The Big Collapse
I've seen two excellent and innovative Web packages commemorating the first anniversary of the terrible bridge collapse in the Twin Cities. The StarTribune.com's "13 Seconds in August" features an aerial shot of the bridge taken soon after the disaster. You can navigate up and down the photo and see the vehicles that were stuck on the bridge or among the debris in the river and riverbank below it. If you click on one of the vehicles, it will show you a video, photo and short story about what happened to each occupant. The result is a compelling look at how the collapse affected individual lives. Pam Louwagie, Jane Friedmann, James Shiffer, Rhonda Prast, Jamie Hutt, Dave Braunger, Jaime Chismar, Vanessa House, J. Pinkley, Regina McCombs and Vickie Kettlewell worked on this project. A big thank you to News Gems reader Kate Giammarise for recommending it. www.startribune.com/local/12166286.html
"The Bridge" by WCCO-TV in Minneapolis is also terrific. The Web page allows you to click on photos of survivors, emergency responders and public officials to watch and hear videos about their experiences. A tip of the hat to the Poynter Institute's Al Tompkins for suggesting this one. http://wcco.com/thebridge