Piece Comment

Review of Central America After the Wars Part Two - Gangs, Women, A Look Back


Stations looking for stories to mark Hispanic Heritage month in Sept should check out this series. This installment is made up of two very strong stories - one about women facing challenges head on in Central America, and the other about gang violence. Both are fine examples of investigative reporting with a healthy mix of personal stories, political context and sound-rich style. Unfortunately, the hour begins with an attempt to recap the complexities of US foreign policy in Central America twenty years ago in a ten minute report filled with sound-bites and archive sound. It's the weakest segment and not an ideal way to begin since one is likely to lose listeners before the more interesting stories get going.