Listen, watch, and read the three versions of this true story. Â For you, which did the best job of communicating what happened? Why was it more effective than the other two? Which had the greatest impact on you? Why, compared to the others? What does this show/ tell you about different genres approaching the same subject?
- Listen: Robbie Brown, “21 Chump Street” ( podcast-scroll down for link to it )
- Watch: Lin Manuel Miranda “21 Chump Street” (short musical)
- Read: Alexia Campbell, “30 Students Arrested in Palm Beach County Drug Sting”
To me the podcast communicated to me best because it was the actual person’s voice and not a play, and he told us how it affected him. The other two examples either lacked some sort of emotion, in the article, or some sort of information, in the musical. This shows me that different genres can produce radically different reactions for people.
In my opinion the best was the musical. I read a fourth source on the story to see what the case was about and I believe that the musical pretty much covered everything in chronological order.The musical did an amazing job at not only getting the story across but adding deep emotion into it. And the acting was amazing for this musical. I believe that this source was the most effective because it is entertaining and keeps the audience focused on the storyline. The play sounded like a robot in my opinion. There was no emotion in the storyteller whatsoever. The article was just fact after fact which I believe anyone could have easily gotten by googling the key point to the case. This shows me that the way a story is told can grab an audience’s attention depending on how it’s told. Everyone is different, some people rather be hit with direct facts while other people like me prefer a more storyline based source.
For me, the podcast was the best form of communication. Everything was clear from the beginning to the end. You can use your imagination to know the scenes. The article and musical didn’t grab my attention. For the article, you don’t feel the presence; you’re just reading the news. For the musical, you get distracted from the music and usually forget the plot.
Personally, I think the musical did a better job at portraying the story because you can physically see the people’s emotions and reactions. The singing also made it easier for me to engage in the story, it made it more interesting. This showed me that different genres bring different things to to table.
Im gonna be a little biased but the musical was my favorite, it reminded me of Miranda’s work in Hamilton. Also the fact that it what a musical allowed me to be more captivated and allowed me to pay more attention to the story. I searched up some sources to see if it was accurate and i couldn’t find any horrible mis-accounts. I found the witty writing and actor movements to be the most attention grabbing for me compared to the others. The different genres showed me how you can approach the same topic with different ways, lines, people, and storytelling.
The podcast stood out to me the most because it was the actual person’s voice, not a performance, and he explained how his experience affected him. It felt more personal and real, which made it easier to connect with his story. The other two examples didn’t have the same impact as the podcast did to me. Plus, musicals just aren’t my thing, and I don’t really like reading a lot, so neither of those formats worked as well for me. This made me realize how much the way a story is told can affect how people understand and connect with it.
After listening to the This American Life podcast by Robbie Brown, watching the musical 21 Chump Street by Lin-Manuel Miranda, and reading both the article by Alexia Campbell and the piece from The Palm Beach Post, I think The Palm Beach Post did the best job overall in telling the story clearly and fairly. It gave a straightforward breakdown of what happened with with the Florida students, why the undercover operation happened, and how it affected students. What made it stand out to me was how balanced and informative it was. It didn’t lean too heavily on one side it gave space to both the emotional impact on the students and the justification the police gave for the operation.
The podcast by Robbie Brown helped bring Justin’s voice into the story, which made it feel more personal and real. But it didn’t provide as much background or wider context. The musical was definitely the most emotional and engaging in terms of storytelling it brought the drama and really captured Justin’s heartbreak and how he felt deceived but since it was a performance, it focused more on the feelings than the full facts.
Alexia Campbell’s article was also strong because it looked deeper into how these undercover operations work and raised important questions about whether they’re fair or effective, especially for students of color but didn’t include direct quotes from students so I still felt like The Palm Beach Post piece was the clearest and easiest to follow.
I think the musical version by Miranda had the best performance in shhowing what happened. It approached more emotional aspects and made the story feel real because of the music and the acting. I also feel like it had the biggest impact on me since I could see the characters and feel what they were going through. When compared to the podcast and article, it felt more personal overall as a summary. This shows that different genres can tell the same story in unique ways and affect people differently depending on what methods or how the the story is told or is portrayed.
