Last war chief of the Native American Crow tribe turns 101 years old in Montana

Joseph Medicine Crow- the oldest member of the Crow Indian
tribe and the last of the "war chiefs"-pictured wearing
traditional tribal chief dress

In an October, 2014 article titled, "Last of the Crow war chiefs turns 101 in Montana," AlJazeera reports on the landmark 101st birthday of the last recipient of the Native American Crow tribe's "war chief" title. The Crow tribe is a Native American tribe scattered across the Mid-Western United States; at 101 years old, Dr. Joesph Medicine Crow ("High Bird" in the Crow language), is the oldest member of the 10000 member tribe.  Anecdotes from family, friends, and experts examine the life and successes of  Medicine Crow.

He is described as a humorous loving, and good man. As tribal historian, he has worked to better his Crow community by documenting its history and spreading its message. His work along with his membership in the U.S. Army in World War II has earned him the Presidential Medal of Freedom. Medicine Crow is also the first in his tribe to achieve a Master's Degree; he attributes his many successes including academics to Baptist missionaries from his childhood, his grandparents and his wife who have assisted and driven him. He is from a line of successful chiefs and his long life has been attributed to his exceptional genetic pool which includes many ancestors that have lived for longer than 100 years.

The article clearly conveys these points by applying the PICK principles to explain the issue and ensure that readers have the most effective engagement with the content.

The article is personalized for an American audience based on IP address localization

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Aljazeera has multiple platforms for news engagement, including an Arabic, Turkish, Balkans, International, and America platform. It personalizes site content by automatically directing audiences to their respective platform based on their IP address.  Users typing in the same URL will be led to different platforms depending on their geographical position allowing for greater personialzation of content.Users may choose to open a different platform later on but at first they are directed to one delegated by the sites personalization feature. This allows users to engage with news that is most relevant to them and to receive updates related to the weather and news in their areas on a personalized level. Specifically, with this article, Native American affairs are most applicable to American audiences, so they are highlighted on the "AlJazeera America" page. The site also personalizes the suggested content based on readers news habits to provide them with the suggestions that suit their interests. 

Embedded links, social media integration, direct commenting and sound provide interactivity and context

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Direct commenting allows for interaction with other consumers

The article includes multiple different interactivity components. A soundbite of Medicine Crow speaking allows audiences to engage with the news and build a greater connection. Additional information related to important topics can be easily accessed through links embedded within the text. These links open in new windows to allow the reader to continue reading the article and follow up with the information at their own pace. A pane that allows users to share the content on various social media remains fixed on the left side of the screen at all times. Also, a comments section at the end provides readers a platform to discuss the article with other readers and continue the conversation. These features allow for greater engagement with the news and can foster greater appreciation for the content. 

Contiguity is apparent in the integration of text with applicable graphics throughout the article

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The flow of the article is very contiguous from beginning to end with images integrated directly into the article to flow with the content. The title flows with the subtitle, image, and introduction to provide great context about the articles purpose. The contiguity of the article is based on the fluidity of the visual and written aspects. The writing is coherent and it is easy to make connections between what is being written and what is exhibited. Images are integrated in a manner that allows for easy connection of the images to the content they relate to. The content is all provided in an explanatory fashion with all images associated with explanatory descriptions to allow them to stand alone while still being directly applicable to and flowing with the content of the text. 

Kick-outs are avoided with minimal advertisements, including other featured articles at the bottom, and opening links in new windows 

AlJazeera chooses to use minimal amounts of advertising; advertising can lure audiences away from the content of the article and result in kick outs. The website uses unobtrusive advertising that does not interfere with the content. Links that users can engage with open in new tabs rather than moving away from the site ensuring that the content remains available for the consumer. Also, additional links to related articles as well as the comments section are placed at the end of the article preventing distraction. However, some kick outs are still evident; articles listed on the right side of the screen could distract users from the content of the article; re-positioning these suggested links would decrease the likelihood of kick outs.