Issue Archive

2024

'Unparalleled and Unprecedented'

Winter/Spring 2024

'Unparalleled and Unprecedented'

With dozens dead and many more wounded, journalists in Gaza have faced the deadliest six months ever recorded

Warped

Summer 2024

Warped

Election stakes couldn’t be higher. The media is still struggling to meet the moment

Dear America

Fall 2024

Dear America

Journalists around the world on what to expect when press freedom comes under attack

2023

What Open-Source Journalism Reveals

Winter 2023

What Open-Source Journalism Reveals

Spurred by Russia’s invasion of Ukraine, open-source investigations are being integrated into standard newsroom practice

Journalism in Exile

Spring 2023

Journalism in Exile

Media outlets continue to conduct vital reporting and hold the powerful account from afar, setting up posts in France, Thailand, Costa Rica, and beyond

Riding the A.I. Wave

Summer 2023

Riding the A.I. Wave

How newsrooms can harness the power of artificial intelligence

85th Anniversary Issue: The Story I Couldn't Let Go

Fall 2023

85th Anniversary Issue: The Story I Couldn't Let Go

“Stories stalk you. Stories beguile you. They bewitch you. It’s not easy to fend them off, even when you’ve vowed you will,” Susan Orlean writes in our Fall 2023 issue, which commemorates the Nieman Foundation’s 85th anniversary

2022

The New Look of the Labor Beat

Winter 2022

The New Look of the Labor Beat

From Covid-19 to the #MeToo movement, workplace coverage is resurgent

Fighting for a Free Press in Ukraine — and Beyond

Spring 2022

Fighting for a Free Press in Ukraine — and Beyond

Nieman Reports takes a look at how Ukrainian journalists are reporting on the war in their home, the costs of reporting accurately on the invasion, and the growing threats to press freedom under Putin

Reporting at Risk

Summer 2022

Reporting at Risk

Essays by journalists who are managing to do vital independent reporting — often at great personal risk

How Political Coverage is Changing to Get Beyond Polarization

Fall 2022

How Political Coverage is Changing to Get Beyond Polarization

How newsrooms are advancing political coverage that considers voters rather than just vote-seekers

2021

Lessons From The Pandemic

Summer-Fall 2021

Lessons From The Pandemic

Hope that the coronavirus is finally being brought under control has prompted plans for a return to “normal.” But can, or should, journalism return to a pre-pandemic “normal?”

Covering The Police

Spring 2021

Covering The Police

How coverage of the police is changing, from crowdsourced investigations to centering victim accounts

What's Next...

Winter 2021

What's Next...

What’s next for journalism’s post-Trump challenges, for reporting on the Biden White House and for the political weaponization of “fake news”

2020

The Newsrooms We Need Now

Fall 2020

The Newsrooms We Need Now

In a series of essays, thought leaders reflect and offer prescriptions for what the news industry needs to do.

Racial Reckoning

Summer 2020

Racial Reckoning

How the reinvigorated movement for racial justice and the pandemic are prompting newsrooms to fundamentally rethink how stories are covered — and by whom

Covering the Coronavirus

Spring 2020

Covering the Coronavirus

How the pandemic is being covered around the world, how this public health crisis is highlighting the crucial rule of local news, and more

How to Make Climate Coverage Personal, Relevant, and Urgent

Winter 2020

How to Make Climate Coverage Personal, Relevant, and Urgent

Journalists and news organizations who are working in innovative ways to make climate coverage more personal, urgent, and engrossing

2019

Journalism Under Fire in Hong Kong

Fall 2019

Journalism Under Fire in Hong Kong

Pepper spray, tear gas, rubber bullets: The Hong Kong protests are also a fight for a free press

Not a 'Crime of Passion'

Summer 2019

Not a 'Crime of Passion'

Covering domestic violence as an urgent social crisis, not a private family matter

Why Newsrooms are Unionizing Now

Spring 2019

Why Newsrooms are Unionizing Now

Journalists at legacy and digital newsrooms respond to an industry in crisis with a new wave of organizing

Journalism Under Pressure

Winter 2019

Journalism Under Pressure

Violence, political attacks, layoffs … and still doing vital work

2018

Nieman 80: Journalism That Makes a Difference

Summer-Fall 2018

Nieman 80: Journalism That Makes a Difference

Niemans on the 80 pieces of journalism that had the biggest impact on their own work

Reinventing Local TV News

Spring 2018

Reinventing Local TV News

Innovative stations push to attract younger audiences

Covering Addiction

Winter 2018

Covering Addiction

Questions the media should ask and recovery stories that need to be told

2017

The News Industry Has a Sexual Harassment Problem. #NowWhat?

