Please upload a post discussing the ways that Andrea Elliott organized this prize-winning feature story.

What techniques does Amy Fox use in narrating this conflict story?

Amy Fox uses a technique that many writers don’t often use in straight news stories. She uses her personal experiences and history to unravel the story, additionally, she does this by placing herself directly in the story, using the word “I”. She displaces her own reflections and emotions into the story.

Who were her sources?

Fox uses accounts from her parents, grandparents, Stuy Town’s creator Frederick Ecker, Dr. Lorch, Hardine Hendrix,

What kind of research did she do?

She gathered a lot of historical research from first hand documents, the Stuy Town resident’s committee, in-person interviews,

What is the arc of this conflict story and where is the nut graf?

The arc of this conflict story lies in the racial tensions between blacks and whites in the 1950’s, post WW2 in the Stuyvesant Town area of Manhattan.  The nut graf can be found in the second paragraph.

For my conflict story I would like to cover the rent-control problems in Long Island City. Many residents in Long Island City have rent-controlled apartments, however many landlords and property companies have been attempting to kick these tenants out because they are losing money. Companies like Vantage Properties have been sued by even the mayor for constantly harassing tenants. This is a real and prevalent issue and I hope to interview rent-controlled tenants who have dealt with this issue, as well as lawyers and brokers who can shed some light on the topic to balance the story out.

Some questions I would ask the tenants:

1. how long have you lived in the rent-controlled apartment, what is your rent compared to other tenants who dont have rent control?

2. How would you describe your interaction with your landlord?

3. Do you feel their presence constantly to the point where it could be considered harassment?

Some questions I would ask lawyers and brokers:

1. What are some methods that landlords could kick tenants out?

2. How often do these cases come into the law offices?

3. What are the tenants legal rights concerning rent-control, how could they fight back?

For my conflict story, I think it is best to focus on the gentrification of Washington Heights.  I know this may sound like a general theme, but it’s also a pretty important conflict that needs more attention, at least from a different angle, than what has been previously reported.

I’m interested in hearing the voices of a few businesses that have been really affected by gentrification; though I imagine this may be a little tedious to get done.

As of the moment, I haven’t thought through possible questions, as I’m conflicted with how to approach and which direction I can go in with this broad topic. I would really appreciate any suggestions.