Articles

'Poetic explorations' in a podcast from inside and outside prison walls

‘Poetic explorations’ in a podcast from inside and outside prison walls

The final post in the revived "Audio Danger" series gives voice to the moments and memories of imprisoned people
May 18, 2023
Julia Barton
Journalism prizes as motivation, not destination

Journalism prizes as motivation, not destination

By Jacqui BanaszynskiFor four decades now, I’ve laid down a motivational challenge for myself: Can I be involved in at least one journalism project each year that wins a significant…
May 17, 2023
Jacqui Banaszynski
Character: The beating heart of narrative

Character: The beating heart of narrative

In Narrative Elements 3, Lauren Kessler outlines the reporting tools that turn predictable profiles into compelling character studies
May 11, 2023
Lauren Kessler
2023 Power of Narrative: Revving the story engine

2023 Power of Narrative: Revving the story engine

Atavist editor Seyward Darby on the writing craft that drives readers through a story to the end: Plot, characters, scene
May 10, 2023
Madeline Bodin
A true crime podcast that is more about truth than crime

A true crime podcast that is more about truth than crime

The third post of the revived "Audio Danger" series explores the reporting that revealed indigenous lives "Stolen" in a residential school in Canada
May 8, 2023
Julia Barton
2023 Power of Narrative: Prepping for profiles

2023 Power of Narrative: Prepping for profiles

Washington Post profile writer Geoff Edgers loads up on advance research and background interviews in advance of interviewing a celebrity
April 27, 2023
Madeline Bodin
A podcaster follows a then-cop into the breach of the U.S. Capitol

A podcaster follows a then-cop into the breach of the U.S. Capitol

EDITOR’S NOTE: This month, Pushkin Industries published  “The Best Audio Storytelling: 2022,” an audiobook compendium of English-language nonfiction. The collection’s curator, Pushkin’s Julia Barton spoke with creators of work in…
April 26, 2023
Julia Barton
What happens to the investigators who see what the rest of us don't — or won't?

What happens to the investigators who see what the rest of us don’t — or won’t?

By Jacqui BanaszynskiOne of the tragic realities and outrages of life in America has become the steady drumbeat of gun deaths. The news takes on a Gatling-gun pace — and…
April 25, 2023
Jacqui Banaszynski
Six profiles and a first-person approach give dignity to the many faces of homelessness

Six profiles and a first-person approach give dignity to the many faces of homelessness

By Trevor PyleIn opening paragraphs of her Chicago Reader piece about six deaths in Chicago last year, Katie Prout makes a rare and daring admission: She reveals that she keeps…
April 21, 2023
Trevor Pyle
Reporting and writing scenes: The foundational building block of stories

Reporting and writing scenes: The foundational building block of stories

In Narrative Elements 2, Lauren Kessler explores the multiple methods of reporting required to collect the raw material for meaningful scenes
April 20, 2023
Lauren Kessler