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Dear Storyboard community,
Something I wanted to prioritize when I joined Nieman Storyboard was hearing from journalists, writers, and producers in their own words — to talk candidly about the craft of narrative nonfiction.
So, in that spirit, I'm thrilled to share the debut episode of the Nieman Storyboard podcast, with in-depth conversations about storytelling. (After today, we'll feature new episodes every other Thursday.)
[ Follow us in Apple Podcasts, Spotify, or your favorite podcast app. ]
This week I'm sitting down with Erika Hayasaki, the acclaimed journalist and author who's written for The New York Times, The Atlantic, Wired, New York magazine, and many other publications. She's a professor at UC Irvine in the Literary Journalism program, and she's the author of two books, The Death Class: A True Story About Life (2014), and Somewhere Sisters: A Story of Adoption, Identity, and the Meaning of Family (2022).
In her newsletter The Reported Essay, Hayasaki writes about trauma-informed reporting, questions of "telling a story versus taking a story," and when it makes sense for journalists to include their own stories in their work. Hayasaki even uses the name of her newsletter ("The Reported Essay") to make a case for a form of narrative nonfiction that celebrates reporting and storytelling but also weaves in personal experience.
Why podcasts, and why now?
We are constantly inundated with information and misinformation — millions of voices (both human and AI) vying for our attention. It's more important than ever for us to look for deeper connection with actual humans.
As I've learned over the past few years producing podcasts — and as a fan of podcasts before that — there is a real connection that happens with audio, when you're listening to someone share their expertise on a topic for 45 minutes (or more) during your dog walk or daily commute.
We are also at a critical moment for journalism and media literacy, as the Trump administration continues to try to silence the press through intimidation and legal threats. I view Nieman Storyboard's mission as highlighting the work journalists are doing, offering tools and lessons on reporting and storytelling, and fostering a greater understanding about how journalism works and the role it plays in a free and democratic society. Podcasting is another way to serve that mission.
This show follows in the footsteps of many great podcasts that have taught me so much about storytelling. Some of my favorites have included: The Longform podcast, Gangrey the podcast, The Stacks, Creative Nonfiction, Black & Published, WriteLane, the SouthBound podcast, Chills at Will, the Sunday Long Read, and of course my Ursa colleagues' amazing shows, Ursa Short Fiction and Reckon True Stories.
If you like what we're doing with the Nieman Storyboard podcast, share the show with a friend, or leave us a review and rating in Apple Podcasts or Spotify. Thanks for listening.
Links of note
- For many writers, artists, and journalists, the federal government has been an important source of funding for projects, through both the National Endowment for the Arts and the National Endowment for the Humanities. That was all thrown into chaos in February when the Trump administration began inserting anti-DEI and anti-trans language into grant application requirements. This week, Nieman Storyboard contributor Britany Robinson talked to grant writer Claire Willett about how the artist and writer community is responding, and what it means for projects going forward.
Keep sharing your stories,
Mark Armstrong
Editor
Nieman Storyboard
On Bluesky: @niemanstoryboard.org
Send me your story, book, podcast, and documentary recommendations: editor@niemanstoryboard.org
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