‘The Whole Story’: CNN’s New Sunday Night Docuseries Opens With Harrowing Episode on Migrant Trek to US

CNN’s new Sunday night documentary series The Whole Story premiers this weekend, and the first episode sets a remarkably high bar for the series, and cable news documentaries more broadly.

The mission of The Whole Story series is revealed in its title: taking something from the news cycle and presenting a single-hour deep dive that covers it holistically. And what better topic to launch with than the immigration crisis, which is both a real issue, and also one that is shamelessly politicized by nationalist politicians and political media.

The premier documents a critical portion of many immigrants’ journey from South America to the U.S. border in a sometimes disturbing and graphic manner.

CNN’s Nick Paton Walsh traveled the 66-mile jungle trek in a section known as the Darien Gap, which includes parts of Columbia and Panama. He made the harsh journey with one videographer, who captured insanely compelling footage, and one producer.

“The Trek: A Migrant Trail to America” premieres Sunday, April 16, at 8 p.m. I was able to watch it recently at a private media screening.

What unfolds in the premiere is an unexpectedly nuanced study of the human condition, seen through the eyes of thousands of people seeking refuge and relying on the aid of Central American drug cartels, who help them navigate the dangerous passage for a hefty profit.

American cable news viewers are accustomed to hearing about the border crisis as it thumps the U.S. in brief segments that fail to capture its scope. This doc goes deeper, thanks to an examination of the Haitian, Venezuelan, and even Chinese immigrants leaving their homelands because of violence and horrible living conditions for greener pastures in the United States.

“So many people undertake this treacherous trek every year – and the number has doubled this year alone – and the trek through the Darien Gap is a series of private agonies that migrants often endure in silence. We wanted to see for ourselves what they see and what they go through,” said Paton Walsh in a CNN press release.

“The trek is utterly exhausting and draining – even for us, a film crew with state-of-the-art equipment, proper resources, and lots of food. The scramble of toddlers, parents and the vulnerable through the jungle and its dangers can be depressing, but also, at times, surprisingly edifying: they never gave up, and always seemed to find something extra to help each other.”

Some gripping moments from the premiere stood out. Wilson, the bright-eyed seven-year-old from Haiti who dreamt of the swimming pool his father promised him in Miami, despite the tragic fact he had been separated from his family.

A Venezuelan mother who stayed strong while the father lost it, but then wept as her child fell ill. The unnamed man who lost his shoes in 12 inches of wet mud, meaning the rest of his 3,000-mile journey will be barefoot.

The most impressive feat of the project is the sheer scale of the story as presented. Not just in terms of how challenging this passage is but just how many people are putting their lives at risk, often under false promises of the near and long-term consequences of their choice to go north.

What works so well in the episode is that the footage is presented for the viewer to make their own decisions. It avoids shameless emotional button-pushing, save an appropriate music bed that complements rather than distracts.

It’s a must-watch, and not just for cable news aficionados. It’s the sort of show that should be viewed in schools, not because it’s political, but because it’s a beautifully accurate portrayal of the human side of a crisis that has been hijacked for political gain across the partisan spectrum.

The Whole Story is uniquely smart television programming designed for a curious, engaged viewer who wants to be better informed.

It’s a far cry from the punchy partisan segments on such issues that are cheap to produce and have come to define 24-hour cable news. It will likely not rake in big ratings, but it’s a strong argument for CNN as a reputational asset, as new CNN management has set their primary goal.

Watch above via CNN.

This is an opinion piece. The views expressed in this article are those of just the author.