands on its own for capturing the passion of everyone involved — even some unexpected sources.

How cost of train station at World Trade Center swelled to $4 billion (12/2/14, New York Times): Speaking of images elevating a story, check out this one from the New York Times, in which writer David Dunlap spotlights the spiraling cost of the World Trade Center’s new train station.

But while Dunlap writes a potent piece, the Times’ visual treatment — online, specifically, I should mention — really stands out.

The Times throws everything at this — spatial models, time-lapse videos — and reaps the benefits of a hard-news story with compelling visuals.

And make no mistake: the article is fascinating too. It details a timeline of how the train station’s $2 billion price tag has now doubled, and it talks about the promises planted on a site that has such emotional resonance.

In conversation: Chris Rock (11/30/14, New York Magazine): The only major visual here is a giant facial photo of Chris Rock, the comedian and subject of this story by Frank Rich.

Everything else is about the words.

The article is presented as a Q&A, back and forth between Rich and Rock. Because Rock’s thoughts are so provocative, they do not require a whole lot of dressing. This piece got quite a bit of buzz last week, and it should have. Rich asks strong questions; Rock gives unfiltered answers; and everyone who reads this piece walks away with some kind of shift in perspective.

Have a suggestion for “3 Great Stories of the Week”? E-mail me at matt@tellingthestoryblog.com.

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