It’s interesting to see the same story of the 30 students arrested in the drug sting told through a podcast, a short musical, and a news article. I’m curious which version people found most impactful. Each format likely brings a different element to the narrative. The podcast might offer a more intimate, auditory experience, while the musical could amplify the emotions through song and visuals. The news article would likely focus on the factual details. It really makes you think about how the way a story is told can shape our understanding and how different genres can highlight different aspects of the same event. Personally, I think the musical version is better because it offers a unique emotional side to the story.
In my opinion, Lin-Manuel Miranda’s musical short film conveyed the message best. It had a greater impact because, through the acting, music, and visuals, it made the viewer feel more connected to the action and kept them engaged. This allowed the video to show more details of what was happening, helping the viewer connect better with the situation and understand it more deeply. Furthermore, it wasn’t boring, but rather entertaining, so the viewer—that is, me—felt a connection to the moment depicted. In contrast, of the two genres, the podcast seems robotic because it doesn’t convey emotions, only sounds and explanations, while the journalistic article only provides sources of information that help to understand what happened, but doesn’t offer an emotional connection.
I think the musical had more of an impact than the other sources. The news article lacked pathos. It just told us what had happened and nothing more. While the podcast and musical gave more pathos and intel on what exactly was happening in the schools with the undercover cops. Also, the news article lacked the perspective of the students, which the podcast and musical gave. The musical had more emotion and made the message louder. The podcast gave us pathos, but it didn’t give us visuals like the musical did. I think being able to see the character’s facial expressions and body language gives off a stronger message and understanding of what happened.
I agree, the article definitely lacked pathos. It didn’t talk about what happened at the school and Justin’s experience which the podcast and musical were able to do.
For me, Lin Manuel Miranda musical did the best job of communicating what happened. It was more effective than the other two because I was able to see a depiction of how the story went instead of just reading or listening about it. The music and acting really helped me see more of the emotional aspect of students. The article focused strictly on stating the quick facts about students being arrested for selling drugs. Meanwhile, the podcast allowed me to hear directly from Justin’s perspective and the officer who went undercover as a student. The musical encompassed all of these things and added the visual aspect which made me think more about if Justin would have sold the drugs to someone else if he didn’t like her. This shows me that different genres relay information to the viewers differently and evoke different emotions. Thus, depending on how you want the viewer to feel or take away from the story, you should pick a genre that best fits that.
For me, the one that did the best job of communicating what happened was the podcast. Compared to the article, essentially everything that was stated in the news report was went over in the podcast. The podcast added a more engaging element and storytelling that reminds me that the law isn’t black and white. Additionally, the podcast was also able to get interviews from one of the cops and one of her victims. The musical interpretation was more engaging but it exaggerates and changes certain parts of the story, also leaning more into a single good and bad entity. Seeing how this story was changed across the 3 genres, it shows me how there is a fair balance between entertainment and accurate reporting.
The musical by Lin-Manuel Miranda was the best way of communicating what happened. I feel like the musical was more effective because you can see what happened in the situation, and the music and acting keep you engaged and interested in the story. The podcast was a good way to gain a perspective from the teenager’s experience, but it is easy to lose attention when you are just listening to people talk. The article was short, it didn’t give you all the information, and it lacked emotion to connect to the reader. This shows that using the same story with different genres, it will tell the story differently and will attract different people with what they prefer.
I’ll start with my least favorite: Lin Manuel Miranda’s short musical. How different genres appeal to one is subjective, solely dependent on the viewer/consumer, my personal opinion is that I dislike musicals. Now I don’t like using the word I’m about to use to describe the musical but it’s the best fitting term: cringe. The retelling was alright but adding humor makes too much light of the manipulation of a child and the appeal to a younger crowd by “rapping” didn’t sit right with me. I think it would repel younger crowds. Hearing the story from the kid’s point of view was also cringey (I do hate that word), but you know he’s being his authentic, awkward, teenager self and don’t we all remember that?
Reading about “operation D minus” made me laugh just at the name of the operation itself and the premise that I immediately thought of 21 jump street. Since I’m more of a reader, I actually prefer getting facts to salacious details. I feel like one could easily understand that these types of operations would affect the youth involved in them without personal stories. Again, this is just my preference.
For me I think the short musical had the best communicating, because it was engaging and forced me to want to pay attention and listen to what they were saying. With reading It was nice when somebody is reading it to you but if I was to read it on my own I don’t think I would’ve been as interested in the subject as I would’ve liked too. Then the voice audio was just as engaging I like that I could hear narraition with more background. So I think the musical had the best impact because it not only gives you a picture in your head what’s going on but it shows you, like when they gave the police officers perspective instead of hearing just the boys side of the story.
