"The Milkman"

As I went to search for multimedia videos, I found many Associated Press examples or actual clips from a local broadcast news station. I did not want to critique these because they were not solely meant for the web. You could find them on TV, just by turning on the nightly news. Instead, I turned to the St. Louis Post Dispatch and found a video of a story by Elie Gardner - titled "The Milkman."
http://videos.stltoday.com/p/video?id=2279691

This story discusses a male "lactation" counselor at a children's store in St. Louis. While a text narrative could have given us more information about the store and Eric Nemens, the counselor, it would have lost the visual effect of babies being fed by their mothers; with bright eyes and happy faces, it's easier to understand what Nemens is discussing about the bond with a baby. The reporter timed Nemens' questions perfectly about being a father - she added ambience noise of babies cooing and crying, as well as excerpts from Howie Day's song, Collide. It gives a strong visual about the bond between a parent and a newborn.

I wish the reporter would have covered more about the irony of having a male as a "lactation" counselor; this appears to be unique, so how do the mothers feel asking him for advice? Where is their voice within this story? It becomes very one-sided. While we learn about why Nemens enjoys working with children, we completely lose the aspect of the unique situation. I think more interviews would be needed. While these interviews may be in a text form of the story, at least some short clip would have been beneficial.

Additionally, it would be nice to see some interactions between Nemens and the new mothers. As viewers, we can see the mothers conversing with one another, but that isn't what the story is about. We need to see a better visual of Nemens, and I think that would lead to a better overall understanding.

I like the way newspaper websites are trying to stay up-to-date with our modern age. With opportunities for readers to visually see their stories, newspaper corporations can stay alive in our fast paced world!!