Introduction to Narrative Journalism

Reviewed by Charmayne Smalls Brown , Associate Professor of Practice, Virginia Tech on 7/30/25

Comprehensiveness rating: 5 see less

The Introduction to Narrative Journalism is well done. It is a highly comprehensive and thoughtfully structured resource. It covers all essential areas and ideas related to narrative journalism, also known as long-form or literary journalism. This book also includes a well-organized and effective glossary, as well as excellent examples that illustrate practical applications of concepts. This structure supports comprehension and navigation, which makes it a valuable tool for both students and practitioners.

Content Accuracy rating: 5

Author Benjamin Wielechowski does a great job presenting content that is accurate and error-free. He writes with a clear commitment to journalistic integrity. The information in this book is grounded in practices of journalism and literary storytelling. This book avoids biases by emphasizing ethical obligations to readers, sources, truth, and the profession. Wielechowski clearly explains the concepts, primary and secondary research, the five elements of fiction, and narrative structure, with real-world examples and student work. This book is an excellent and reliable contribution to academia.

Relevance/Longevity rating: 5

The content shared in this book is highly relevant and well-suited for journalism education. It reflects current practices in both traditional and digital storytelling, including a dedicated chapter on digital storytelling techniques. The core principles, which are included, are timeless and foundational. The modular structure of the chapters, along with the inclusion of digital concepts and storytelling, makes future updates to this book easy to implement and helps preserve its long-term usability.

Clarity rating: 5

The book is written in a clear, accessible prose that effectively communicates complex ideas without overwhelming the reader. Author Benjamin Wielechowski provides sufficient context and explanation for technical terms and journalism-specific jargon. He often reinforces definitions with easy-to-follow examples and references to real-world applications. Each chapter builds on the previous chapter and includes visual elements, which enhance understanding. This approach is less intimidating for beginners.

Consistency rating: 5

This book maintains a strong internal consistency in both terminology and instructional framework. Key concepts like character, setting, plot, theme, and point of view are introduced early and referenced consistently throughout. Author Benjamin Wielechowski uses a uniform structure across all chapters, each focusing on a core element of narrative journalism. This reinforces the pedagogical flow. Terminology is applied consistently, and when new terms are introduced, they are clearly defined and used in subsequent discussions, which helps reinforce students' understanding and comprehension.

Modularity rating: 5

This book is highly modular and ideal for flexible instruction. Each chapter is self-contained and emphasizes a specific aspect of narrative journalism, such as ethics, theme, character, and digital storytelling. It includes subheadings, examples, and exercises. This layout allows instructors to assign chapters independently or in any order without confusing students or disrupting understanding. The modular design also boosts its usefulness as both a primary textbook and a supplementary resource.

Organization/Structure/Flow rating: 5

The Introduction to Narrative Journalism is arranged in a clear and logical order that promotes step-by-step learning. The book starts with basic concepts, such as defining narrative journalism and discussing ethics, then moves on to specific storytelling elements like character, setting, plot, and theme. This order reflects how stories naturally develop and fits well with how students typically learn to write. The organized flow of topics helps students build on what they already know, making the book effective for teaching (and learning).

Interface rating: 5

This book has no major interface issues, is easy to navigate, and features a well-organized table of problems. Its contents are clearly labeled with chapter headings and subheadings. The images, charts, and student examples are properly placed, clear, and enhance the material. The layout is clean, sharp, and reader-friendly, making it simple to engage with the content.

Grammatical Errors rating: 5

This book is grammatically sound and professionally written. Author Benjamin Wielechowski demonstrates a strong command of language, with no noticeable errors in spelling, punctuation, or syntax. Sentence structures are clear and varied, making the book readable and engaging.

Cultural Relevance rating: 5

This book features a diverse group of student contributors, with names suggesting different ethnic, racial, and cultural backgrounds. The character sketches and narrative journalism examples include individuals from various backgrounds and life experiences. The language throughout this book is respectful and free from culturally insensitive or offensive language.

Reviewed by Timm Pilcher, Assistant Director of Professional and Career Development, Drake University on 11/21/22

Comprehensiveness rating: 5 see less

The text is comprehensive and includes extensive details on the elements of narrative journalism, which are the same as elements of fiction (plot, them, mood, character, setting). Each chapter contains one element and delves into the intricacies and nuances of the storytelling devices.

Content Accuracy rating: 5

It is not only accurate in its content, but also relevant to today’s narrative journalist insofar as it looks at the “new” medias (graphica, social media, digital storytelling platforms) and explains ways in which all of these can be used to enhance the narrative journalism format, thus increasing its relevance and longevity as much as can be increased in this ever-changing landscape.

Relevance/Longevity rating: 5

Like other texts of its type on the journalism field, it is current and relevant until it isn't.

Clarity rating: 5

As well, the book reads like a well-written novel, with easily-accessible prose and numerous “real-world” examples, presumably written by Wielechowski’s students, as he is a professor of narrative journalism and environmental science journalism at the University of Michigan – Dearborn. The text is consistent and broken down into nine easily readable chapters that focus not only on the subtleties of the form but include excellent student samples as well.

Consistency rating: 5

The text follows today's journalism vocabulary throughout, making it an easy read for the modern journalist.

Modularity rating: 5

The book contains nine chapters and 90 pages of well-crafted text highlighting the art of narrative journalism and distinguishing it from other fact-based types of journalistic writing, including straight news, scripting, graphica and digital storytelling.

Organization/Structure/Flow rating: 5

The chapters are consistent and cohesive in their linearity.

Interface rating: 5

Including the attached videos, the text is a delight to interact with.

Grammatical Errors rating: 5

As should be any text, but especially one in journalism, the text is free of grammatical and mechanical errors.

Cultural Relevance rating: 5

The book follows the journalistic traditions of objectivity and non-bias.

With excellent organization, and good structure and flow, the text also includes links to online versions of the anecdotes within and is free of any noticeable errors (as any journalism text should be!). By using narratives from contemporary America, Wielechowski’s Introduction to Narrative Journalism is a fundamental OER for any current high school or collegiate publications adviser.