3 GREAT STORIES: Starring life, death, and the DMZ

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.

What does it mean to die? (2/5/18, New Yorker): I was sitting at a restaurant at the Mall of America, midway through covering the Super Bowl, when I spied this headline in my Twitter feed. I clicked, began reading, and sat for 20 minutes unable to focus anywhere else.

The case of Jahi McMath, declared brain-dead by a hospital in California, has been covered before. Rachel Aviv tackles it with tenderness, handling extremely weighty subjects with sensitivity and exploration. I had little interest in this story before reading it, but I couldn’t stop thinking about it afterwards.

Inside Korea’s demilitarized zone between North and South Korea (2/6/18, WXIA-TV): I typically avoid using this space to post stories from my own station, and it’s not because they don’t exist. My newsroom in Atlanta features some of the most talented journalists in the country. I’m making an exception here because, like the story above, this piece stopped me mid-step.

My colleague (and former Telling the Story podcast guest Cheryl Preheim) is covering the 2018 Winter Olympics, and she – along with NBC reporters nationwide – received access to the DMZ between North and South Korea. The environment was chaotic and tense, and that comes through in the stand-ups recorded there. But Preheim tells a complicated story with concern and simplicity, and she puts the viewer in her shoes as well as can be expected.

Tallahassee treasure: ‘beautifully cantankerous’ newspaperman Gerald Ensley dies (2/16/18): Five winters ago, when my station’s parent company also owned dozens of newspapers, I got to travel with groups of trainers to lead our print colleagues in video training. We visited a different newsroom each week, and one of my final stops took me to Florida and the Tallahassee Democrat.

I vividly remember Gerald Ensley.

He was the kind of reporter who couldn’t wait to get in the dirt and start digging. He was the kind of reporter who believed in the power of his profession and remained resolute in the face of continual change. He stood out then, and he stood out again this past weekend when I saw a headline about his death.

I dedicate this spot to him, and I wish the best for his family.

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

Matt Pearl is the author of the Telling the Story blog and podcast. Feel free to comment below or e-mail Matt at matt@tellingthestoryblog.com. You can also follow Matt on Facebook and Twitter.

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