The iconic photograph of Marine Lance Cpl. James Blake Miller smoking a cigarette after the battle of Fallouja, taken by Luis Sinco, of the Los Angeles Times, gave Miller a taste of fame in 2004. This story is as much about the power of photography as it is about the effects of war on the human soul.
A new story on the Los Angeles Times and Mediastorm.org tells the story of Miller’s life after coming home to Kentucky. It takes all the varnish of glory off of any war story he could tell.
Miller’s voice is what makes this online multimedia story. Sinco has stayed in touch with Miller since he came back to the states. He may have “overstepped” the line when it comes to journalistic ethics, but the bond forged by the tow in Iraq, and Sinco’s humanity gives this story gut-wrenching depth and reality.
Part of the problem I have with multimedia on the web, is the technology can get in the way of the storytelling, which happened to me here. Several times, with two different web browsers, I had trouble getting the audio to play cleanly without it fading in an out. I feel this is a strong piece, but the experience is lessened by the audio at times.
Sinco’s clear direct images speak to the level of confidence that Miller has in him to tell his story honestly. Strong editing and sequencing adds to the package. Like almost all of the Mediastorm projects, this is very well done. In addition to the portrait of Miller, Sinco shows what it is like to be in the middle of an intense military conflict
A bigger question might be what role does Mediastorm play in the media landscape? Could the Los Angeles Times not have produced this in house?
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