Nieman Storyboard
In-depth conversations about the craft of journalism and storytelling, presented by the Nieman Foundation for Journalism at Harvard. Hosted by Mark Armstrong, editor of Nieman Storyboard, founder (emeritus) of Longreads and co-founder of the podcast company Ursa.
Episodes
Journalist Tricia Romano on the pros and cons of writing an oral history
Author Tricia Romano joins Storyboard editor Mark Armstrong to talk about how she reported and wrote her oral history of The Village Voice, “The Freaks Came Out to Write: The Definitive History of the Village Voice, the Radical Paper That Changed American Culture.” Romano was a writer for the legendary New York City alt-weekly, and it was a Voice reunion in 2017, following the death of former Voic
Soledad O’Brien on character-driven storytelling in documentaries, and the power of being a witness
Award-winning journalist and executive producer Soledad O’Brien joins Storyboard contributor Christina M. Tapper for this week’s Nieman Storyboard podcast to discuss her career journey from TV news to documentaries, and how she came to embrace the form for storytelling on on social issues.As one of the most respected voices in journalism, working at NBC, MSNBC, and CNN, O’Brien founded Soledad O’B
Leah Sottile and Ryan Haas on deconstructing ‘true crime’ in podcasting and journalism
Journalists Leah Sottile and Ryan Haas join Storyboard Editor Mark Armstrong to discuss the second and final season of their serialized podcast “Hush,” from Oregon Public Broadcasting. Sottile and Haas first began working together on the 2019 OPB/Longreads podcast “Bundyville,” and they've continued their collaborative work as journalists and podcasters ever since. This week, they've ann
NPR's Tonya Mosley on the art of the interview
Award-winning journalist Tonya Mosley joins Storyboard contributor Christina M. Tapper for a discussion about interviewing, live coverage, and how to tell complex family stories. Mosley is the co-host of NPR’s “Fresh Air,” where she has in-depth conversations with newsmakers like politician and author Stacy Abrams, actor George Clooney, and artist Mickalene Thomas. It’s not just Mosley’s ability t
Photojournalist Stephanie Keith on documenting ICE and capturing a moment that became the cover of New York magazine
On the latest episode of the Nieman Storyboard podcast, photojournalist and Pulitzer Prize finalist Stephanie Keith joins Storyboard Editor Mark Armstrong to discuss her latest project, which became a powerful cover story for New York magazine: a series of photos taken in the corridors of 26 Federal Plaza in New York City, where undocumented immigrants showing up for routine hearings were being ar
Sasha Bonét on ‘leaving room for the story to shape itself’ and how a family home can become a character
Writer, author, and cultural critic Sasha Bonét joins Storyboard contributor Christina M. Tapper for a wide-ranging conversation about Bonét’s writing process for “The Waterbearers,” a memoir about mothers and daughters. Bonét and Tapper discuss surrendering to how a story unfolds, rather than forcing it, and how to turn a physical place into a key character.Subscribe to the Nieman Storyboard news
National Book Award finalist Claudia Rowe on writing about teens and the foster care system
On the latest episode of the Nieman Storyboard podcast, journalist Claudia Rowe joins Storyboard Editor Mark Armstrong to discuss her most recent book, “Wards of the State: The Long Shadow of American Foster Care,” which has been named a finalist for the 2025 National Book Awards. “Wards of the State” is a narrative nonfiction book told through the stories of six former foster kids to examine the
Danyel Smith on developing taste as a writer and building confidence to tell your own story
On the latest episode of the Nieman Storyboard podcast, award-winning journalist, author, and producer Danyel Smith joins Storyboard contributor Christina M. Tapper to discuss building the confidence to tell her own story and being a model for others to do the same. Smith, the first woman and first Black person to serve as editor-in-chief of Vibe, and who later served as editor of Billboard, is th
Michael Kruse & Bill Duryea: Lessons from a 16-year reporter-editor partnership
What makes an editor-writer relationship work? We sit down with a reporter and editor who have achieved something of a rarity in the news business — a 16-year partnership across multiple publications. Michael Kruse and his editor, Bill Duryea, first teamed up at the Tampa Bay Times (then St. Petersburg Times) in 2009. They moved together to Politico and Politico Magazine in 2015, where they contin
The New Yorker's Sam Wolson on interactive storytelling about a mother and her trans teenager leaving the U.S.
