Mark Armstrong

Using helicopters and chemical agents, immigration agents become increasingly aggressive in Chicago Activists, residents and elected leaders say increasingly combative tactics used by federal immigration agents are sparking violence and fueling neighborhood tensions in the nation’s third-largest cit...

CHICAGO (AP) — Storming an apartment complex by helicopter as families slept. Deploying chemical agents near a public school. Handcuffing a Chicago City Council member at a hospital.

apnews.com/article/chic...

I need more “late bloomer” stories! Tell me about the things that you did at 50+ that you never thought you’d do or finally got to do!

And if you have examples that aren’t you, bring ‘em!

Rediscovering My Voice in Midlife Mark Armstrong re-embraces music after a long hiatus. PLUS: An Oldster Magazine Friday open thread on revisiting old creative passions later in life.

Okay, it was 48, but I put out my first single as a solo artist: oldster.substack.com/p/rediscover...

Massive immigration raid on Chicago apartment building leaves residents reeling: 'I feel defeated' The Department of Homeland Security said federal agents with Border Patrol, the FBI and the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives arrested 37 people in the raid.

"Armed federal agents in military fatigues busted down their doors overnight, pulling men, women and children from their apartments, some of them naked, residents and witnesses said."

chicago.suntimes.com/immigration/...

I wasn't aware of Mark's Storyboard newsletter (a pub of the Nieman Foundation for Journalism @ Harvard) but the links are so good, especially a piece by Lauren Kessler on reporting and writing scenes. Honored to have a shoutout from Carly Stern about my craft essay for Lit Hub.
tinyurl.com/bdef6mh2

Coverage of Mario's case needs to give the context of *where* he's being deported to.

At least 40 journos have fled El Salvador in 2025.
There were 789 attacks against the press in 2024.
@elfaro.net moved its offices to Costa Rica in 2023.

We don't know what will happen to Mario in ES.

You and Justin had me watching 2011 World Series highlights on YouTube!

Scenes from a hacker house - Nieman Storyboard The San Francisco AI gold rush. Plus: Kari Howard Fund for Narrative Journalism, Justin Heckert's one that got away.

My Friday newsletter for @niemanstoryboard.org: Featuring @kerryhowley.bsky.social @nymag.com, Kari Howard, @miasato.bsky.social, @karenpalmer.bsky.social, @brendanomeara.bsky.social, Justin Heckert.

niemanstoryboard.org/2025/10/03/s...

#journalism #longreads #storytelling #booksky

Outstanding! 👏

The International Women’s Media Foundation has announced the 2025 Kari Howard Fund for Narrative Journalism grantees.

Howard, former @niemanstoryboard.org editor, championed ambitious storytelling — and this year’s winners carry that legacy forward. Read more about the grantees:

Everybody needs an editor - Nieman Storyboard Michael Kruse and Bill Duryea reflect on a 16-year partnership. Plus: Telling a family's story, without everyone's participation.

My Friday newsletter for @niemanstoryboard.org: @michaelkruse.bsky.social and Bill Duryea on a 16-year partnership, plus @lillydancyger.bsky.social, @danwilsonmusic.bsky.social, @hco96.bsky.social, and Alice Driver.

niemanstoryboard.org/2025/09/26/e...

#longreads #journalism #booksky

Michael Kruse & Bill Duryea: Lessons from a 16-year reporter-editor partnership - Nieman Storyboard The journalists share how they supported and learned from each other at the Tampa Bay Times and Politico.

Did @markarms.bsky.social's @niemanstoryboard.org podcast with Bill.

Michael Kruse & Bill Duryea: Lessons from a 16-year reporter-editor partnership - Nieman Storyboard The journalists share how they supported and learned from each other at the Tampa Bay Times and Politico.

This week on the @niemanstoryboard.org podcast, I was thrilled to talk with @michaelkruse.bsky.social and his longtime editor, Bill Duryea, about editor-reporter relationships and their 16-year collaboration at the @tampabaytimes.bsky.social and @politico.com.

niemanstoryboard.org/2025/09/25/m...

Happy birthday!

Many Cascade PBS journalists I admire are losing their jobs. Seattle is also losing a valuable piece of its news ecosystem. I think of the many journalists scattered throughout local newsrooms who passed through Cascade PBS/Crosscut at some point, freelanced there, or got their start there.

I knew I needed people who readers were going to want to spend a lot of time with. I had three characters in the proposal but four in the book. One from the proposal ended up in the book. I did so much grunt work to find them. A lot of Linkedin searching for people who had previously worked at various companies. A ton of scouring Facebook groups and Reddit, and talking to nonprofit groups to see who they recommended. I was trying to plumb every possible avenue. I talked to a little over 300 people for the book as a whole, and almost 150 of those were potential protagonists.

