Nieman Storyboard

Bringing your values to your reporting and writing - Nieman Storyboard Irin Carmon annotates her book on the lives of five pregnant women post-Dobbs. Plus: More awards and fellowship deadlines

My Friday newsletter for @niemanstoryboard.org: @irincarmon.bsky.social annotates a chapter from her book "Unbearable," plus @shorensteinctr.bsky.social @stephenrodrick.bsky.social and a new film about the Renaud brothers.

niemanstoryboard.org/2026/03/06/b...

Roy Peter Clark on storytelling lessons for — and from — students - Nieman Storyboard How to write a college admissions essay. Plus: National Magazine Award finalists

My Friday newsletter for @niemanstoryboard.org: Featuring Roy Peter Clark on storytelling lessons for students, National Magazine Award finalists + @joepompeo.bsky.social @wearesfj.bsky.social @longlead.com

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Journalist Tricia Romano on the pros and cons of writing an oral history - Nieman Storyboard The author of ‘The Freaks Came Out to Write,’ knew that her book about The Village Voice needed to be an oral history. She soon learned the storytelling challenges that came with it

🎧 @niemanstoryboard.org podcast: The author of ‘The Freaks Came Out to Write’ knew that her book about The Village Voice needed to be an oral history. She soon learned the storytelling challenges that came with it

Journalist Tricia Romano on the pros and cons of writing an oral history - Nieman Storyboard The author of ‘The Freaks Came Out to Write,’ knew that her book about The Village Voice needed to be an oral history. She soon learned the storytelling challenges that came with it

"A small club."

Today's article pick from Damn History, a free newsletter for readers/writers of #popularhistory. Congrats to writer @markarms.bsky.social & @niemanstoryboard.org!

Read/subscribe to Damn History: damn-history-16d93f.beehiiv.com/subscribe

niemanstoryboard.org/2026/02/19/t...

Tricky questions with using second person in storytelling - Nieman Storyboard An Atlantic essay raises questions about point of view. Plus: Tricia Romano on how to write an oral history

My Friday newsletter for @niemanstoryboard.org, on The Atlantic's measles essay and the second person POV, and my Storyboard podcast chat with @tromano.bsky.social about the pros and cons of writing an oral history.

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For this week's @niemanstoryboard.org podcast, I talked to @tromano.bsky.social about how to write an oral history — and how she managed to stay organized while reporting her definitive history of the Village Voice, "The Freaks Came Out to Write."

#podcasts #booksky #longreads

Telling true stories: the hardest part - Nieman Storyboard ‘We're navigating in a sea of ambiguity.’ Plus: Kim Cross on expository asides, and the American Mosaic Journalism Prize

"Students explore questions such as: When, if ever, is it OK for journalists to write with interiority from their subjects’ minds? Students constantly question whether a journalist is exploiting someone or shedding light."

niemanstoryboard.org/2026/02/13/t...

‘If you have three quarterbacks, you have no quarterbacks’ - Nieman Storyboard Soledad O’Brien on documentary storytelling. Plus: The Power of Narrative conference and the principles of plotting

"The news throughout the early weeks of 2026 reminded us that the concept of “both sides” in journalism is a deeply flawed, and even dangerous, way to think about reporting a story — especially when one side is actively trafficking in disinformation."

niemanstoryboard.org/2026/02/06/i...

‘If you have three quarterbacks, you have no quarterbacks’ - Nieman Storyboard Soledad O’Brien on documentary storytelling. Plus: The Power of Narrative conference and the principles of plotting

My latest newsletter for @niemanstoryboard.org: Featuring @soledadobrien.bsky.social with @cmtapper.bsky.social on documentary storytelling and the Oscar-nominated "The Devil Is Busy," plus links from @thelincoln.bsky.social and @lizkellynelson.com

niemanstoryboard.org/2026/02/06/i...

On the latest episode of the @niemanstoryboard.org podcast, journalists Leah Sottile and Ryan Haas join Editor @markarms.bsky.social to discuss the final season of their serialized podcast “Hush."

