Soledad O’Brien on character-driven storytelling in documentaries, and the power of being a witness

Journalist Tricia Romano on the pros and cons of writing an oral history

Author Tricia Romano [https://triciaromano.com/] 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.” [https://bookshop.org/p/books/the-freaks-came-out-to-write-the-definitive-history-of-the-village-voice-the-radical-paper-that-changed-american-culture-tricia-romano/85532b7573c0c6d6]  Romano was a writer for the legendary New York City alt-weekly, and it was a Voice reunion in 2017 [https://www.nytimes.com/2017/09/10/nyregion/village-voice-reunion.html], following the death of former Voice staffers Nat Hentoff and Wayne Barrett, that led her to take on the project.  Romano talks about her process for staying organized during the project, how she supplemented her book advance with grants to help fund it, and how to determine whether an oral history is the right path for your book or story idea.  Romano, who's also a Storyboard contributor [https://niemanstoryboard.org/authors/tricia-romano/], began her eight-year career at the Village Voice as an intern. As a contributing writer, she wrote features and award-winning cover stories about culture and music. Her reported column, Fly Life, gave a glimpse into the underbelly of New York nightlife. She has been a staff writer at the Seattle Times and served as the editor in chief of the Stranger, Seattle’s alternative newsweekly. A fellow at MacDowell, Ucross, and Millay artist residencies, and her work has been published in The New York Times, Rolling Stone, the Daily Beast, Men’s Journal, Elle, Alta Journal, and the Los Angeles Times, among other publications. Get the full show notes and reading list from this episode:  https://niemanstoryboard.org/2026/02/19/tricia-romano-how-to-write-an-oral-history/ [https://niemanstoryboard.org/2026/02/19/tricia-romano-how-to-write-an-oral-history/] Subscribe to the Nieman Storyboard newsletter:  https://niemanstoryboard.org/about/subscribe-to-nieman-storyboard/ [https://niemanstoryboard.org/about/subscribe-to-nieman-storyboard/] Show Credits Hosted and produced by Mark Armstrong Episode editor: Kelly Araja Audience editor: Adriana Lacy Promotional support: Ellen Tuttle Operational support: Paul Plutnicki, Peter Canova Nieman Foundation interim curator: Henry Chu Music: “Golden Grass,” by Blue Dot Sessions (www.sessions.blue [https://www.sessions.blue/]) Cover design by Adriana Lacy Nieman Storyboard is presented by the Nieman Foundation for Journalism at Harvard [https://nieman.harvard.edu/].

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 [https://niemanstoryboard.org/authors/christina-m-tapper/] for this week’s Nieman Storyboard podcast [https://niemanstoryboard.buzzsprout.com/2449998/episodes] 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’Brien Productions [https://soledadproductions.com/], a media production company that explores stories of race, class, gender, and identity, in 2013. Most recently, she anchored and produced the political magazine show "Matter of Fact with Soledad O'Brien" during a 10-season run for Hearst TV. O’Brien’s reporting has been honored with 10 Emmys and three Peabody Awards. In 2025, O’Brien served as the executive producer for HBO Max’s documentary short, “The Devil is Busy [https://www.hbomax.com/movies/devil-is-busy/24d3b05e-15a0-4f17-9545-5f07dd381d7d],” about a day at an Atlanta abortion clinic and the fight for reproductive rights. O’Brien and her team decided to tell the story through Tracii, the head of security at the clinic who is a devout Christian. Patients and clinicians are featured in the documentary, but it’s Tracii’s story that is the thread from start to finish in this post-Dobbs era piece. Subscribe to the Nieman Storyboard newsletter: https://niemanstoryboard.org/about/subscribe-to-nieman-storyboard/ [https://niemanstoryboard.org/about/subscribe-to-nieman-storyboard/] Listening and Watching List: * “Murder on the Towpath with Soledad O’Brien [https://www.iheart.com/podcast/1119-murder-on-the-towpath-wit-272685783/]”  * “Who Killed JFK? [https://www.iheart.com/podcast/1119-who-killed-jfk-127000428/]” * “War on La Radio [https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=tTuz_gcsiqc]” * “The End of Affirmative Action [https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=o_cS8sW6ewk&t=3s]” * “Black and Missing [https://www.hbomax.com/shows/black-and-missing/dff267ab-7d92-4406-85a7-cecdbccb1aaf]” * “The Perfect Neighbor [https://www.netflix.com/title/82018736]” * “Katrina: Come Hell or High Water [https://www.netflix.com/title/81676595]” * Geeta Gandbhir [https://www.messagepics.com/about] * Christalyn Hampton [https://www.linkedin.com/in/christalyn/] Show credits Hosted and produced by Mark Armstrong Episode producer and interview by Christina M. Tapper Episode editor: Kelly Araja Audience editor: Adriana Lacy Promotional support: Ellen Tuttle Operational support: Paul Plutnicki, Peter Canova Nieman Foundation interim curator: Henry Chu Music: “Golden Grass,” by Blue Dot Sessions (www.sessions.blue [http://www.sessions.blue]) Cover design by Adriana Lacy Nieman Storyboard is presented by the Nieman Foundation for Journalism at Harvard [https://nieman.harvard.edu/].

