01 May 08 The tale of the Cougar Ace, the perfect storm
The Cougar Ace was a car transport ship that was en route from Japan to Vancouver, British Columbia, Tacoma, Washington, and Port Hueneme, California, with a cargo of 4,812 Mazda vehicles. On the way a malfunction caused ballast water to dump out and the ship listed 60 degrees putting both crew and cargo in danger.
Since the story was first reported it has been followed by journalists of all stripes. The entire tale, from the initial accident to the salvaging of the ship to the final fate of the close to 5,000 vehicles, is a multi-layered and fascinating story.
Wired contributor Joshua Davis wrote a brilliant story that focused on the salvaging effort of the Cougar Ace. His vibrant descriptions and literary format make the salvage team, a rogues gallery of hardened characters that makes the hardened seaman of ‘The Deadliest Catch’ look like a bunch of Long Johns Silver employees, come to life. Take the time to read it, it’s worth it.
When I first read Davis’ story in print I was blown away. Then I saw the online presentation and again was floored. The reason I mention this here is that this is an example of the perfect story. In print, it works great thanks to Davis’ lush descriptions and deep research. The story did not, and should not, end there however. The online version includes pictures, video and even journal entries from the captain of the salvage team. All of this adds to the story, yet none of it is completely necessary. Wired decided to use any and all of the tools at its disposal in order to bring more life to the story.
The same can be said for the Wall Street Journal follow up about the fate of the cars. It could easily have been told without it, but the video really pulls the story together. Watch:
This story is simply a great example of a story that doesn’t stop in print. Yes, it’s magazine journalism but there’s no reason why newspapers can’t take a similar approach to their print stories, especially the lengthier feature and investigative pieces.
I know many papers are already doing this and it needs no real mention but I liked this story a lot and felt it should be shared.
Related LinksTags: article, online journalism, wired
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