To Stop Border Crossings, the U.S. Made the Journey Deadlier
All media belonging to The New York Times.
Review by Judah Ray Marsden.
This piece is a revealing documentation of various perspectives of life interacting with the current migration crisis at the USA Mexico border. As perspectives are revealed in numerous multi media formats the stark injustice of malignant policies, law enforcement's murderous actions and flailing beams of hope from humanitarian aid workers paint the picture of suppressed help to the many lives of travelers crossing divided land.
- Why did you like it?
The first correspondance with an Interviewee on camera is with a local activist and geographer Scott Warren, who completes humanitarian aid work by leaving gallons of water bottles scattered thrughout hte desert so that migrants can drink and live, surviving their journey into new terrritories. His explanation of being charged with 3 counts of felonies for his humanitarian aid work to prevent deaths outside of the town he lives, introduces the larger issue at hand and the context of his specific case, as he sits humbly with the motivation to aid those dying. It provides backing to his opinion, that of to help incoming travelers, and the legal action which has swallowed him because of his actiions which save lives. The Interview with Doris Meissner as well as the background information which visually cites and highlights flawed (deadly) areas of the Prevention through deterrence policy which she crafted in 1994 really justifies the reasoning for the humanitarian aid action volunteers are putting forth to save lives as well as greater bureucratic problems regarding southern border migration attitudes. The contrast of both of these people becomes a showcase of 2 sides of conversation regarding the migration crisis, mainly in support of the flaws in the 1994 act, forcing deaths. The implication of social media style videos after these interviews showcasing sensless police officers and border control damaging piles of water bottles in the desert becomes a 3rd opinion of opposition and an indirect point of enrangement for the viewer if previously alligned with the before opinions.
Overall, it is a highly engaging piece which draws from the most attractive multi media sources pulling a perspective from those that need it the most during these dark times. It covers many opinions and exposes a disregard for life within the US political curriculum, it furthermore is a geographic study of the hostile desert separating two powerful countries, the simplicity of it’s written format and the diversity in it’s video, audio and graphic explorations becomes a nuanced and simply learned event, which will never repeat it self to a single viewer in the same way.
- How does it represent a good use of multimedia?
The use of the pre-title map of the border, with audio placed by geolocation to 911, stating the last-hope words of migrants lost in the desert was a very impactful opening piece, it is sad and real and shows the deathly policies of forcing migrants to travel into very hostile desert environments in order to cross from Mexico to the USA. The use of real voices from 911 phone calls on the map, showcases the feelings and emotions of very desperate travelers forced to deadly conditions by Washington’s strategic foresight for migrant harm, minimizing illegal immigration because of the slaying of bodies in the hot and hostile desert environment. The usen of a background video of aerial footage showcasing the deadly geography of the desert behind the text distilling the story is very appropriately thematic, and makes me feel sensory dryness, like the desert. An embodiment of what the people I am reading about feel. The use of GIFs which showcase border patrol combing areas of the desert where migrants have gone missing yet also showing there in-just actions of shattering water bottles on the same screen decomposes the legitimacy of split values within this state sanctioned enterprise. During the political gift section issues and storylines are explained in single sentences below an audio video display of politicians. This holds true as well for videos explaining current trends in migrant routes as well as infographics of official death rate data.
- What did you dislike about it? What were its drawbacks?
I disliked how sad this piece really was. The issue at hand was far deeper then what was explained by the end of this piece. Humanitarian aid workers like the one depicted are being suppressed and hold no right to complete their work because this country is not built to help internally it is built to appear powerful to those outside. I disliked that this article did not call to action the ways in which clashing sides of opinions can mobilize themselves to fight their good fight. I didn't like the empty hope which surrrounded the story of Byron Ortuño Talavera looking for his missing cousin. I feel like more cases alike should have been documented given the extent of this problem. A single case makes the story embody a single families tragedy when there are so many more. It may have been productive to not only document this story but also traced to stories of the 911 callers depicted as map blips on the first page of the story providing vast information on migrants fates.
- Was is long? Did you get through the whole thing?
The length of this piece was appropriate and continued to be highly engaging throughout the extent of the storytelling. The changing medium through which the story was expressed contributed considerably to containing my attention span.
This story truly needs no improvements as it is highly inspirational and provides a back end to a much larger crisis. The only thing I will nitpick is on the lack of direct interviews to border patrol officers and state correspondents on the same land as the humanitarian aid workers. This may have necessitated a double opinion, although the piece was directed towards creating popular support for Scott Warren’s trial. I also feel like the documentation of contemporary border control and border-migrant policies was jangled and out of date as a spokeswoman from the previous administration was the main bureaucratic ambassador throughout. I do however feel that all of this is nullified given the historical topic of demonstration.
