Nieman Storyboard

The Nieman Storyboard guide to books on storytelling

Story Craft

The Nieman Storyboard guide to books on storytelling

Journalists, authors, producers, filmmakers, and Nieman Storyboard readers share 40 books that inspire their work.

Mallary Tenore Tarpley

Wired’s Makena Kelly on Elon Musk, DOGE, and breaking news narratives

Podcast

Wired’s Makena Kelly on Elon Musk, DOGE, and breaking news narratives

The journalist talks about reporting for breaking news stories vs. longer narratives, protecting sources, and finding her path in tech reporting.

Marina Leigh

Researching a legendary race: How to use newspaper archives in crafting a narrative

Story Craft

Researching a legendary race: How to use newspaper archives in crafting a narrative

In telling the story of a canoe race, Frank Bures had to find a way to blend firsthand accounts with archival news coverage.

Frank Bures

Introducing the Nieman Storyboard podcast: Stories from journalists, in their own words

From the Editor

Introducing the Nieman Storyboard podcast: Stories from journalists, in their own words

Erika Hayasaki on trauma-informed reporting, plus Claire Willett on Trump upending federal grants for artists and writers.

Mark Armstrong

Nieman Storyboard’s guides on storytelling

The art of pitching: How to sell your book or story idea

Story Craft

The art of pitching: How to sell your book or story idea

Editors from The Atavist, Wired, and more share what they’re looking for in a story or book proposal.
How to craft a narrative: Everything you need to know

Story Craft

How to craft a narrative: Everything you need to know

A four-part series on the key elements of nonfiction storytelling, including scene, character and endings.

Lauren Kessler

How to interview for narrative vs. news

Story Craft

How to interview for narrative vs. news

From broad and open-ended to narrow and specific: Journalist Kim Cross’s five-part series on interviewing for narrative nonfiction.

Kim Cross

Strictly Q&A

Podcast: Wired's Makena Kelly on Elon Musk, DOGE, and breaking news narratives

Podcast Strictly Q&A

Podcast: Wired's Makena Kelly on Elon Musk, DOGE, and breaking news narratives

The journalist talks about reporting for breaking news stories vs. longer narratives, protecting sources, and finding her path in tech reporting.

Marina Leigh

Nieman Storyboard podcast: Erika Hayasaki on trauma-informed reporting and celebrating the 'reported essay'

Podcast Strictly Q&A

Nieman Storyboard podcast: Erika Hayasaki on trauma-informed reporting and celebrating the 'reported essay'

"How do you really come to understand the aftermath of a tragedy and the people who are most affected by it?"

Marina Leigh

Writer Claire Willett on how Trump upended federal grants for the arts and journalism

Strictly Q&A

Writer Claire Willett on how Trump upended federal grants for the arts and journalism

As anti-DEI and anti-trans language gets battled in court, the grant writer offers advice on how journalists, writers, and artists should proceed.

Britany Robinson

Story Annotations

A profile of a newspaper press becomes a requiem for an era

Story Annotations

A profile of a newspaper press becomes a requiem for an era

Los Angeles Times veteran Thomas Curwen found professionalism and pride in the last Friday night run of the newspaper's storied presses

Trevor Pyle

Finding a quiet voice in the center of America’s screaming immigration debate

Story Annotations

Finding a quiet voice in the center of America’s screaming immigration debate

The Washington Post's Ruby Cramer profiled a small-city selectman caught in the crossfire of fear, anger and blame over asylum seekers

Trevor Pyle

How a freelancer's story instincts landed a piece in The New York Times

Story Annotations

How a freelancer's story instincts landed a piece in The New York Times

Erika Hayasaki found characters, scenes and themes in the aftermath of the Maui wildfires that she couldn't set aside despite multiple rejections

Kim Cross

Reporting beyond shame and blame, secrets and stereotypes

Story Annotations

Reporting beyond shame and blame, secrets and stereotypes

Esquire's Mark Warren immersed himself in evangelical Alabama to find the pain and grace behind a beloved pastor's suicide

Kim Cross

Story Craft

The Nieman Storyboard guide to books on storytelling

The Nieman Storyboard guide to books on storytelling

Mallary Tenore Tarpley

Researching a legendary race: How to use newspaper archives in crafting a narrative

Researching a legendary race: How to use newspaper archives in crafting a narrative

Frank Bures

We need fact-checkers more than ever. Here's how to work with one.

We need fact-checkers more than ever. Here's how to work with one.

Kim Cross

An editor learns a new narrative form: writing musicals

An editor learns a new narrative form: writing musicals

Kara Cutruzzula

Nieman Storyboard Newsletter

Here are the books that inspired you

From the Editor

Here are the books that inspired you

Our guide to the best books in storytelling, letters to the editor, Peabody Award nominees

Mark Armstrong

The artifacts preserving history: group chats, newspaper archives, handwritten notes

From the Editor

The artifacts preserving history: group chats, newspaper archives, handwritten notes

Wired's Makena Kelly on communicating with sources, Frank Bures on newspaper archives, and Mark Harris on notes from the AIDS epidemic

Mark Armstrong

Venezuelan immigrants sent to prison in El Salvador — from intersecting POVs

From the Editor

Venezuelan immigrants sent to prison in El Salvador — from intersecting POVs

Plus: how to leak to a journalist, interviewing for detail, and embracing rejection

Mark Armstrong

Introducing the Nieman Storyboard podcast: Stories from journalists, in their own words

From the Editor Podcast

Introducing the Nieman Storyboard podcast: Stories from journalists, in their own words

Erika Hayasaki on trauma-informed reporting. Plus: Claire Willett on Trump upending federal grants for artists and writers.

Mark Armstrong