http://english.aljazeera.net/focus/2010/06/20106191366543896.html
An article about the recent marriage of the Swedish crown princess is a story about feminism and equal rights for women in Sweden.
I feel that the lead could have been stronger and would have made the story that much more interesting. That said at the moment this is the most emailed piece on Al Jazeera's website at the moment.
I think the writer made very good use of direct sources. She was able to tell this story as an honest broker of the information without revealing her bias though I bet she has one.
The story is at once timely and timeless in that it uses a news event to portray an aspect of Swedish culture that I didn't even begin to know until I read Girl with the Dragon Tattoo. It makes me wonder how Kalle Blomquist would tell this story.
I find it interesting that this tradition is somewhat opposite of ours here in the U.S. Here, most brides are still "given away" by their fathers. The more modern way is to have both parents walk down the isle with you. I have seen uncles, brothers, step-fathers, and just mothers accompany a bride down the isle, but I have yet to see a couple walk together. I'm not surprised to read that the old Swedish tradition is more modern than our current style here in the U.S. ]This article seens to be a good example that even if you stick to the facts, and try to keep your opinion out of it, your perspective will influence your writing. It's hard to shake. I wonder if the solution is to acknowledge that your perspective is colored by cultural differences?
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