Leah Sottile and Ryan Haas on deconstructing ‘true crime’ in podcasting and journalism

Journalists Leah Sottile [https://www.leahsottile.com/] and Ryan Haas [https://substack.com/@ryanhaas2] join Storyboard Editor Mark Armstrong [https://niemanstoryboard.org/authors/mark-armstrong/] to discuss the second and final season of their serialized podcast “Hush, [https://www.opb.org/show/hush/]” from Oregon Public Broadcasting [https://www.opb.org/].  Sottile and Haas first began working together on the 2019 OPB/Longreads podcast “Bundyville [https://www.opb.org/news/article/bundyville-occupation-podcast/],” and they've continued their collaborative work as journalists and podcasters ever since. This week, they've announced that they will be starting an independent publication called The Western Edge. (For updates, you can follow Sottile [https://bsky.app/profile/leahsottile.bsky.social] and Haas [https://bsky.app/profile/ryanjhaas.bsky.social] on Bluesky or on their individual [https://substack.com/@leahsottile] Substacks [https://substack.com/@ryanhaas2].) Get the full show notes: https://niemanstoryboard.org/2026/01/22/leah-sottile-ryan-haas-true-crime-podcasting-journalism/ [https://niemanstoryboard.org/2026/01/22/leah-sottile-ryan-haas-true-crime-podcasting-journalism/] Subscribe to the Nieman Storyboard newsletter: https://niemanstoryboard.org/about/subscribe-to-nieman-storyboard/ [https://niemanstoryboard.org/about/subscribe-to-nieman-storyboard/] Reading list * Leah Sottile: Bluesky [https://bsky.app/profile/leahsottile.bsky.social], Substack [https://substack.com/@leahsottile] * Ryan Haas: Bluesky [https://bsky.app/profile/ryanjhaas.bsky.social], Substack [https://substack.com/@ryanhaas2] * “Hush Season Two: The Case of Sarah Zuber [https://www.opb.org/show/hush/]” * Justin St. Germain [https://lettersofrec.substack.com/], Oregon State University professor * “Dying for a Fight [https://www.opb.org/dying-for-a-fight/]” * “In Cold Blood,” [https://www.penguinrandomhouse.com/the-read-down/truman-capote-books/] Truman Capote [https://www.penguinrandomhouse.com/the-read-down/truman-capote-books/] * Oregon Public Broadcasting [https://www.opb.org/] * “Hush Season One: The State of Oregon v Jesse Lee Johnson [https://www.opb.org/article/2024/10/01/hush-state-oregon-jesse-lee-johnson/]” * “Bundyville [https://www.opb.org/news/article/bundyville-occupation-podcast/]” * “Twin Peaks [https://youtu.be/rFuKtJjhBCQ?si=ck_XYBJNbu95v3qy]” * Justice for Sarah Zuber Facebook Page [https://www.facebook.com/groups/668413071555907/] * “When the Moon Turns to Blood [https://www.hachettebookgroup.com/titles/leah-sottile/when-the-moon-turns-to-blood/9781538721339/]” (Leah Sottile) * “Blazing Eye Sees All [https://www.hachettebookgroup.com/titles/leah-sottile/blazing-eye-sees-all/9781538742600/]” (Leah Sottile) * “A Living Manifesto on Journalism in 2026 and Beyond” [https://leahsottile.substack.com/p/66-clarity] (Leah Sottile, December 2025) Show Credits Hosted and produced by Mark Armstrong Associate producer: Marina Leigh Episode editor: Kelly Araja Audience editor: Adriana Lacy Promotional support: Ellen Tuttle Operational support: Paul Plutnicki, Peter Canova Nieman Foundation interim curator: Henry Chu Music: “Golden Grass,” by Blue Dot Sessions (www.sessions.blue [https://www.sessions.blue/]) Cover design by Adriana Lacy Nieman Storyboard is presented by the Nieman Foundation for Journalism at Harvard [https://nieman.harvard.edu/].

