The online article I had chosen for this response was “Faces of an Epidemic” from the New Yorker. (Photography by Philip Montgomery/Text by Margaret Talbot) It is an interactive visual article. The primary focus of the article was to show how drug addiction can happen to anyone and anywhere. Most of the photos were taken in a rural setting as opposed to the often showcased urban victims of drug overdose. All of the photos and videos shown in the article were in black and white which helps with the article’s pathos. Black and white photos are typically used to invoke more of a somber feeling. The lack of colors and distractions leaves you with subject presented and allows the viewer to more closely view it’s emotional state. The article also makes use of short black and white clips from inside a car during a drive. The individual houses passing by in a blur show off the small town vibe that the area has. The article presents a bunch of close up (slightly graphical?) photos of the victims in an attempt to invoke sympathy from the reader. They showcase some survivors of drug addiction and how far they have come with their sobriety. The close ups of the dead bodies and the police with a gloomy expression really gives you a sense of depression. The entire article is set up to show that drug addiction is spreading from the big wild city to the quiet homely neighborhoods. Honestly, the text in this article is fairly simple. It is 90% just stating facts for the reader and not really providing any insight at all. It seemed like a high school student could provide the same text. Although this could have been done on purpose to emphasize the photos and to keep them as the main subject. Overall the article and its visual elements are fairly easy to grasp. It’s simple but effective.
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