For me, the version that communicated the story best was the podcast. Personally, podcasts for me are more personal and easier to understand than other types of videos. In this podcast Justin’s voice made the situation feel more real and personal like I was listening to someone tell me a story on what happened. It also gave context and emotion that the article couldn’t show, and it felt more real than the musical. The musical was entertaining and emotional but i dont like musicals. I don’t find them that entertaining and it’s harder to understand for me. Overall, the podcast had the biggest impact because it said facts with real emotion. This shows that different genres shape the same story in very different ways.
I think the podcast was the best because even though it sounded like the kid held back lot he gave alot of useful information on the topic simply because it happened to him. I didnt really like the play because it was just corny to me. Maybe because i never like hamilton plays but thats just me.
I believe the musical did a better job of conveying the story because it allowed me to physically see the characters’ emotions and reactions. The singing also made it easier for me to understand the plot and made it more engaging. I also realized that each genre contributes something different: the clever writing and the actors’ movements were what I enjoyed most compared to the other versions. Overall, these different ways of presenting the same story demonstrate how a single theme can be understood through different storylines, characters, and narrative styles.
For me, the podcast version communicated the story the best. Hearing the reporters voice and real emotions made the situation feel more human and immediate. The musical was also catchy and emotionally strong but because it’s stylized, some details gets lost. The news article gives the clearest facts but it feels the most distant and doesn’t hit as hard emotionally.
In my opinion the podcast did the best job at communicating what was happening and it actually had the individuals which were involved in the situation. In the podcast the people which were actually involved in the situation. They Justin Laboy, the high school student and the undercover officer which went by the name of Naomi Rodriguez. The undercover officer went on an operation which was called operation “D-minus” tracking the usage of drugs in high schools. This took place in Park Vista high school where the officer involved in this situation essentially became a student and was allowed to go into classes take exams and even had a fake facebook profile. The only people who knew about this were the principals of the school. She then made a friendship with Justin and even requested drugs form him which Justin gave to her by asking his friends. He was then arrested because of this which is why the situation became so well known. And in my opinion having an interview of Justin in a podcast communicated the situation much more effectively to me as it gave me an idea of the experience Justin had and what he was thinking at the time. While the reading wasn’t as effective as it didn’t really show Justin’s own first hand experience on the situation and it didn’t have a connection that was as direct as the podcast to it. On the other hand the musical was not as effective either as it made the situation more comical rather than really showing what was going on and what Justin actually experienced.
In my opinion I felt the Watch: Lin Manuel Miranda “21 Chump Street”, short musical was the best in communication because I felt it more in my emotions of what was happening and being able to see it. Justin’s experience of music and acting, you felt it right there with him and the actors to see their interactions, expressions and song. It flowed in order of the story being depicted to the audience. The musical made it feel like Justin was a real person and not just an actor. I felt from the 3 Listen, Watch and Read, the Watch had the greatest impact on me. Even though I listened to it from the podcast, it did not have that impact for me like the musical did, although I did feel emotion and it did provide facts from the podcast form. In the read version you don’t get to know more of the character Justin as he is portrayed in the musical watch version. I think the short musical genre gives a connection and also makes me feel empathetic to Justin.
For me, the musical version of 21 jump street communicated the story best because the songs and performances made the emotions and feel clear and helped the audience feel exactly what is going on in a short amount of time. The podcast also explained the events in more detail, but it felt more slower and less powerful. The news article was informative, but it focused mostly on facts and did not show any personal impact of the story. This shows that different genres shape how a story feels.
For me, the podcast did the best job communicating what happened because it gives the most detail and background, and hearing people speak make it feel real. The version with the biggest impact was Lin-Manuel musical because the songs make the story more emotional and memorable. The news article was the most forwarded, but it felt less personal because it’s mainly facts. This shows that different genres change the experience because it’s mainly facts. This shows that different gendered change the experience.
For me the best one that helped communicate what happened was the short musical. I think it was more effective than the other two because of the more background knowledge, also I’m a visual learner so that made it more helpful to see how the events played out and it kept me engaged and entertained. Greatest impact would be the podcast as the musical was based off that and it was the first introduce a more personal side of the event which made it easier to sympathize.This shows me how genres really do create a different perspective on a story/topic.As well as it depends on what information you want to be shared and what your audience would prefer to best help them absorb the information,and you can even sway their opinion if wanting to.