Fall 2017

The News Industry Has a Sexual Harassment Problem. #NowWhat?

The issue facing journalism is not simply about preventing sexual harassment, but also about recognizing that this behavior is often part of a sexist and unequal work environment

Where Are the Mothers?

Summer 2017

Where Are the Mothers?

If news organizations want to attract and retain millennial journalists, it’s essential that they work to better meet the needs of parents and create better work-life balance for all employees

A New Focus

Spring 2017

A New Focus

Lack of equity and inclusivity among those who work behind the documentary camera remains an often overlooked problem

Covering Sexual Assault

Winter 2017

Covering Sexual Assault

By setting a few ground rules, avoiding bias, and maintaining an unwavering commitment to getting the facts straight, journalists can reveal to the public the complexity of sexual assault cases

2016

What Journalists Must Do Next

Fall 2016

What Journalists Must Do Next

Journalists, historians, and academics explore the issues, challenges, and opportunities—from newsroom diversity to fake news to community news outlets—that will inform approaches going forward

The Pulitzer Centennial

Summer 2016

The Pulitzer Centennial

As the Pulitzer Prize celebrates its centennial year, Nieman Reports takes a look at a century of Pulitzer journalism speaking truth to power, setting the tone for another 100 years of remarkable work

Covering the Campaign

Spring 2016

Covering the Campaign

The press faces a genuine risk of being displaced from its role as a crucial source of insight and information for the electorate

Beyond the “Coming Out” Story

Winter 2016

Beyond the “Coming Out” Story

How journalists are responding to this watershed period for transgender coverage

2015

Storytelling and Social Media

Fall 2015

Storytelling and Social Media

Photographers and writers have been embracing the photo sharing network Instagram as a platform for narrative storytelling

Automation in the Newsroom

Summer 2015

Automation in the Newsroom

How algorithms are helping reporters expand coverage, engage audiences, and respond to breaking news

Race and Reporting

Spring 2015

Race and Reporting

Reporters and editors discuss strategies for creating more inclusive newsrooms and how racially diverse staffs can improve coverage

The Offending Art

Winter 2015

The Offending Art

Political cartooning after Charlie Hebdo

2014

The Future of Foreign News

Fall 2014

The Future of Foreign News

Mounting threats to correspondents put coverage at risk

Where Are the Women?

Summer 2014

Where Are the Women?

Why we need more female newsroom leaders

Rewriting J-School

Spring 2014

Rewriting J-School

Can educators connect the classroom to the newsroom?

The State of Journalism in China

Winter 2014

The State of Journalism in China

How reporters are trying to work around China’s resurgent censorship, 25 years after Tiananmen

2013

75th Anniversary Issue

Summer-Fall 2013

75th Anniversary Issue

The stories of 75 Nieman Fellows, among them pioneers in biography, documentary filmmaking, and investigative journalism

The Signal and the Noise

Spring 2013

The Signal and the Noise

Journalism and the future of crowdsourced reporting after the Boston Marathon bombings

Critical Condition

Winter 2013

Critical Condition

The figures on newspaper critics (News flash: they’re not good) are one indication of the state of criticism today, but they are not the only one

2012

Be the Disruptor

Fall 2012

Be the Disruptor

Harvard’s master of innovation tutors a Nieman fellow on how media can succeed in the Internet age

Truth in the Age of Social Media

Summer 2012

Truth in the Age of Social Media

How journalists today expose manipulations and find reliable voices in the crowd

What Would You Change If You Were Back In Charge

Spring 2012

What Would You Change If You Were Back In Charge

Looking back what would they do differently? Six editors take a hard look at newspapers and what it will take for them to stay alive

2011

Writing the Book

Winter 2011

Writing the Book

How does a journalist make the journey to author? A variety of paths and potential pitfalls are here for you to learn from

