From the Editor

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

The editor reflects on what she learned about reporting and writing narrative from reading and covering sports
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

The editor has made a lifelong practice of studying other writers – not to write like them, but to understand how writing works
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…
Making prison stories relevant and relatable

Making prison stories relevant and relatable

By Jacqui BanaszynskiPrison stories are a special challenge for journalists. The gold standards of journalism are relevance and relatability. But it can be hard for many readers and listeners, if…