Zooming Out for a Clearer Perspective

Jeanine’s blog on “Spot News” really helped me to understand the idea better.  She explained it essentially as an article made up first of the little picture, then a tie-in, which brings the reader to the big picture.  This helped me imagine a video camera focused in on one-specific person, and then it zooms out a little to the town where they live, then to their country, and last to the world.  This is significant for two reasons.  First, it cleverly creates a wider group of people who would be interested in the article.  The local readers will be interested in the article because of its proximity to their homes, while at the same time, less local people will still be interested since it focuses on a larger subject than a city-specific issue.  The second thing is that it gives a bigger view of the world to the readers.  It helps them to feel a bigger sense of community, not just with those who live next door to them, but others who live farther away.  In a sense, it reminds the readers of their humanity and relationship to each other and the world.  It helps both the journalist and the readers keep things in perspective.     

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