Jacqui Banaszynski retired as the endowed Knight Chair in Editing at the Missouri School of Journalism in 2017, is editor at Nieman Storyboard, and a faculty fellow at the Poynter Institute. She won the 1988 Pulitzer Prize in feature writing for “AIDS in the Heartland,” a series about a gay farm couple facing AIDS, and was a finalist for the 1986 Pulitzer in international reporting for her account of the sub-Saharan famine.
EDITOR’S NOTE: As this Christmas weekend settles upon us, I reprise this little essay from two years ago as a Storyboard gift to all the storytellers and story readers/listeners/watchers out there. It was first posted Jan. 7, 2022, which seems … Read more
By Jacqui Banaszynski As I indulged in my morning obsession of scanning news headlines one day last week, I paused on something called “napkin stories.” The tease I got included a reference to actor Chris Pine — a favorite … Read more
By Jacqui Banaszynski A lot of journalists dream of having their byline on work that wins one of the top industry awards. Many long to see their name on the spine of a book. Some might even fantasy about … Read more
By Jacqui Banaszynski Storyboard does not indulge in easy click bait. But I would be foolish to ignore a legitimate opportunity to tap the drawing power of Taylor Swift. There’s this week’s news that she was named … Read more
By Jacqui Banaszynski The gratitude essay I wrote recentlyhas given back in multiples — which is how gratitude is supposed to work. I’ve received several lovely notes in response, including one from a non-writer who … Read more
By Jacqui Banaszynski The primary New York Times obit of Henry Kissinger listed it as a “38 MIN READ.” I checked the clock, my to-do list and my energy level. Then I bookmarked the obit for … Read more
By Jacqui Banaszynski Gratitude is hot. Researchers study its benefits on health, happiness and longevity. Therapists teach it as a grounding activity that puts anxiety in perspective. Philosophers write all manner of homages to its value throughout human history. Read more
By Jacqui Banaszynski On Wednesday last week, I had a plan for the newsletter: All manner of tidbits were collecting in a file and it was time to use the best of them in an “items” column. On Thursday morning, … Read more
By Jacqui Banaszynski According to the adage, people don’t regret the things they did in life — only those they didn’t. I don’t buy it — anymore than I buy the assurance that if we do what we love, … Read more
By Jacqui Banaszynski No future for narrative? No support for longer pieces? No value in for print? The folks at The Guardian bravely beg to differ — and bully to them for that. As our sister publication, Nieman Lab, … Read more
