From the Editor

Keep your focus on what's in front of you

Keep your focus on what’s in front of you

By Jacqui BanaszynskiI have been weary with heartache, confusion and a deep sense of “should” since Hamas waged a vicious, surprise attack on Israel Oct. 7. The heartache and confusion…
Lessons on what not always to do in interviews

Lessons on what not always to do in interviews

By Jacqui BanaszynskiLast week brought the sad news of the deaths of more fine journalists I’ve been graced to know. One was Jim Caple, who was one of those sports…
Pick some winners while you sip that latte

Pick some winners while you sip that latte

By Jacqui BanaszynskiIt’s that season again — and I don’t mean the season of the pumpkin spice latte, which I consider a bad idea on several levels. I mean the…
For the love of the (story) game

For the love of the (story) game

By Jacqui BanaszynskiThe fall equinox takes the Earth’s Northern Hemisphere into official autumn tonight. There’s already been a dusting of snow in the high Cascades that rise just west of…
Seed money for news, narrative and democracy

Seed money for news, narrative and democracy

By Jacqui BanaszynskiA hopeful-news detour from a study of the art and craft of story work, to the shaky business that supports that work. In this case, To summarize it,…
A writer's education, from pen pals to bylines

A writer’s education, from pen pals to bylines

By Jacqui BanaszynskiOne of the back-to-school things I looked forward to in grade school was the Weekly Reader, a tab-sized newspaper that was handed out in class. I suppose it…
Read not just for the what of the story, but for the how of the writing

Read not just for the what of the story, but for the how of the writing

By Jacqui BanaszynskiImagine the directive in the image above is not an end game, but a prompt. What if you added something more descriptive? Read more broadly. Read more thoughtfully.…
J-school beyond the textbook

J-school beyond the textbook

By Jacqui BanaszynskiAccording to my pre-Wordle morning scans of social media in recent days, it’s back-to-school time. That seems awfully early to me (What happened to waiting until after Labor…
Helping each other navigate obscure records and obdurate sources

Helping each other navigate obscure records and obdurate sources

By Jacqui BanaszynskiAt the many writing workshops I lead, the primary struggles reporters raise involve, duh, writing. But when six health-reporting fellows gathered recently, the challenges they brought to the…
Back-seat story magic

Back-seat story magic

By Jacqui BanaszynskiReporter friends after swap tales about the stories and tips they picked up from cabbies when they travel on assignments. That’s seldom been successful for me. First, I’m…