Fundamentals of Interactive Journalism

1975 South Bronx nativity (image from NYT.com)

Folk artist Joseph Sciorra constructed this unique nativity scene, set in the South Bronx, circa 1975.

My very first post on this blog was about photos of the Bronx during that time.

Over the last few weeks, I’ve spoken with a few people – a bar owner, an unemployed 30-something, a pastor – who are worrying about the near future of the city in this recession.

Maybe a look at this scene (click here for some details) is a good reminder of what the Bronx has overcome and what it will hopefully never have to face again.

Edited: 9/22/08

Yesterday, the NYT City Room reported on Lisa Kahane’s “Do Not Give Way to Evil.” The book includes photographs taken from 1979 -as the Bronx fires ended- to 1987, as the community began to recover. Check out the slideshow of some of her photos.

One of Kahane's photos

 Although the Bronx stopped burning years ago, the community didn’t magically recover overnight.  A 2005 NBC report explains how the South Bronx continues to “rise out of the ashes.”

I’m curious if/how my own Bronx beat (CD 6) is really still dealing with any destruction and rebuilding directly related to the fires, after all these years…or is the burning Bronx an old stereotype that just won’t die?  Has anyone else with CDs in the area explored this at all?