City of Brotherly Love?

Deborah Feyerick’s story entitled “City of Brotherly Hate?” is definitely one of the most powerful and emotionally-charged videos that I have ever seen on CNN.com. Most of the stories that I find on this website cover trivial events or mere novelties, but this story tackled a serious issue facing Philadelphia’s urban population with professionalism. I firmly believe that this story on the city’s escalating murder rate would not be nearly as effective in print form due to the graphic and emotional subject matter presented.

The most compelling scene in this piece involves Bill Cosby asking an auditorium full of people to stand up if a close relative has ever been shot in their neighborhood. Watching nearly half of the room slowly rise in despair was one of the most emotional scenes that I have ever seen in a feature story. Feyerick also followed a tearful mother to her son’s grave and spoke to frightened children in a local community center, two scenes to which print could never do justice.

I was extremely impressed by this story and recommend that everyone watches it when they get a chance. Although I think it is excellent, I suppose that if I had to change something I would get more shots of the street. Too much of the story takes place inside safe and sheltered locations such as the community center and the police commissioner’s office. A few shots of street violence or simply the streets themselves would add a relevant visual cue to evoke even more of a response from viewers.