Musical videos and comics have helped to “resolve” one of the biggest puzzles suspending over the world ever since the financial meltdown happened three years ago, according to Jack Bernstein, this year’s Pulitzer Prize winner in national reporting, in delivering his speech at Hong Kong Baptist University.
Many students attend Jack Bernstain's speech
Bernstein and Eisinger, his partener, investigated whether and how the Wall Street set out the “fire” on its own backyard in 2005 and 2006, which resulted in the biggest financial meltdown after the Great Depression. They indicated that the “Wall Street money machine” caused the tragedy.
“The video was downloaded millions of times. People really ate it up and enjoy it. And it really got the story out.” Bernstein explained after showing students the musical video, “Bet against the American dream”, in which they managed to contain the basic points involved in their four-thousand-word investigative report.
“Much more people watch the video than reading our story. This is important, especially when you are doing complex financial reporting. You need to find different ways to allow people to exercise it and understand it,” said Bernstien, “I don’t think it has to be a musical video or it has to be comic books but we think financial journalists are challenged to be more creative in the way we present it. Only presenting numbers or long story isn’t enough.”
The new form of reporting, though, “not as good as they were hoped” still got pretty good results. U.S. senators also know their multi-fomart reports. Bernstein said that senators talked about their reports in a senate debate trying to bring about new regulations to curb the finacial tragedy from happening again.
Although there is till now no criminal prosecution against anyone in the Wall Street for involving in the “money machine”, which Bernstain blamed for the financial crisis, the broad readership and influence of Berstain’ reports showed that, as Bernstein said, “it is really helpful” to “tune” the financial news.
Through Your Iris 