Strictly Q&A

How an editor guided coverage of racism in the life and death of George Floyd

How an editor guided coverage of racism in the life and death of George Floyd

Steven Ginsberg, national editor at The Washington Post, grounded a sensitive project with this question: "Are we qualified to do this story?"
Writing past politics to a "female way of approaching things" in commentary

Writing past politics to a “female way of approaching things” in commentary

In today’s deeply divided world – where relationships have unraveled over everything from politics to public health – Mary Schmich is a rare commodity: A columnist who can tackle the…
What happened when a journalist tracked the origins of the rape evidence kit

What happened when a journalist tracked the origins of the rape evidence kit

Most stories about female inventors simply congratulate women for being as capable as men. But Pagan Kennedy, author, podcast producer and New York Times columnist, thinks we need to move…
The fashion critic of The New York Times sees clothing as an extension of culture

The fashion critic of The New York Times sees clothing as an extension of culture

As chief fashion critic and director for The New York Times, Vanessa Friedman has written odes to Karl Lagerfeld and Kenzo Takada — major designers who passed this year —…
How the road led out of and back into journalism

How the road led out of and back into journalism

The Pivot: A young journalist was dumped out of newsrooms, found a new life, then was lured back with better boundaries
Pitching the IWMF: Focus on undercovered issues, think big and dare to stretch

Pitching the IWMF: Focus on undercovered issues, think big and dare to stretch

For 30 years, the International Women's Media Fund has helped fund women journalists and ambitious projects around the world
Wisdom from Melissa Fay Greene about deep reporting on sensitive subjects

Wisdom from Melissa Fay Greene about deep reporting on sensitive subjects

Her Atlantic story following the fate of adopted Romanian orphans delves into science, psychology and the tricky shoals of parenthood
How limitations — COVID, budgets, access and more — can spark fresh ideas

How limitations — COVID, budgets, access and more — can spark fresh ideas

When the quarantine began in March, the lifestyles production unit at GBH Studio Six in Boston — which is responsible for a range of programming content, from cooking and travel…
Introducing "The Pivot," in which journalists find their way through industry chaos

Introducing “The Pivot,” in which journalists find their way through industry chaos

The Pivot: A brief preludeOn an early afternoon in early March in Upper Manhattan, a dozen graduate students in Columbia Journalism School’s Arts and Culture seminar gathered their notebooks and…
How reporting through time and place reveals character

How reporting through time and place reveals character

ESPN's Wright Thompson returns to an old subject — Michael Jordan — and finds a fresh story in the haunted soil of his history