The guide

See it in action

The Reynolds Journalism Institute and WORDSLAW partnered together to create this guide. Part of our process was to stress test the guide by working with newsrooms who were interested in creating this type of storytelling event in their city. After an application process we decided to work with The Baltimore Banner, Arizona Public Media, and Tucson Spotlight. Each event that took place received $5,000 to make the event a reality. The experiences and questions that these journalists had informed and refined the guide.

Storytellers and audience members applaud together at the Baltimore event, several holding printed scripts.
Storytellers applaud at the Baltimore Banner storytelling event. Photo credit: Baltimore Banner

The Baltimore Banner

Date: Sept 3, 2026

Venue: 2640 Space

This venue is a collectively operated event space that prioritizes community focused events. 2640 Space is in the Charles Village neighborhood of Baltimore and provides an ADA accessible entrance at the side of the building. This venue does not have AC, which is a need during warmer weather especially for disabled communities.

Theme: Perseverance

Attendance: About 60 attendees

Storytellers: The Banner had seven storytellers. The stories ranged from experiences at work, school, and navigating their own disability.

Panel questions: Three storytellers and an advocate with a disability participate in the panel. The Banner wanted the panel to be both about the stories told and about media representation of this community. Here are some of the questions asked.

  • What did you think about the theme perseverance when you heard it for the first time? Did your idea of perseverance change while you were creating your stories?
  • What was it like working with journalists to create your stories?
  • What did you learn about storytelling?
  • Why is it important for you to share your own story?
  • Do you remember watching or reading the news earlier in your life? What stories did you like to see?
  • What kinds of stories do you wish you saw more of in the news?
  • If you were in the news, what would you want it to be for?
  • What do people often get wrong about you or other people with disabilities?
  • What advice do you have for reporters who want to write about people with disabilities?
  • A storyteller in a power wheelchair speaks into a microphone while the audience listens.
  • The audience seated in rows inside 2640 Space, a tall hall with arched windows.
  • The printed Perseverance program, showing the event date and venue on a green and orange cover.
  • A Perseverance poster on an easel beside the venue's side entrance.

Arizona Public Media / Tucson Spotlight

These news organizations partnered together to host their event.

Date: Aug 29, 2026

Venue: Baker Center for Public Media

Arizona Public Media had a space in their newsroom that was used for this event.

Theme: Brave

Attendance: 120 attendees

Storytellers: Four storytellers shared stories on moments in their lives when they felt brave. This included preparing for surgery and grief after the loss of a father. The storytellers were all a part of Taglit B’yachad, the Tucson Jewish Community Center's day program, which the newsrooms partnered with.

Panel: The Tucson event had four storytellers on the panel. The questions asked about the experience of telling their stories. Here are the questions they asked:

  • Tell us a bit about yourself, talk about what you like to do at the day program
  • Why did you decide to participate in this event? What excited you about sharing your story with people?
  • What did you learn in this process? Did you learn anything about yourself?
  • What has been the most fun part of all this?
  • What was the most challenging?
  • What do you hope people learn from hearing your story?
  • The panel seated on stage, with the storytellers' names projected on a screen behind them.
  • Two people stand behind a table of printed materials and artwork at the Tucson event.
  • Paintings and drawings by artists with IDD laid out together.
  • A storyteller sits smiling while a videographer films her during a workshop.