Cold Case Reporting

Fall 2011

Cold Case Reporting

Reporters burrow into forgotten files, locate witnesses, track down suspects, publish what they find—and write for us about their work that in some cases is resulting in justice finally being served

Links that Bind Us

Summer 2011

Links that Bind Us

In digital space, journalists are proving to be a powerful force in creating, nurturing and engaging communities

Shattering Barriers to Reveal Corruption

Spring 2011

Shattering Barriers to Reveal Corruption

Journalists describe the toll taken to tell stories about the corruption in their own backyards

2010

The Beat Goes On - Its Rhythm Changes

Winter 2010

The Beat Goes On - Its Rhythm Changes

Beats form the backbone of a newsroom, so what happens when resources shrink, new voices emerge and platforms multiply? Which topics stick around? What new beats emerge?

Reporting From Faraway Places: Who Does It and How?

Fall 2010

Reporting From Faraway Places: Who Does It and How?

Foreign bureaus staffed by correspondents from a newspaper or broadcast network are now largely relics of a bygone era. As this 20th century model of reporting fades, fresh approaches to international reporting are evolving

The Digital Landscape: What's Next for News?

Summer 2010

The Digital Landscape: What's Next for News?

Explore the emerging realms of digital territory where news and information reside—or will soon

Visual Journalism

Spring 2010

Visual Journalism

Photojournalists write about emerging digital business strategies and their efforts to expand the reach of their photographs online and on gallery walls

2009

Trauma in the Aftermath

Winter 2009

Trauma in the Aftermath

Reporting in the aftermath of tragedy and violence, journalists discover what happens when people survive crippling moments of horror

Let's Talk: Journalism and Social Media

Fall 2009

Let's Talk: Journalism and Social Media

Journalists describe changes in how they work and what they produce, explore emerging ethical issues, and propose principles of active engagement

Iran: Can Its Stories Be Told?

Summer 2009

Iran: Can Its Stories Be Told?

Journalists — Iranians and Westerners — share their firsthand experiences as they write about the challenges they confront in gathering and distributing news and information about Iran and its people

Voyages of Discovery Into New Media

Spring 2009

Voyages of Discovery Into New Media

At the crossroad of old journalism and new media, digital news entrepreneurs lead us on voyages of discovery into new media

2008

The Search for True North: New Directions in a New Territory

Winter 2008

The Search for True North: New Directions in a New Territory

In this time of accelerating change, how journalists do their work and what elements of journalism will survive this digital transformation loom as questions and concerns

Staying Local, Digging Deep

Fall 2008

Staying Local, Digging Deep

In this third part of our 21st Century Muckrakers project, editors and reporters speak to how metro and regional newspapers are confronting the enormous challenges of today and offer clues to where this kind of reporting will likely be headed tomorrow

Cameras, Action and Accountability

Summer 2008

Cameras, Action and Accountability

Politics and the new media

21st Century Muckrakers

Spring 2008

21st Century Muckrakers

Who are they? How do they do their work?

2007

Is Local News the Answer?

Winter 2007

Is Local News the Answer?

We explore what local news reporting can look like and what a hometown focus can mean for journalists, newspapers, Web sites, and those who consume this news and information

Katrina's Aftermath: News With No End in Sight

Fall 2007

Katrina's Aftermath: News With No End in Sight

The particular demands and difficulties posed by coverage of an ongoing news event with no end in sight.

Islam: Reporting in Context and With Complexity

Summer 2007

Islam: Reporting in Context and With Complexity

The challenges journalists encounter in their coverage of Islam in the wake of 9/11

Afghanistan: Stories Come Back Into View

Spring 2007

Afghanistan: Stories Come Back Into View

“Once I was angry that Afghanistan was no longer in the news. Now I feel sad that Afghanistan is back in the news.”

2006

Goodbye Gutenberg

Winter 2006

Goodbye Gutenberg

Journalists’ experiences in the digital era transport our vision forward, while our eye takes us on a visual voyage back to a time when newspapers wove communities together

Global Migration and Immigration

Fall 2006

Global Migration and Immigration

Stories and images about the journey

Journalists: On the Subject of Courage

Summer 2006

Journalists: On the Subject of Courage

Glimpses of such journalistic courage

What Katrina Revealed, Will Journalists Now Cover?