NPR's Tonya Mosley on the art of the interview

Award-winning journalist Tonya Mosley [https://www.npr.org/people/856763118/tonya-mosley] joins Storyboard contributor Christina M. Tapper [https://niemanstoryboard.org/authors/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 [https://www.npr.org/programs/fresh-air/],” where she has in-depth conversations with newsmakers like politician and author Stacy Abrams [https://www.npr.org/2025/07/15/1255699451/stacey-abrams], actor George Clooney [https://www.npr.org/2025/12/04/nx-s1-5633265/george-clooney], and artist Mickalene Thomas [https://www.npr.org/2024/12/03/1216842311/mickalene-thomas]. It’s not just Mosley’s ability to have conversations with a wide range of people that make her one of the most notable interviewers in journalism and media. It’s also her research.  “I have a wonderful team at ‘Fresh Air’ who puts together a research document and it's all the things that they can find out about the person, and they break it up: here's television work, here's audio work, here's what's been written about them. I read all of that,” she says. “But then the fun thing to do after that is to find the things that weren't in the document. So then I go digging myself.”  In her own research, Mosley scours non-mainstream platforms, including Black media. It’s Mosley’s way of covering all of her bases and honoring the guest’s time. Read the full show notes: https://niemanstoryboard.org/2026/01/08/nprs-tonya-mosley-on-the-art-of-the-interview/ [https://niemanstoryboard.org/2026/01/08/nprs-tonya-mosley-on-the-art-of-the-interview/] Subscribe to the Nieman Storyboard newsletter: https://niemanstoryboard.org/about/subscribe-to-nieman-storyboard/ [https://niemanstoryboard.org/about/subscribe-to-nieman-storyboard/] Show Credits Hosted and produced by Mark Armstrong Episode producer and interview by Christina M. Tapper Episode editor: Kelly Araja Audience editor: Adriana Lacy Promotional support: Ellen Tuttle Operational support: Paul Plutnicki, Peter Canova Nieman Foundation interim curator: Henry Chu Music: “Golden Grass,” by Blue Dot Sessions (www.sessions.blue [http://www.sessions.blue]) Cover design by Adriana Lacy Nieman Storyboard is presented by the Nieman Foundation for Journalism at Harvard [https://nieman.harvard.edu/].

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 [https://niemanstoryboard.buzzsprout.com/2449998/episodes], photojournalist and Pulitzer Prize finalist Stephanie Keith [https://www.stephaniekeith.com/about] joins Storyboard Editor Mark Armstrong [https://niemanstoryboard.org/authors/mark-armstrong/] to discuss her latest project, which became a powerful cover story for New York magazine [https://nymag.com/intelligencer/article/26-federal-plaza-nyc-immigration-court-ice-agents-detainments-deportations.html?ueid=19f62880113934b262c0bbb597644adb&utm_source=Sailthru&utm_medium=email&utm_campaign=OGS%20-%20Oct%2020%2C%202025&utm_term=Subscription%20List%20-%20One%20Great%20Story]: 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 arrested by U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) agents.  She captured the sudden and heartbreaking moments where people were separated from their families, or taken away without their loved ones even knowing what happened.  Get the full show notes: https://niemanstoryboard.org/2025/12/04/photojournalist-stephanie-keith-documenting-ice-new-york-magazine-cover/ [https://niemanstoryboard.org/2025/12/04/photojournalist-stephanie-keith-documenting-ice-new-york-magazine-cover/] Subscribe to the Nieman Storyboard newsletter: https://niemanstoryboard.org/about/subscribe-to-nieman-storyboard/ [https://niemanstoryboard.org/about/subscribe-to-nieman-storyboard/] Reading List: Authors, Stories, and Editors Mentioned  * Stephanie Keith [https://www.stephaniekeith.com/about] * “Portfolio: The Trap at 26 Federal Plaza” [https://nymag.com/intelligencer/article/26-federal-plaza-nyc-immigration-court-ice-agents-detainments-deportations.html?ueid=19f62880113934b262c0bbb597644adb&utm_source=Sailthru&utm_medium=email&utm_campaign=OGS%20-%20Oct%2020%2C%202025&utm_term=Subscription%20List%20-%20One%20Great%20Story] (Photographs by Stephanie Keith [https://nymag.com/author/stephanie-keith/]. Article by Andrew Rice [https://nymag.com/author/andrew-rice/] and Paula Aceves [https://nymag.com/author/paula-aceves/], New York magazine, 2025) * Keith's coverage of the Standing Rock protests [https://www.stephaniekeith.com/36-days-in-standing-rock] (2016) * Jody Quon [https://nymag.com/press/article/jody-quon-promoted-to-creative-director-of-new-york-magazine.html] * Andrew Rice [https://andrewrice.net/] * Paula Aceves [https://paulaaceves.work/] Show credits Hosted and produced by Mark Armstrong Associate producer: Marina Leigh Episode editor: Kelly Araja Audience editor: Adriana Lacy Promotional support: Ellen Tuttle Operational support: Paul Plutnicki, Peter Canova Nieman Foundation interim curator: Henry Chu Music: “Golden Grass,” by Blue Dot Sessions (www.sessions.blue [https://www.sessions.blue/]) Cover design by Adriana Lacy Nieman Storyboard is presented by the Nieman Foundation for Journalism at Harvard [https://nieman.harvard.edu/].