Narrative analysis: The Economist’s article about family separation among slaves in America
“Family separation among slaves in America was shockingly prevalent” is an excellent article by The Economist. It is an ideal material for studying narrative techniques in the media. I analysed the article from ten perspectives, including three major points; mode, genre, and audience.
Mode
It was distributed on The Economist’s website. In addition, the making process was told in “Off the chart” as the paid newsletter. On the other hand, the article was posted with just the title on Twitter.
Genre
This article is classified as the article genre, and the subgenre is the history related to enslaved people in the US. It has a “Graphic detail” tag on the site. It is a special article for the news site. Readers can browse the page with scroll animation without subscribing because of its public nature.
Audience
The audience is basically British and American. However, the article can be read all over the world due to the feature of the topic. Readers will read it based on each background.
Narrator
There is not any author name on the page. Family separation was told objectively by combining texts and visuals based on data. At the same time, each enslaved person’s names on the page tell the reader the shockingly history without any other words. The expression method is quite effective in conveying the story.
Characters
The content has 334 enslaved person’s names except for Jennie K. Williams of the University of Virginia, who made up the data. Two women who gave birth while awaiting sale were highlighted in particular. The age descriptions and dots expressing additional family members also play an essential role in storytelling.
Setting
The article handles the 50 years before the civil war in New Orleans.
The author wrote about the ages using a new dataset in 2022.
Point
Notably, this content is arranged in order from the abstract overview to the concrete individual. While it is based on an objective dataset, it appeals to the reader’s emotions using graphics. In technical terms, texts are diegesis, and visuals are mimesis. Both concepts work well together, neither too much nor too little.
Alternative editorial choices
Creators should focus more on the smartphone’s view in the design because of its user share. For example, the highlight expression may be better in part of the existence of under 18 enslaved people to improve recognisability.
Critical
There is a difference in the experience of scroll animation between PC and smartphones. The list of enslaved persons’ names is the most crucial element in the article. However, the small font size in a smartphone makes it difficult to read the list. The efforts such as above mentioned are needed.
Practical
This narrative method may help tell the horror of the Ukraine war. It can also apply to the report of disasters such as earthquakes and eruptions.