🎧: https://niemanstoryboard.org/2026/01/22/leah-sottile-ryan-haas-true-crime-podcasting-journalism/

Annotation: How Brendan O’Meara Reconstructs Steve Prefontaine's Legendary Races in ‘The Front Runner’ - Nieman Storyboard The journalist, podcaster, and biographer shares tips on writing scenes you can’t witness firsthand, and getting in the head of characters no longer around to interview

Today at @niemanstoryboard.org, Kim Cross sat down with @brendanomeara.bsky.social for an annotated chapter from his book, “The Front Runner: The Life of Steve Prefontaine.”

niemanstoryboard.org/2026/01/29/b...

#journalism #history #booksky #longreads

Leah Sottile and Ryan Haas on deconstructing ‘true crime’ in podcasting and journalism - Nieman Storyboard The team behind ‘Hush’ discuss the ethics of narrative journalism and creating a serialized podcast that's sensitive to victims and families

Nieman Storyboard host @markarms.bsky.social interviewed @leahsottile.bsky.social and I about the Hush podcast and our approach to ethical journalism.

He asked really insightful questions and it was a delight to share our process.

Holding up our phones as a mirror - Nieman Storyboard Local journalists and citizens are documenting history in Minnesota, the Pacific Northwest, and around the country

My Friday newsletter for @niemanstoryboard.org: Thank you @startribune.com @mprnews.org @minnesotareformer.com and all the independent reporters and outlets on the ground.

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#journalism #storytelling #longreads

Leah Sottile and Ryan Haas on deconstructing ‘true crime’ in podcasting and journalism - Nieman Storyboard The team behind ‘Hush’ discuss the ethics of narrative journalism and creating a serialized podcast that's sensitive to victims and families

Loved sitting down with @leahsottile.bsky.social and @ryanjhaas.bsky.social for the @niemanstoryboard.org podcast to talk about the second season of their series "Hush" — and I'm so excited they're launching their own independent publication.

niemanstoryboard.org/2026/01/22/l...

#longreads

Author Grace Talusan on going to uncomfortable places in your writing - Nieman Storyboard Talusan, who teaches creative nonfiction at Brown University, asks her students to first challenge themselves in small ways

“If you are going to try something hard, do it in the smallest way possible first. Take the smallest bite of the sandwich.”

Love this Erika Hayasaki conversation with author and essayist Grace Talusan at @niemanstoryboard.org

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#journalism #writing #longreads

How to end a story - Nieman Storyboard A Zoom with Susan Orlean reveals an ending for Ellie Silverman’s story about a D.C. officer five years after Jan. 6, 2021

My Friday newsletter for @niemanstoryboard.org: A book club Zoom with Susan Orlean reveals an ending for Ellie Silverman's story about a D.C. officer who defended the Capitol on Jan. 6.

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#journalism #longreads

"What do journalists do now? The only answers seem to be: keep showing up, keep bearing witness, keep documenting history, and keep creating trustworthy drafts of history. Every image, every story, and every angle makes the truth harder to hide."

Protecting the first drafts of history - Nieman Storyboard How do we capture the truth, and keep it safe? Plus: NPR's Tonya Mosley on the art of the interview

My Friday newsletter for @niemanstoryboard.org:

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Stories and lessons to inspire you in 2026 - Nieman Storyboard ‘I've always loved stretching the boundaries of what I know and do’

"I'm proud of this story because it drew attention to something incredibly important — the impact of federal funding cuts on tribal radio stations." @neeldhanesha.com

Stories and lessons to inspire you in 2026 - Nieman Storyboard ‘I've always loved stretching the boundaries of what I know and do’

"I finished with some new tools in my toolkit, and the satisfaction of knowing that I had put something into the public eye that wouldn't likely have been there otherwise." @evaholland.bsky.social

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Stories and lessons to inspire you in 2026 - Nieman Storyboard ‘I've always loved stretching the boundaries of what I know and do’

Happy New Year! My Friday newsletter for @niemanstoryboard.org features all of you: I asked you to share the stories you wrote, reported, and produced over the past year, and what you learned from them. Thanks to everyone who contributed.

niemanstoryboard.org/2026/01/02/s...

