The Boston Globe in 2024-25 went above and beyond to captivate our audience. We created engaging social media projects, covered overlooked or newly reexamined local history stories, and reported deeply researched investigations that got exceptional digital treatments.
Our multidisciplinary coverage of the 50th anniversary of the court decision that unleashed Boston’s busing crisis, “Broken Promises, Unfulfilled Hope,” uses archival photography, data visualization, and illustrated reporting to evaluate what has changed in the city’s public school system and take stock of the inequities that plague the school system to this day. On Instagram, we featured angles from the story that most appealed to our audiences: the faces and voices of those who have been affected generationally. We also asked readers for their memories and then shared those back, knowing an important part of this story is not just court decisions, but rather the hateful, long-term effects on Boston families and communities.
We also explored the local components of the Green Book, a travel guide listing establishments across the country for Black travelers. While many associate the book with the South, the Green Books of the Jim Crow era featured hundreds of New England businesses – many now long gone or surviving without recognition of their place in history. Using newspaper archives, government property records, historic map collections, and other sources, the Globe mapped nearly every New England location mentioned in the Green Book: approximately 350 businesses in all. We also created social-media-only content about Green Book locations around Boston (TikTok, Instagram) and women-owned locations (TikTok, Instagram).
This year, we also examined the 20th anniversary of the Boston Red Sox’ remarkable, curse-breaking World Series win with engaging multimedia features. Our documentary video “Three Kings” tells the story of stars Pedro Martinez, David Ortiz, and Manny Ramirez and their impact off the field on Boston’s Dominican community. The “Curse Breakers” podcast included insights from key players, coaches, die-hard fans, and Globe journalists. One of our journalists also took questions about the season from readers on Reddit.
The digital presentation of the Globe Spotlight Team’s investigation of Steward Health Care, which was a finalist for a Pulitzer Prize in public service, elevated the project online. In one innovative digital presentation, Globe reporters used federal flight data to show how Steward CEO Ralph de la Torre used the company’s jets like personal vehicles, flying frequently to places that did not have a Steward facility nearby. Other digital components that served readers included a timeline of major events and a list of takeaways from the investigation.
Lastly, this year we expanded our use of onsite and Reddit “Ask Me Anything” posts to engage our community. Our journalists took questions on housing, ballot questions and the New England Patriots. These AMAs show our continuing efforts to find, engage, and serve off-platform readers.
This coverage showcases our deep commitment to serving our community, telling its stories and keeping people informed across many platforms and formats.
