5Q+1: CNN Godbeat pro on his remarkable Lampedusa story
GETRELIGION.ORG — When one of the best religion journalists on the planet produces one of the most gratifying stories of his life, news consumers are in for a real treat.
Enter Eric Marrapodi, co-editor of CNN’s Belief Blog.
His 4,500-word “Stepping-stones to Safety” story — featuring a family fleeing Syria’s war — ran over the weekend.
The gripping lede:
Lampedusa, Italy (CNN) – Abdel clung to his pregnant wife, 4-year-old son and 2-year-old daughter as they sailed across an open stretch of the Mediterranean Sea.
They were in a dilapidated fishing boat with limited provisions and almost no sanitation, sharing a cramped space with some 400 other Syrians.
Abdel prayed quietly and recited verses from the Quran for two days and two nights as the boat swayed and motored precariously along the 180-mile route from Libya to the tiny Italian island of Lampedusa.
If they could make it, his young family would be one step closer to freedom.
He knew thousands had died making the same voyage.
Abdel prayed for safety. He hoped land would come soon. He worried his wife, 8 1/2 months pregnant, might give birth before they reached land.
Abdel and his family risked their lives to flee Syria for Italy.
Marrapodi agreed to respond to a few questions from GetReligion about his extraordinary report.
This analysis of media coverage appears online at GetReligion.org.
The Ross News 