Once again, the New York Times is utilizing a small town story to relate to a larger issue. This article highlights the opening of the Donora Smog Museum in Donora, Pa. on the 60th anniversary of a deadly 5-day smog that killed 20 people in the city in 1948. It then attempts to go into a broader environmental problem with air pollution, but it fell a little short. The author stayed too contained within the Donora sphere, interviewing residents and getting their perspectives, to create an entirely relevant tie to a wider spectrum. It briefly mentions that the Donora incident could perhaps be linked to worldwide issues, but it didn't go any farther than such empty speculation. This, I suppose, is appropriate for an article that is in fact centering on a museum opening, but it was a lost opportunity to make a big connection.
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True, this story presented a great opportunity to explore the lingering legacy of air pollution in America. However, I have a feeling Sean Hamill was sent out on a very routine assignment with a very strict word limit. So, I cannot fault him for keeping the story focused. Maybe his editors will let him expand upon his brief end product.
From the Monongahela valley to the Mesabi iron range...To the coal mines of Appalachia, the story's always the same...Seven hundred tons of metal a day, now sir you tell me the world's changed...Once I made you rich enough, rich enough to forget my name...
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