A Call to Arms
Before I start my column I’d like to rattle your cage, beat the bushes, and release the hounds in an effort to get more submissions of good work you see or do.
That can mean as little as sending me a link, or as much as sending PDF or JPEG files of a special project.
I would like what you see in this column to be timely as possible. That means if you know of or have work that deserves to be showcased, let me know about it as soon as you can.
Forget about submitting to those stale old annuals. Let’s strive for instant gratification and create a showcase of work that is inclusive and bold.
We recently found out about a great series of work done at the Washington Post by staff writer Anne Hull. The series focused on how the influx of immigrants is transforming the South. Because Hull has connections to Poynter we heard about it through the grapevine, but there is alot of great work being done out there that isn’t being seen. That’s where you come in.
I’d like to see all kinds of work, from news organizations large and small. Illustrations, photos, page designs, infographics, long series of work, and short info boxes. Send it all. It’s about time to show it off!
Thanks for your support.
The Color of Hate
This past October, the Fort Worth Star-Telegram began a series that looked back at how the Jim Crow era changed its community. After writing a book about the the race riot of 1921 in Tulsa, Okla., which resulted in a black community being burnt to the ground, Senior reporter Tim Madigan began researching Fort Worth’s racial history.
The series features archival photos with photographs taken by staff photographers Roger Mallison and Jeffery Washington. Photos are played very large and are thoughtful and insightful. The lack of color retains the feeling of a bygone era, and the clean design has a nice balance of space, story, and image.
My guess is there isn’t a community in the U.S. that doesn’t have a checkered past when it comes to race relations. The simple act of a black family moving into a white neighborhood sparked one of the most turbulent times in Fort Worth history.
The Star-Telegram series is a fine example of teamwork and storytelling. If you have been a part of a team that produced exceptional work such as this, send it to me.
• View selected pages: Color of Hate (1.2MB PDF)
• Online version
• Read Art Director Brenda Leferink’s comments about the series