Story Annotations

3 young reporters, 1 veteran editor, a 50 mph fire, 7 days and 4,500 gripping words

The entire reporting staff of the Salem Reporter used digital tools, shoe leather and teamwork to deliver a fast-turn narrative on a deadly Oregon fire

By Kim Cross • September 29, 2020

Saphara Harrell of the Salem Reporter on teh scene of a deadly wildfire in Oregon

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From the Editor

#1 rule of pitching: Study the publication

Researching the basics of the site you're pitching to — story length, purpose and tone — reveals respect for the work of reporting

By Jacqui Banaszynski • September 25, 2020

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Chip Scanlan

Julia Shipley

Roy Peter Clark

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The enduring power of John Hersey’s “Hiroshima”: the first “nonfiction novel”

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On the 75th anniversary of the dropping of the atomic bomb, Hersey's taut, unflinching story remains a masterpiece of narrative reporting

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