Story Craft

Compression: It's not just for socks

Compression: It’s not just for socks

Ads on radio and news sites here in Seattle are promoting “Potted Potter,” a romp of a stage play that retells all seven Harry Potter books — more than 4,000…
Social-change journalism can make "good trouble"

Social-change journalism can make “good trouble”

A Vanderbilt professor wraps up his case for seven reframes of problem-centered story work with a summary of risks and rewards
Making good journalistic trouble, Part VII: Seeing through other moral lenses

Making good journalistic trouble, Part VII: Seeing through other moral lenses

Stories that challenge value judgments and assumptions can help readers reconsider those blamed for and stigmatized for social problems
Making good journalistic trouble, Part VI: Shared responsibility for social problems

Making good journalistic trouble, Part VI: Shared responsibility for social problems

Stories can be framed and reported to show how everyday choices and actions can be connected to oppression and poverty
Making good journalistic trouble, Part V: Expanding perspective and empathy

Making good journalistic trouble, Part V: Expanding perspective and empathy

Stories that explore social issues through a solidarity frame can help readers relate to the people most affected
Making good journalistic trouble, Part IV:  Tracing the cause and effect of social issues

Making good journalistic trouble, Part IV: Tracing the cause and effect of social issues

Stories reported through a "re-specification" frame point to the core origins and ultimate consequences of social problems
Making good journalistic trouble, Part III: Stories of empowerment and action

Making good journalistic trouble, Part III: Stories of empowerment and action

A Vanderbilt professor argues for stories that help readers and affected people alike see that they can make a difference in the face of social ills
Making good journalistic trouble, Part II: Highlighting urgency and proximity

Making good journalistic trouble, Part II: Highlighting urgency and proximity

Nonfiction stories should include reporting that shows that distant-seeming problems are closer and more immediate than realized
Making good journalistic trouble, Part I: Exposing overlooked problems

Making good journalistic trouble, Part I: Exposing overlooked problems

A Vanderbilt professor argues that nonfiction writing can connect writers, readers and social issues through a re-frame of traditional story approaches
How narrative journalists can make "good trouble" to tackle social problems

How narrative journalists can make “good trouble” to tackle social problems

A Vanderbilt history professor makes the case for re-framing social-issues stories in ways that partner with rather than preach to readers