Traditional and interactive documentaries : an exploration of audience response to September 11 documentaries in different formats.

On September 11, 2001, two planes crashed into the two tallest buildings in the New York City skyline, the most horrific act of terrorism on U.S. soil to date. A country devastated, the United States began the long road to recovery, prevention and retaliation. In response, screenwriters have produced several documentaries on the tragedy. Likewise, scholars have studied extensively the content of documentaries focusing on 9/11. Literature lacks articles that analyze audience response to interactive documentaries. This study seeks to add to the literature on this topic by comparing and contrasting focus group responses to two documentaries that utilize different formats. September 11 and the resulting number of documentaries on the topic provided the ideal topic and content for such a study.