The story, at first, was worrisome and frightening, but everyone wished for the best. James Kim and his family went missing. As I read the first bit of news on the evening of November 30th, I was hopeful — we all were. Throughout the blogosphere, bloggers began to express their feelings, to unite on a common front hoping for the best for James Kim, his wife Kati, and their two daughters, and to communicate with others, hoping that maybe someone else would know of the Kim’s whereabouts.
Unfortunately, James Kim was taken from this world after succumbing to hypothermia.
The power of blogging is taking me by awe.
Today, I got home and opened my mailbox to see one of the magazines I subscribe to, the celebrity-focused People magazine.
I was shocked at the cover, which usually displays photos of celebrities (and to a lesser extent, large news stories such as terrorist attacks):
I don’t think that this exposure would have been possible if there was not a presence of a voice in the blogosphere, which to me is amazing. As journalists look through traditional media for news, there is an obvious extension and emphasis on the blogging voice as we all continued to talk about it and get the word out. It is apparent that the power of our voices could make a true difference outside of the blogosphere.
Sadly, this story didn’t turn out for the best. We contributed to the searches by expressing through blogs, because we wished it did.
I believe I speak for just about everyone when I say that we all acknowledge and honor James Kim’s resourcefulness to save his family. His heroism is respected among millions.
“Sadly, this story didn’t turn out for the best. ”
And thankfully, it didn’t turn out for the worse. As a father, having my children survive is oh so more important than if I do or not. Everyone who knew James should be proud of him.
Rob