I personally did not like the musical as much, but I can see the point that you are making. I do agree that visual elements play a big role in engaging audiences to better tell a story. It’s interesting to realize how different genres like a article or musical can create different undertones for the same situation like in the story.
In my opinion the best genre was the podcast. It gave us a first-person perspective of how this operation affected real students’ lives. Hearing from Justin himself about how he was an honors student and wanted to join the military until this all happened to him and landed him in jail made me feel a lot of empathy for him. It’s easy for teenagers to make mistakes that could affect their lives forever due to pressure from friends or a crush or not having good home lives. The operation felt targeted and manipulative to me. I’m willing to bet a lot of the students that were arrested were put in similar situations to his.
The press release article wasn’t very effective for me because it simply stated what happened as a generalization without exploring different perspectives such as students like Justin’s or even giving much detail. The musical was well written but musicals in general just feel very unserious to me, especially this one. It kind of made the situation feel like a silly romantic story, rather than one of life changing deception which I believe is exactly what it was.
Overall, seeing these different genres used to tell the same story showed me that using a certain genre can affect the way people perceive your message. It truly matters which one you choose if you don’t want it to be open for interpretation and need it to be seen in a specific way.
I agree, I like how in the podcast you are able to hear the story from Justin’s perspective and how the whole situation affected him as a person and his future. Manipulation is a good way to describe what happened in this situation. The police targeted teenagers that did not know any better and used their power to their advantage.
To me the musical communicated to story best. It felt the most emotional and it gave a visual representation of the story instead of just listening or reading about it like the other two. It also felt more creative and entertaining to engage with. I think this shows that different elements such as movement, music and body language can make a story come to life and feel more personal and easier to engage with like the musical did.
For me, the podcast did the best job at communicating what happened. It was more effective than the article because the article felt more like a recount of what was said in the podcast, and as for the musical, it was hard to take it seriously because it felt like they were making it seem lighthearted. When in reality, someone’s future was seriously affected because of this.
In the podcast, we get to hear what happened from Justin’s perspective. We get to hear his thought process and everything that happened. The podcast had the biggest impact on me because it was so shocking. I had never heard of real life situations where undercover cops pose themselves as students and attend class like regular students. One part that stood out to me was that the undercover cop got close to Justin because he thought that she was being truthful and actually sharing parts of her family story, so he did the same. And then finding out in the end that she was lying to his face the entire time seems kind of manipulative. Even if the cause was to get drugs out of schools, I feel like there is a better way to do this.
This shows why it is so important to research/look into multiple sources when it comes to researching what happened. Different sources have different ways of approaching the same subject and as the viewer you need to find what version feels more accurate.
For me, the most effective version was Lin-Manuel Miranda’s “21 Chump Street” musical. It told the story in a clear but emotional way, and the music made it more engaging and easier to connect with. I felt like I understood the situation faster and also felt more sympathy for the main student.
The one that had the biggest impact on me was also the musical because it made the consequences feel more real and personal. The podcast explained things in more detail, but it felt more neutral. The news article was the most factual, but also the most detached and least emotional.
This shows that different genres change how we understand the same story. Some focus on facts, while others focus on emotion, and that really affects how we react to what happened.
My favorite version was the podcast because it explained the story in a way that felt the most complete and engaging. It had storytelling but also interviews and different opinions, which helped me understand all sides of what happened instead of just one perspective. That made it easier to actually form my own opinion about the situation.
Compared to the musical and the article, the podcast had more depth. The musical was emotional and dramatic, which made it impactful, but it felt more focused on the feeling of the story than the full details. The written article gave more straightforward facts, but it didn’t feel as engaging or personal.
For me, the best way to communicate something like this is when you can hear real voices and perspectives, because it makes the story feel more real and easier to understand.
I think the short musical version of 21 chump street did the best job showing what happened. To me personally this one felt more emotional compared to the other ones. When I saw the actors singing and acting, it made me understand Justin’s feelings better. You can tell he liked Naomi and how hurt and shocked he was when he found out she was actually an undercover police officer. The songs also made the story more interesting and easier to remember.
