The grave digger theory

A legend of New York City newspapering died over the weekend. You may not have heard of columnist Jimmy Breslin, but he was well known during his time. And he's of interest to us because of a story-telling form he is known for. It comes from 1963 (naturally—as you might know, I'm working on a book about that year, so I'm a little obsessed). When John F. Kennedy was interred at Arlington, all the newspaper accounts reported on Jackie Kennedy, the heads of state attending, the flyover of military jets, the playing of taps, or the eternal flame. Jimmy Breslin instead drew on his experience of a sports reporter to find a different angle, told from the perspective of an unknown person. He found the man who dug the president's grave. The man was paid $3 an hour and he told Breslin it was his honor to dig the grave. The column is still famous today and gave birth to what is known as "the gravedigger theory of journalism."

There's one other famous column from that weekend in November 1963. It's called "Death in Emergency Room One," an intimate, behind-the-scenes account of Kennedy's death.

As storytellers, we would do well to remember this type of reporting. As mobile journalists we have an advantage of being able to sit with people who might otherwise not be comfortable dealing with television cameras and have them tell us their stories. There's something noble about journalists giving voice to unknown subjects.

As for Breslin, he was a complicated personality—profane, compassionate, and New York-City tough. But his writing was amazing; many have tried to emulate him, yet failed. If you have a moment, watch this video to find out more about this giant of New York journalism.