In a Monday morning examination of what makes Cincinnati/North Kentucky International Airport (airport code CVG) the best in America, NPR’s Brian Naylor’s September 2nd Morning Edition report proclaims Cincinnati’s Airport: Best In The U.S.?, while bringing the listening audience into CVG and presenting a case for the airport’s placement among the sprawling aviation hubs that dot the world. But even if you didn’t have the time to listen to a full-report, and enjoy the active and engaging ambient sound of the bustling airport, the story’s web presence exemplifies a lot of the aspects that Jonathan Kern’s Sound Reporting chapter on Beyond Radio covered.
Though not among the hard-news driven stories of the past week (namely, American involvement in a seemingly imminent Syrian crisis), this light, consumer-driven report is well produced and centers on the World Airport Awards’ 2013 list of the best airports across the globe. Shockingly (or not so, depending on whom you’d ask) the first American airport isn’t found until 30, where CVG is wedged comfortably between two Australian airports (Melbourne at 29th, Sydney 31st). Populating the list are big name international destinations from around the world — Asia and Eastern Europe dominate the top of the list, but I digress.
Naylor’s narration is energetic and colloquial, which makes for a great listen, but not necessarily a great read. While the audio’s transcript and it’s print counterpart vary almost immediately, the similarities between the two are remarkable. The print story even includes volunteer Charlotte Davis’ laugh when she jokes just how “darn good” she is at her job — telling people where to go.
It’s evident the staffer charged with transcribing Naylor’s report and converting it to print form didn’t take many liberties with regards to rearranging his narration, and for good reason. His clear, concise style works well for the eye, and save for how sound bites are introduced as opposed to the quotes in the written report, the two typed versions are, as previously mentioned, very similar.
The real connectivity of the article comes with it’s various links to related NPR articles, which engage with a reader-centric headline like Coming to an Airport Near You, inform with a report on the worst airports for delays. Coincidentally, Beijing and Shanghai, among the top twenty airports in the rankings, are at the top of the list for delays. For those interested in the politics of such things, the last link rounds out the topically grouped reports with an in-depth look at the US Airways-American Airlines merger and how it could affect airports, particularly Reagan National. For all those search for more info on the aviation business, the linked articles represent various routes curious researchers might take.
Based on the Kern readings, I’d suggest a bullet point list of the features Naylor believes make CVG such a well-regarded airport, or perhaps a graph that breaks down the top rated airports by geography. Extra information could have been a handy reference point for those who like to delve deep for comparing and contrasting.