A lot of people have seized on how much work it took to find my four BAD COMPANY protagonists, so it was fun to talk to @niemanstoryboard.org about it. imo narrative work absolutely requires putting in the effort/time to find the right characters. niemanstoryboard.org/2025/09/19/m...

Finding your book's main characters - Nieman Storyboard Megan Greenwell's “Bad Company,” annotated. Plus: What makes dialogue work on the page?

My Friday @niemanstoryboard.org newsletter: @greenwell.bsky.social on finding your book's main characters + @mdbell79.bsky.social on dialogue, @skyepillsbury.com talks to @kalilaholt.bsky.social about "Heavyweight"'s return.

niemanstoryboard.org/2025/09/19/f...

#booksky #longreads #podcasts

Megan Greenwell on holding out for the once-in-a-lifetime book idea - Nieman Storyboard The author of “Bad Company” reflects on the merits of waiting until she was seized by an obsession and couldn’t let go

This @niemanstoryboard.org interview/annotation was one of the most fun I've done. The Q&A is mostly nuts and bolts about how I actually wrote a book, while the annotation is for the craft nerds. 🤩 I think there's a lot in here for aspiring narrative nonfiction writers!

Such a great Q&A and annotation. Thank you for sharing this, Megan and Carly!

moments ago, ice agents again came out of the broadview detention/“professing” facility to escort a silver suv out of the lot.

one of the agents picked up and threw congressional candidate kat abughazaleh to the ground.

Megan Greenwell on holding out for the once-in-a-lifetime book idea - Nieman Storyboard The author of “Bad Company” reflects on the merits of waiting until she was seized by an obsession and couldn’t let go

At @niemanstoryboard.org, thrilled to feature a conversation + annotated book chapter from @greenwell.bsky.social's “Bad Company: Private Equity and the Death of the American Dream.” By Carly Stern.

niemanstoryboard.org/2025/09/19/m...

#booksky #longreads

Technology still demands a story - Nieman Storyboard Sam Wolson on finding the right medium for the right story. Plus: Terry Gross on 50 years of ‘Fresh Air’ and using narrative structure in interviews

My Friday newsletter for @niemanstoryboard.org: Interactive storytelling with @newyorker.com's Sam Wolson, plus @phillymag.com on 50 years of "Fresh Air," @tommytomlinson.bsky.social, @columjournreview.bsky.social, @transom.bsky.social

niemanstoryboard.org/2025/09/12/t...

#longreads #journalism

🚨... and we've got JOBS.🚨 We're hiring a senior producer and producers for this as-yet unnamed podcast. Come help me invent this thing! job-boards.greenhouse.io/propublica

Having trouble expressing the excitement I'm feeling, seeing a new Hanif Abdurraqib essay series at @longreads.com.

From reckoning to retreat: Journalism’s DEI efforts are in decline Diversity-related newsroom jobs haven't totally disappeared — but they also haven't stuck.

This story — which asks what happened to all of those newsroom DEI jobs, committees, and promises from 2020 — is the hardest one I've ever worked on. I hope you'll spend some time with it today.

www.niemanlab.org/2025/09/from...

The New Yorker's Sam Wolson on interactive storytelling about a mother and her trans teenager leaving the U.S. - Nieman Storyboard The Interactives Visual Features Editor discusses the intersection of VR, interactive design, documentary work, and reporting

For the @niemanstoryboard.org podcast, here's my conversation with Sam Wolson, the Interactives Visual Features Editor for @newyorker.com, who produced a moving interactive story about a mother and her trans teenager.

niemanstoryboard.org/2025/09/11/n...

#longreads #podcasts

The life of an author, on camera - Nieman Storyboard Jason Pargin's second career pivoting to video. Plus: tools for organizing your reporting, and a database for freelance rates

My Friday newsletter for @niemanstoryboard.org:

Featuring @jasonkpargin.bsky.social, @tromano.bsky.social, @christianelliott.me, @timherrera.bsky.social @rusty.todayintabs.com, @jiatolentino.bsky.social, @indiejournalists.bsky.social, @transjournalists.org

niemanstoryboard.org/2025/09/05/l...

Ok its ‘feed it off an aux, speak, grunt no strength, the ladder start to clatter with fear fight down height, wire in a fire representing seven games, a government for hire and a combat site’.

Thursday #Longreads We say what we saw.

Every time @rusty.todayintabs.com shares a #longread, my heart skips a beat.

todayintabs.com/p/thursday-longreads?_bhlid=c607bc4f9efffbe8b5af638e778e80ff9e5e7c47&last_resource_guid=Post%3Ad39726ab-9d73-4725-8315-8ed4f9f3ff90

The craft (and business) of TikTok storytelling, according to author Jason Pargin - Nieman Storyboard How the writer and former Cracked editor found his voice with short-form video

Today at @niemanstoryboard.org, @tromano.bsky.social sits down with @jasonkpargin.bsky.social about his TikTok storytelling evolution.

niemanstoryboard.org/2025/09/04/c...