Simplifying a continent-wide drug operation

Alan Feuer of the New York Times wrote a fantastic recap of the details surrounding the marijuana operation of Jimmy Cournoyer, which was finally busted in May 2013 after a six-year investigation. Cournoyer, who Feuer labels the “biggest pot dealer in New York City history,” was sentenced to 27 years in federal prison three weeks ago.

In Feuer’s outline of Cournoyer’s meticulous and complex drug operation, he goes into deep detail about specific individuals who were involved, and how the D.E.A. cracked the case. What I found the most appealing about the article, however, was the graphic located midway through the piece.

The graphic features the major stopping points in Cournoyer’s drug operation, and it uses fantastic logos and detail to help the reader understand the story. If it weren’t for this graphic, I would not have fully been able to understand the basics of the operation; it is essential to this story because of the story’s detailed complexity.

Another aspect of the article that I thought was clever was the opening picture. It is simply multiple photos gathered from the U.S. District Court (Eastern District of New York), giving the reader an idea of just how much weed, money and ammunition was involved in Cournoyer’s scheme.

The other pictures are mainly of Cournoyer’s accomplices, many of which who lead angry and problem-ridden lifestyles, just living their lives. They are raw and candid, and fit the story well.

In general, I believe that this story was well-done by the New York Times because of the way in which it was presented. There was an extensive amount of details involved in this story, and Feuer and the Times make them easy to comprehend and understand through simplified storytelling and a brilliant use of graphics.

This is also an impressive story because it lives up to its headline; the writing and presentation lives up to the hype.