Thursday, September 14, 2006

As a 22-year-old, I can't think back to where I was when Japan attacked Pearl Harbor or when Kennedy was assassinated. What I do remember is exactly where I was and what I was doing the morning of Sept. 11, 2001.

Later that day, running laps during high-school gym class, my friends and I commented that we suddenly felt a part of history, not just students learning about it.

It's that mentality that struck me about the fifth anniversary's news coverage. Multiple news outlets seemed to incorporate an element of coverage that focused on personal stories.

I noticed it with my generation when I was reading my college newspaper, Penn State's The Daily Collegian. Erin James, editor in chief, wrote a column that shares her experience of that morning. Her column shows that Sept. 11 coverage also includes bottom-up news, detailing what the observer has experienced.

But I also noticed it in older generations. NBC's Brian Williams wrote his reflection on Sept. 11 in the article "We moved on too quickly," which gives his reaction to the attacks and his childhood memories of the Twin Towers. He, as with others, uses phrases such as "I will never forget" and "I will remember that day." Just Googling "I know where I was on Sept. 11" produces page after page of personal stories.

Everyday citizens shared their experiences on MSNBC's "How 9/11 changed our lives." So did Florida residents at St. Petersburg Times' itsyourtimes.com. Photojournalists at The New York Times narrated the stories behind their photos in "The Faces of 9/11."

I think it's coverage like this that draws in readers and creates a shared sense of community. News isn't just a one-way flow of abstract information. It's personal, and the media captured that.


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