Scott wanted the exposure to spread the word. The story turned out fine, but the experience helped Scott Bowles realize how exposed anyone who submits to an interview feels. Meanwhile, he was exposing himself to his readers in great detail. I put on paper what frightened me. When you put your own voice in a story, they really see that.
Vulnerability invites response.
Chris Henao, the photojournalist on the team, played a key reporting role in pursuit of a tip that Ford was recalling its Explorers in Venezuela to remove the Firestone tires. He showed off his web skills and his mastery of Spanish in getting confirmation from South American websites and interviews. Beginning with the search for clarity, the Times series was constructed around collaboration. At the heart of it was the partnership of Boyd, deputy managing editor, and Behr, assistant managing editor for national news. The project team members passed story assignments around to one another to distribute the load when certain stories began to get some traction, and they shared their notes to keep one another up to speed.