Mark Armstrong named editor of Nieman Storyboard

Mark Armstrong, an accomplished producer, writer and founder of the acclaimed Longreads website, has been appointed the new editor of Nieman Storyboard, the Nieman Foundation’s online publication showcasing exceptional narrative journalism and nonfiction storytelling. Armstrong has been serving as Storyboard’s guest editor since early January.
 
In 2009, Armstrong created Longreads with just a Twitter account and hashtag to publish and share in-depth essays and narrative journalism in the digital age. The site drew millions of readers and podcast listeners, helped revolutionize how longform stories are distributed beyond print and won a National Magazine Award. Longreads was acquired by Automattic, the parent company of WordPress.com and Tumblr, in 2014. 
 
In 2022, he co-founded Ursa Story Company with authors Deesha Philyaw and Dawnie Walton. The podcasting organization produces audio and short-form videos that focus on storytelling from underrepresented voices. Its shows, “Ursa Short Fiction” and “Reckon True Stories,” ranked in Apple Podcasts’ Top 10 (Arts) and were featured in Vanity Fair and the Chicago Tribune, among other publications. 
 
At Nieman Storyboard, Armstrong plans to grow the publication’s audience, build community and explore the many new ways and new platforms where compelling stories are being told. 
 
“I’m thrilled to be joining Nieman Storyboard as editor,” said Armstrong. “For more than 15 years Storyboard has been an invaluable resource and community for journalism and narrative nonfiction — for me and so many others. I’m excited to continue the work of celebrating great storytelling and learning from each other.”
 
Nieman Foundation Curator Ann Marie Lipinski said: “We’re so fortunate to welcome Mark as Storyboard’s new editor. He has done extraordinary work discovering and exploring great narrative journalism and expanding its audience across platforms. We’re excited to have an editor of Mark’s stature join Nieman and advance our commitment to this important form of reporting and writing.”
 
Armstrong is also a musician. He holds a B.S. in journalism from California Polytechnic State University-San Luis Obispo.
 
Learn more about Armstrong and his work:

Mark Armstrong’s website
Bluesky: @markarms.bsky.social
Ursa Story Company
Mark Armstrong on Spotify