- dl.dropbox.com/u/60085193/follow the blood special.mov
- clickondetroit.com/lifestyle/health/Arm-To-Arm-The-Lifesaving-Journey-of-Blood/-/2300442/1789898/-/auaxbc/-/index.html
- clickondetroit.com/lifestyle/health/Arm-To-Arm-Meet-The-Blood-Recipients/-/2300442/2672150/-/udrl8r/-/index.html
- youtube.com/watch?v=uFNnQmV-kS4
Provide names of other journalists involved.
Vanessa Ogletree, Editor Jeff Sepulveda, Editor
List date(s) this work was published or aired.
10/15/2011
Provide a brief synopsis of the story or stories, including any significant findings.
It’s often said one blood donation can save up to three lives. But when you actually donate blood, there’s no way to know where your blood goes or who it really helps. We wondered if would-be donors could see how much that donation really means — would they be inspired to donate more often or to donate for the first time? In an unprecedented partnership, we asked the Red Cross to do something it’s *never* done before — to allow us and our cameras to follow a *single* blood donation from the donor to each of the recipients and through every single step along the way. It took more than a year of planning, shooting, and production to bring this lifesaving journey from arm to arm and to our viewers.
Explain types of documents, data or Internet resources used. Were FOI or public records act requests required? How did this affect the work?
Because of the documentary-style nature of this project, we did not use any Internet resources, FOI requests, or public records.
Explain types of human sources used.
This story was shot by one photographer (and at times the producer or reporter) using three cameras. In addition to a standard news camera, we attached two smaller cameras to various trucks, walls, and pieces of equipment to capture more angles of the action. The photographer, producer, and reporter took turns following the blood to ensure that we didn’t miss any step of the process. It took more than a year of planning to get the project approved and several weeks to follow the blood from the initial donation to each of the three recipients.
Results:
The project’s initial airing generated massive crowds at a local blood drive. The Red Cross has since distributed hundreds of copies of the project on DVD to promote blood donation across the country. Several local schools have also requested copies to encourage blood donation at school blood drives.
Follow-up (if any). Have you run a correction or clarification on the report or has anyone come forward to challenge its accuracy? If so, please explain.
No.
Advice to other journalists planning a similar story or project.
Patience! From winning approval to the project, to following the blood, to logging the endless hours of tape, this project was a lesson in patience and persistence. In the end though, it has been the most rewarding project we’ve ever worked on.