Tag Archives: invisible child

Invisible Child by Andrea Elliott

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Readers expressed praise and criticism for the NYT Dasani series by Andrea Elliott.

Comments included: 1) Criticism that her last name was omitted. 2) Story ran too long 3) Times did not disclose the extent to which it was involved –months of following her every move 4) Not enough attention to the policies and politics of how homeless people are treated in New York City 5) Risk of relying on a single story. Did it become a caricature of larger and more complex issues?

Please comment on these criticisms and add your own criticism or praise.

The story has to run long. This story is nt just about Dasani. This story talks about the secret world of the homeless. It is a success story before it gets big. Dasani on the surface is a student a sister a daughter. But her struggles as a person who is fighting for the American dream is realized through this Article. The article also gives a history of how new ork is changing how it alludes to the changes that are happening and how it effects the residents that are here. People who have experienced displacement and the story of how children can still fight for something better. The details amazing and the times not disclosing the amount of time it took seems unimportant from a readers perspective. If the reporter was present for questions I would probably ask her how long it took and some tips for covering this type of magnitude of a story. I don’t think it became a caricature of a larger more complex issue that happens. Articles focus on the macro and how it effects multiple people using quotes to tell their story. These series of articles I believe is a rare refreshing delight to tell about issues on a close up view. Homelessness is difficult to cover as a whole. Getting people to talk openly talk about their lives in this way isn’t easy for getting cooperation as well as the protections that are placed on them for privacy that could affect their lives. So this story is a jewel for allowing us to see into this rare issues through a child striving upwards. It holds a level of realism talking about the parents the environment and just as it is.

Invisible Child

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  1. Criticism that her last name was omitted.
    1. I feel that Andrea Elliot omitted Dasani’s last name with good intentions of keeping her anonymous since her story is one that is hard hitting and touches on many private aspects of her life. However, it might have been useful to use a fake name to further conceal her identity since Dasani is not a common name.
  2. Story ran too long.
    1. I do feel that the story ran too long. Even though there were a lot of details to cover about the daily aspects of Dasani’s life, it would have improved the piece if it was shorter in length to keep it interesting for readers. Some readers may not have enough time to read all five sections of the story, even if it is extremely well written.
  3. Times did not disclose the extent to which it was involved–months of following her every move.
    1. I think it would have been a good idea to disclose just how long it took to get information on and to construct the piece. It would allow other writers to see the dedication that it takes to truly uncover a story and give it justice through writing. It definitely seems like Andrea Elliot took a long time of shadowing Dasani to get the full story, but we will never be able to assume just how long.
  4. Not enough attention to the polices and politics of how homeless people are treated in New York City.
    1. I do not feel that this was a large issue in the story since it was a profile of the personal life experiences of a single girl, Dasani. Polices and politics are great information to include to strengthen the story. However, since this was not a conflict piece based on homelessness in general, it does not affect the quality of the profile that there was not a large focus on polices and politics.
  5. Risk of relying on a single story. Did it become a caricature of larger and more complex issues.
    1. I don’t believe that this story creates a caricature out of larger and more complex issues. It is a story meant to be a profile of a single homeless girl and the aspects of her daily life. Elliot did make sure to include both sides of the story to avoid any biases in her story. She showed Dasani in a light that shows that Dasani is actively trying to bring herself to a better living situation by trying to do better in school and not accepting her situation.