I recently listened to the episode, Tips to Elevate Your Reporting and Storytelling from Ira Glass, from Rob Rosenthal’s continuously superlative Sound School podcast.
Ira Glass of This American Life is a master audio storyteller. He’s equally skillful at laying out the mechanics of creative storytelling and reporting, too. Rob unearthed a presentation Ira made back in 2001 at a radio conference that is signature Ira and brimming with incredibly helpful tips on writing, structure, reporting, and scoring. A good listen for audio
This conversation presents an in-depth masterclass on how to create engaging stories for audio journalism. It contrasts traditional public radio reporting—structured as logical arguments—with a method based on sequences of actions that build tension and curiosity. Glass outlines how stories told as “this happened, then this happened” are more magnetic to listeners than those framed as abstract issues or debates. He explains that what keeps people listening is their anticipation of where the narrative is going, even when the events themselves are mundane.
The conversation also offers practical guidance for working reporters and producers. It emphasizes incorporating surprises, writing scripts in a conversational tone, and designing scenes that include ambient sound and action. Glass shares examples from his own career, including covering a citywide flood and attending high school proms, to illustrate how humor, pacing, and structure influence storytelling. He encourages producers to practice techniques deliberately, collect moments that genuinely move them, and reflect on the meaning of events to create more satisfying stories. There is also discussion of editing, sourcing ideas, and formatting interviews for maximum impact.
I’ve always struggled with writing intros to record in post-production. By “struggle” I mean “avoided at all costs.” As I’ve been reimagining the Open + Curious podcast, I keep thinking that doing intros recorded in post are one of the improvements… and yet, even though I have an episode sitting in the can, for weeks . . . no intro. :^/
After listening to this episode—which is mostly a recording of Ira Glass giving a presentation 24 years ago—I’m thinking Glass’s storytelling map may be enough to get me going on scripting intros… This happened. Then this happened. Then this. Then they said, “…” and then I said “…” Simply laying out the action, they way I’d normally tell a story.
So obvious. So not a thing I’d have thought of on my own.
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PS: Show your work 
that’s what this Our Process space is for . . .