The moments I most love the Internet are not when I laugh at a stupid something or come across an odd fact or find yet another something I want to buy, but when—against all logic and intuition—I feel as though the Internet has somehow brought me closer to understanding the human condition. Really good sites that do just that are few and far between, but when you come across them, they are worth bookmarking and checking regularly. A friend recently pointed me in the direction of Media Storm and since she did, I have become addicted to the site, transfixed by the stories it tells.
Each story on Media Storm is told via top-notch photojournalism (and/or video), paired with audio and some text to fill in the narrative gaps. The segments run about 10 minutes long and are free, although longer versions of the stories are also available if you want to shell out some money, which in most cases is probably worth investigating. I say this because each and every story on this site is stunning in its artistic execution, and eye-opening and thought-provoking in its subject matter. It’s not funny stuff, or stuff that’s meant to be taken lightly. Instead, think stories about the Rwanda legacy, a story about an Iraqi soldier coming home, a story about addicts in Manhattan, a story about the children of Chernobyl, or a story about teenage love and pregnancy.
My personal favorite is a story called “Common Ground,” because it hits so close to Charlottesville. The story documents what happens when a farmer finally sells his land to a subdivision developer, the life that the farmer lived and the life that the family who moved onto his land lived, how those lives were different and how they were similar. Just like all our lives, really.