The podcast was good because it explained the real story clearly and gave more details about the drug sting at the school. There were actual people talking. The only problem is you can’t see them. Since it was only audio because you can only hear them, it did not affect me as much emotionally as the musical did. The news article gave a lot facts and explained what happened, but it felt less personal. It focused more on the arrests and what the police officers were doing instead of Justin’s emotions and experience. I guess that’s why it didn’t have as big of an impact on me. The musical affected me the most because it made me feel bad for Justin and made me understand where he was coming from. This shows that different genres can tell the same story in different ways.
The podcast did the best job of communicating what happened because it provided the most detail and background and hearing people speak made the story feel real. The version with the biggest impact was Lin-Manuel Miranda’s musicals since the songs made the story more emotional and memorable. While the news article was the most straightforward it felt less personal because it focused mainly on facts. This shows how different genres can completely change the experience of learning about a topic.
One Story, 3 Genres
To me the best version that musical, “21 chump street”, because I love the way that they blend storytelling with words and the emotional aspect as well (perfect blend). IN my opinion it was way more affective in expression / storying than the podcast by Mr. Robbie brown along with the news article due to the deeper level of understanding of emotions the that the musical shows. With the musical we are put into the “shoes of the senior“ more then just a simple explanation of what happened. In sum, every genre shapes how we see/ understand the story.
I’m more of a visual learner, so I liked the musical the most out of the three options because it caught my attention the whole time. Seeing the actors facial expressions and voices helped me understand what was happening and how they were feeling. Lin manuel also narrated the scenes which made the plot easier to understand. The other two posts were just voice overs or reading, so it was harder for me to stay focused and picture what was going on.
I think the podcast version conveyed the story the best, the musical has the strongest impact and the article is the most informative, this shows that different genres can shape the same story depending on what they focus on the most between facts, emotion, and experience.
Personally, I think the podcast may have stood out to me as a more powerful form of communication. The play is excellent and really paints a surrounding picture that people can empathize with, but I think with a little imagination we can already fill in a lot of those gaps when listening to the podcast. I think the podcast’s real power comes from hearing Justin’s own voice and his own words. He already paints a very clear picture, and talks about it in a way that sounds very truthful. I found myself really believing Justin and his story, empathizing quite a lot with him. I think while the play is a good portrayal, it loses a little bit of personal appeal due to the separation from Justin himself. The article really doesn’t do a great job of painting the full picture of the events, and focuses on a narrow list of facts in a way that feels not just uninformed but dishonest when compared to the other formats. This is a very good example of how certain formats can bring so much more emotional appeal than others.
When we went through all 3 versions of this story, the one that did the best job of communicating what happened was the short musical rendition of the story. Compared to the other two, the short musical adds a few more things that the other versions do not have, first off, the musical is more emotional, and fleshes out the people in this story a lot more better than the other two, making us understand what they feel, what they did, and why they did it, also it’s more entertaining to watch, because of this, it makes it more engaging to us so the message is more effective in its delivery, while adding something fun to spice the delivery up. I feel like the musical too was the most impactful, it got me to sympathize with the characters in the story, and it helped me understand their mindset more, it also got me to learn about how to be a better person and not do stupid illegal things for the sake of love, no matter how pure the intentions are. To me it shows me that the effectiveness of a message does not only come by how the message is structured, but the type of genre it was used to make that message engaging.
I must admit that Lin-Manuel Miranda is one of my favorite actors, and everything he does seems fantastic to me. I feel that he has a way of communicating everything he creates in a fun and flavorful manner. He always tries to take the negative aspects of a situation and turn them into a musical. On the other hand, Alexia Campbell’s article is very academic and formal, which makes it harder for me to stay engaged while reading it or even compare it to Miranda’s performance. This may also be influenced by the fact that musicals attract me a lot because, through art, stories can be represented in an informal yet entertaining way.
Although I enjoyed Miranda’s sketch, podcasts are one of the most modern ways to communicate a message nowadays. We can listen to a podcast while doing household chores, riding the train, or doing any other activity that does not require much concentration. Through this, people can learn many facts, especially those who have auditory memory.
With this, we can understand how different genres can adapt to the way different people perceive messages. I can conclude that both podcasts and musicals are among the best ways to tell a story because their main goal is to entertain, and their marketing is based on subtly engaging the audience. Unfortunately, articles no longer tend to attract audiences as they once did due to all the changes that technology has generated.