Worlds of Difference: Finding a Niche

Homelands Productions' Worlds of Difference series has been delivering some of the very finest material to air on public radio over the past two years. WOD has subtly infiltrated the magazines and other high-profile shows with full-segment and segment-breaking pieces that, subversively, achieve a real connection with listeners.

Here, for example, Chris Brookes's segment on Newfoundland sings, literally. "For five centuries, we sang, we danced, we spoke the language of fish. Our culture was their voice." It's not just the English language and absence of voiceover – the fishermen here deliver a nuanced and compelling story – becoming fishers of people instead of fishers of cod -- and Brooks' participatory narrator is perfect pitch.

But as an hour-long package, "Finding a Niche" seems like more is less. The overall presentation feels padded and plastic. Maria Hinojosa's narration and the snippets of gratuitous listen-to-my-title-and-accent commentary feel like shrinkwrap over handwoven material, a slick, shiny covering that renders some of the contents airless.

The challenge of compelling coverage of globalism is to get past earnest eat-your-peas journalism. The pieces from Peru and Mexico are stuck firmly in the vegetable niche, though. We don't use chemicals in our potatoes. We don't use chemicals in our mescal. It's still pretty much the didactic stick without too many sweet carrots.

Vera Frankl's examination of the Outer Hebrides, though, is a deeper story of physical detachment and digital connectedness – and that's the larger motif any reporting on globalization must reach for -- connecting with listeners who are detached from the wider world.

"Niche" finds virtuoso voice twice in four swings (and they're homers) – a pretty good batting average for delivering a series on the world, differently.

["Tones" refer to Segment II by Chris Brookes.]

Hosted by Maria Hinojosa, this special tackles a broad and difficult topic skillfully. Hinojosa is a terrific host and just right as presenter of four stories exploring how traditional cultures are grappling with the rapid change of global economics. One of the things I like about this program is its willingness to examine the dark side of globalism. We do hear so much jingoistic coverage of this topic.

Included is a haunting and poetic piece about the demise of the cod-fishing industry in Newfoundland, one of those radio stories that gently yet firmly grabs your lapels and won’t let you go. The first and last stories are from Peru and Mexico and are very well-researched and put together, though not as intriguing, perhaps because, as an earlier review noted, they are more narrator-driven. I did find the Mexican town’s efforts to market its local liquor interesting, though. A piece about the Outer Hebrides of Scotland is also well-produced (and, of course, has those yummy accents!)

This is a serious piece of journalism that provides nice international coverage of a timely and important topic. I think many public radio listeners will find it significant, akin to reading international coverage in the New York Times.