Spring 2006

What Katrina Revealed, Will Journalists Now Cover?

When disaster strikes, the plight of the poor and marginalized becomes news, until interest wanes and the cycle prepares to repeat

2005

Citizen Journalism

Winter 2005

Citizen Journalism

The shift from journalists as gatekeepers to citizens as reporters has profound implications for news organizations that “might have completely underestimated the influence of this new medium.”

Covering Indian Country

Fall 2005

Covering Indian Country

Native Americans and non-natives who tell stories about the lives of Indian peoples talk about their obligation to fairness and the skills they need to live up to this responsibility

Eroding Freedoms: Secrecy, Truth and Sources

Summer 2005

Eroding Freedoms: Secrecy, Truth and Sources

Water: A Life Force Harnessed as News

Spring 2005

Water: A Life Force Harnessed as News

2004

Editorial Cartoons: The Impact and Issues of an Evolving Craft

Winter 2004

Editorial Cartoons: The Impact and Issues of an Evolving Craft

Africa: Stories to Be Told

Fall 2004

Africa: Stories to Be Told

The Energy Beat: Complex and Compelling

Summer 2004

The Energy Beat: Complex and Compelling

Water: A Life Force Harnessed as News

Spring 2004

Water: A Life Force Harnessed as News

2003

Can Newspapers Reach the Young?

Winter 2003

Can Newspapers Reach the Young?

Journalism and Black America: Then and Now

Fall 2003

Journalism and Black America: Then and Now

Medical Reporting

Summer 2003

Medical Reporting

Reporting on Health

Spring 2003

Reporting on Health

2002

Reporting on the INS

Winter 2002

Reporting on the INS

Science Journalism

Fall 2002

Science Journalism

Reporting on Business: Enron and Beyond

Summer 2002

Reporting on Business: Enron and Beyond

Nieman Narrative Journalism Conference

Spring 2002

Nieman Narrative Journalism Conference

2001

Coverage of Terrorism

Winter 2001

Coverage of Terrorism

The Documentary and Journalism: Where They Converge

Fall 2001

The Documentary and Journalism: Where They Converge

Latino Voices: Journalism By and About Latinos

Summer 2001

Latino Voices: Journalism By and About Latinos

Colombia: The War Against Journalists

Spring 2001

Colombia: The War Against Journalists

2000

Technology Is Changing Journalism Just as It Always Has

Winter 2000

Technology Is Changing Journalism Just as It Always Has

Photojournalism: Pondering the Power of Images and the Risks Taken by Those Who Make Them

Fall 2000

Photojournalism: Pondering the Power of Images and the Risks Taken by Those Who Make Them

Election 2000: Politicians and the Press

Summer 2000

Election 2000: Politicians and the Press

Commemorative Double Issue

Winter 1999 - Spring 2000

Commemorative Double Issue

1999

Commemorative Double Issue

Winter 1999 - Spring 2000

Commemorative Double Issue

The Press in Russia

Fall 1999

The Press in Russia

War Crimes, Human Rights and Press Freedom: The Journalist's Job

Summer 1999

War Crimes, Human Rights and Press Freedom: The Journalist's Job

Educating Journalists

Spring 1999

Educating Journalists

The Business of News, The News About Business

Special Issue 1999

The Business of News, The News About Business

1998

Children and Violence

Winter 1998

Children and Violence

Serving the Poor

Fall 1998

Serving the Poor

Photojournalism Dead? It's Just Changing With the Times

Summer 1998

Photojournalism Dead? It's Just Changing With the Times

Watchdog, Attack Dog, or Lapdog?

Spring 1998

Watchdog, Attack Dog, or Lapdog?

1997

Highways, Byways and Bylines: Roads as News Stories

Winter 1997

Highways, Byways and Bylines: Roads as News Stories

Roads as News Stories

The Faith of Journalists

Fall 1997

The Faith of Journalists

Does their religion help or hinder them professionally?

Reengineering Society With Economic Shock Therapy

Summer 1997

Reengineering Society With Economic Shock Therapy

Welfare - Media Opportunity

Spring 1997

Welfare - Media Opportunity