Broadcasting Creative Nonfiction

While I sat and listen to Serial I was effeminately emotionally attached. I am not sure why I became so emotional attached to this case as I have no ties to the “victim” “accused” or any other person within this case, yet I found myself objecting during the absurd dejection(s) within the case. It surprised me that I became so attached to this podcast, had I not been assigned to listen to it, I would not have, maybe even ever listen to it. Though, since I began to care, I found myself infuriated, saddened, excited, and even flabbergasted at times.

I believe that with the opening, Koenig created a feeling of doubt. By giving a real life example of how mailable our memories are, creating an endless loop of questioning the soundness of the case as a whole. This case is definitely flawed in a multitude of ways. To prove that this young man, at the time that is, was “guilty” for manually strangulating an ex-girlfriend, dumped her into the back of his trunk, all the while obtaining no abrasions, lacerations, or any form of injury pertaining to this strangulation. There is no physical implications that this young male committed this crime.

The evidence that piled up against Adnan seems to me, and most likely others as well, to be mute. The evidence that is complied against Adnan lacks proof continuously. The evidence “found” was not properly tested, the persons interrogated were not asked appropriate questions in regards to Adnan’s innocence, only the words of those that attack him. There are key persons that had or could have provided an alibi for this young man. Yet they were not listened to or used in the court room. The inconsistencies within this case is ridiculous!

Jay is a puzzle for me. How can he be so adamant about Adnan committing the crime, that he assisted in the grave digging of this young women, yet, his story was never sound. He changed his story numerous times. This singular fact is puzzling as his story is changing. How can Jay have all this information that sounds “right” for the conviction of Adnan if this was in fact the truth? Then there is a question that plays in my mind, “was it Jay that killed this young women and if so is he is framing Adnan, or did it in fact actually happen?”

Though there is also the question of Don. Why was he not interrogated for this as he was the boyfriend of this young women at the time. The Legal team dismissed him as a suspect because Don was at work, though was he actually? His mother was his manager after all. They didn’t really follow up.

The way that this broad cast was developed definitely changes how I would have interpreted this case had I read the manuscript. The audio aspect causes the listener to become engulfed in the topic, almost like listening to music. We are able to hear the voices of these real life persons revolving around the case. Listening to the hope, devastation, and questions and answers given by Adnan causes us, the listeners to become attached to his case. Though we are not able to figure out if we should be on Adnan’s team, or throwing tomatoes at him and booing him off stage.

The character development is easiest when hearing ones voice, it gives the audience a way to characterize individuals, where as if we were to read on paper, about factual events, people, and actions it would be harder to characterize them in a similar way. In comparison to radio hosts, authors have an advantage over a few things. First and foremost, they have the ability to tell the story they wish to tell, without error, in the way they want to display it. Radio host must stumble about their words as they can not script perfectly what they will say, how it is said, or when they say a particular thing. Authors too have the upper hand when delivering a message in order to make it your own. Radio hosts on the other hand are confined by how we view them based on their oral speech. Perhaps a listen doesn’t like their tone, or the diction they use. May even the difference between male and female voices influences the way in which their audience views what ever it is they are attempting to convey. This does not happen to authors as the readers decide how the character will sound unless expressed by the author that a particular character has a husky voice, but still, even then readers may chose how that husky voice sounds to them. This definitely changes the way the the characters are developed and allow for the author to have an hand as there is more of a mystic sense when reading rather than listening. A character is formulated through the one who’s speaking of them, thus creating their character for the audience.

Like Nonfiction television shows, audio/radio broadcast may broaden the growth of creative nonfiction as a genre in the future by making it more public. I do not believe that many individuals realize that what they are watching is nonfiction, like wise, what they are listening to may in fact consist of creative nonfiction narration. I myself am amongst this group of individuals. Prior to this year, I did not know that reality television. Cold case files, ect. was a part of this genre. Though, if more podcast(s), radio shows, or other audio pieces were created and made public such as that of our well known fiction genre, I believe that it would definitely flourish.

If you are interested in how many are wrongfully convicted here is an interesting link to follow up with

http://phenomena.nationalgeographic.com/2014/04/28/how-many-people-are-wrongly-convicted-researchers-do-the-math/

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