#journalism #longreads

"With the deliberately plain language and transparent arc of 'How To Fix a Typewriter and Your Life,' Kurt Streeter has created an extraordinary portrait of concepts that are hard to say anything insightful about head on. He explores existential despair, the skills and experiences of elders, the beauty of mechanical things, how physical bodies gain their own knowledge, the saving of a soul, and the shoring up of a community. The danger of 'old-timey stories' lies in how easy it is for them to veer into sentiment or nostalgia, but Streeter's deep respect for both men and awe at the passing of a vocation from one to the other give this story the weight of an almost-religious experience."

And I see that @niemanstoryboard.org included another one of my favorite pieces of narrative writing this year: Kurt Streeter's account of a typewriter repair shop. Here's the link to the Storyboard 2025 roundup: niemanstoryboard.org/2025/12/18/n... And here's what I said about Streeter's story.

Nieman Storyboard Best of 2025: Your favorite stories — and storytellers — of the year (Part 2) - Nieman Storyboard Here are some of your favorite stories, books, podcasts, documentaries … and an audio magazine and a singer-songwriter

Your favorite stories, books, podcasts, and documentaries of 2025.

niemanstoryboard.org/2025/12/18/n...

#booksky #longreads #podcasts

Nieman Storyboard Best of 2025: Your favorite stories — and storytellers — of the year (Part 2) - Nieman Storyboard Here are some of your favorite stories, books, podcasts, documentaries … and an audio magazine and a singer-songwriter

Excited to have made a second pick for @niemanstoryboard.org's Best of 2025. Joining a heartbreaking story by William Wan for @washingtonpost.com is the bawdy, beautiful memoir "Cry For Me, Argentina" by @tamis.bsky.social

Nieman Storyboard Best of 2025: Your favorite stories — and storytellers — of the year (Part 2) - Nieman Storyboard Here are some of your favorite stories, books, podcasts, documentaries … and an audio magazine and a singer-songwriter

Here's Part 2 of @niemanstoryboard.org's Best of 2025, as selected by the community. Thanks to everyone who shared their favorite stories, podcasts, books, and documentaries.

niemanstoryboard.org/2025/12/18/n...

#booksky #podcasts #longreads #documentary

Nieman Storyboard Best of 2025: Your favorite stories — and storytellers — of the year (Part 2) - Nieman Storyboard Here are some of your favorite stories, books, podcasts, documentaries … and an audio magazine and a singer-songwriter

Cool to be asked to contribute to @niemanstoryboard.org's best of 2025: niemanstoryboard.org/2025/12/18/n...

Nieman Storyboard Best of 2025: Your favorite stories of the year (Part 1) - Nieman Storyboard We asked, you answered — here are some of your favorite stories, books, and podcasts

Delighted to see that @markarms.bsky.social included one of my picks in the Best of 2025 list (Part One) posted over at @niemanstoryboard.org. Everyone should read THERE IS NO PLACE FOR US, written by @brian-goldstone.bsky.social about the working homeless. And the rest of these stories as well!

Nieman Storyboard Best of 2025: Your favorite stories of the year (Part 1) - Nieman Storyboard We asked, you answered — here are some of your favorite stories, books, and podcasts

I was so happy to contribute to @niemanstoryboard.org's "Best of 2025" roundup. This whole list is AMAZING. I want to read and/or listen to every recommendation in here! niemanstoryboard.org/2025/12/11/n...

Nieman Storyboard Best of 2025: Your favorite stories of the year (Part 1) - Nieman Storyboard We asked, you answered — here are some of your favorite stories, books, and podcasts

I'm proud to be among terrific company contributing to @niemanstoryboard.org Best Stories of the Year series.

Nieman Storyboard Best of 2025: Your favorite stories of the year (Part 1) - Nieman Storyboard We asked, you answered — here are some of your favorite stories, books, and podcasts

Was glad to participate in @niemanstoryboard.org's year-end best of package! I picked stories from @defector.com / @laurentheisen.bsky.social and @thelocal.to / @nickhunebrown.bsky.social.