The New Yorker’s Interactives Visual Features Editor Sam Wolson joins Storyboard Editor Mark Armstrong for a conversation about his latest story, “There’s No Place at Home: A Mother and Her Trans Teen Decide to Leave the U.S.,” about a mother and her trans teenager deciding to move to Mexico after President Trump’s efforts to restrict gender-affirming care. The story is an interactive visual featu
Mallary Tenore Tarpley on writing about eating disorders and navigating ‘the messy middle’ in recovery
Mark Armstrong sits down with Storyboard contributor and author-journalist Mallary Tenore Tarpley to discuss her new book, “Slip: Life in the Middle of Eating Disorder Recovery.”“Slip” is a reported memoir, with Tarpley recounting her own diagnosis and treatment for anorexia following the death of her mother from breast cancer when Tarpley was 11 years old. She talks about the process of writing a
Pulitzer winner Lane DeGregory on the power of local storytelling
Mark Armstrong sits down with Lane DeGregory, the Pulitzer Prize-winning enterprise reporter for the Tampa Bay Times covering "hope and humanity." DeGregory, whose work has been featured frequently on Storyboard over the years, is now celebrating 25 years at the Tampa Bay Times. She takes us through her process — from connecting with the community, to developing story ideas, and earning
Author Dana A. Williams on what Toni Morrison can teach us about editing
Storyboard contributor Christina M. Tapper sits down with Dana A. Williams, author of the new book “Toni at Random: The Iconic Writer’s Legendary Editorship,” for a conversation about Toni Morrison and her work as a trade editor at Random House, where she championed Black writers working in all genres and ultimately changed the publishing landscape. The book is the first to focus solely on the Nob
Nadia Reiman on telling stories of immigration for ‘This American Life’
“This American Life” reporter and editor Nadia Reiman joins Storyboard Editor Mark Armstrong for a conversation about immigration, mass deportation under Trump’s presidency, and finding the human stories amid ongoing raids by U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE).Reiman has worked for “This American Life” since 2018, and in 2019, she was part of the producing and reporting team for “The O
The Black List's Franklin Leonard on the power of 'Based on a true story' in Hollywood
The Black List founder and CEO Franklin Leonard joins Storyboard Editor Mark Armstrong for a conversation about the state of storytelling in Hollywood, and how true stories intersect with entertainment. Leonard was working as a development executive for Leonardo DiCaprio's production company when he started The Black List 20 years ago, first as a survey of the best unproduced screenplays. The
Tech reporter Drew Harwell on the very online life of a 24/7 Twitch streamer
Washington Post technology reporter Drew Harwell joins Storyboard Editor Mark Armstrong for a conversation about his feature story on “Emilycc,” a Texas-based Twitch streamer who has livestreamed her entire life, 24 hours a day, for the last three years. For his story, “Inside the life of a 24/7 streamer: ‘What more do you want?’,” Harwell traveled to Texas to meet Emily, and he wrote it with the
The Marshall Project's Akiba Solomon on how journalists write about incarceration
Nieman Storyboard contributor Christina M. Tapper sits down with Akiba Solomon, an award-winning senior editor at The Marshall Project, the nonprofit news organization dedicated to covering the U.S. criminal justice system. Solomon edited The Language Project, about the terms journalists use to write about incarceration. Tapper and Solomon discuss the importance of people-first language, alternati
Journalist Kim Cross on reconstructed narratives and the women who led a cycling revolution in Afghanistan
New York Times bestselling author, journalist, and athlete Kim Cross joins Storyboard Editor Mark Armstrong for a conversation about reporting for narrative nonfiction — focusing on reconstructed narratives and her feature story for Bicycling magazine, "The Alchemists," about the Afghan women who broke gender barriers in cycling before the Taliban took over their country. "They, as
Mary Schmich's journey from newspapers to podcasts with ‘Division Street Revisited’
Storyboard Editor Mark Armstrong welcomes Mary Schmich, the Pulitzer Prize-winning former columnist for the Chicago Tribune and host of the podcast "Division Street Revisited," which follows the stories of seven people featured in Studs Terkel's 1967 oral history book, "Division Street: America." Schmich teamed up with former colleague Melissa Harris, who came up with the
Wired's Makena Kelly on Elon Musk, DOGE, and breaking news narratives
Storyboard editor Mark Armstrong sits down with Makena Kelly, senior writer for Wired covering the intersection of politics, power, and technology, about the magazine’s coverage of Trump's second term and how it has aggressively covered Elon Musk and DOGE's takeovers of federal agencies. Amid its breaking news coverage, Wired published “Inside Elon Musk’s Digital Coup” on March 13, a lon
Erika Hayasaki on trauma-informed reporting and celebrating the 'reported essay'
On the debut episode of the Nieman Storyboard podcast, host and Storyboard editor Mark Armstrong sits down with acclaimed journalist and author Erika Hayasaki, for an in-depth conversation about trauma-informed reporting, questions of "telling a story versus taking a story," and when it makes sense for journalists to include their own stories in their work.Full show notes: https://nieman
Trailer: Welcome to the Nieman Storyboard podcast
Nieman Storyboard is all about the craft of journalism and storytelling. Join host and Storyboard editor Mark Armstrong (Longreads, Ursa Story Company) for conversations with journalists, writers, and producers, in their own words, talking about how they do the work. We'll talk about stories that span every genre and platform — from longform narratives and books, to podcasting, documentaries,
Recommended
10-41: A UCSO Podcast
108.3 WGKSRADIO DEEP HOUSE PARTY
10 at a Time
10Fold Founders
10% Happier with Dan Harris
10-Minute Contrarian
10 Minutes Korean - Learn Korean & English Naturally
10 Minutes with Jesus
10 Minute Teacher Podcast with Cool Cat Teacher
10 minutos con Jesús
10th Floor Podcasts
10 to Life
