arrangement of events. The Nieman Program on Narrative Journalism, launched in 2001, aims to provide a center for the teaching, learning, and practice of narrative journalism. The Nieman Foundation defines narrative journalism as more than simply telling stories: it is a complex genre with multiple layers and contexts that, when done well, has the capacity to reform newspapers and make them essential and compelling. Broadly speaking, some critical elements of narrative journalism include the following: It contains accurate, well-researched information and is interesting to read. It looks at intriguing people, human emotions, and real situations. It provides the private story behind the public story. It reaches past the ordinary by blending the reportage of facts with the writing style of fiction. Mark Kramer, former director of the Nieman Program on Narrative Journalism, says it is “journalism that doesn’t assume the reader is a robot, that acknowledges the reader knows lots and feels and snickers and gets wild.” Kramer stresses the importance of voice. Readers have their coffee with the newspaper in the morning, he says. They want to understand and even identify with the news voice; but regular news reporting is anonymous and restrained, leaving the reader feeling lonely. When you have an audience made up of so many disparate sorts of people it seems noble to appeal to the lowest common denominator and just talk about the facts. But what happens is depersonalization of the news voice – narrative journalism aims to put the human voice back at the breakfast table. Kramer defines narrative journalism as writing that contains the following elements: Set scenes; Characters; Action that unfolds over time; Voice that has personality; A relationship with the audience; and Destination – a theme, a purpose, and a reason. Online narrative journalism One high-profile example of the effective use of narrative journalism online can be found in the Philadelphia Inquirers nonfiction serial "Black Hawk Down". The 1997 online newspaper series chronicled the American raid of Mogadishu and based their stories on interviews with the soldiers who fought in the battle. The story became part illustrated book, part documentary and part radio program and allowed readers to explore the story in depth. With the availability of free publishing online today, narrative journalism has become a popular form used by writers eager to give their personal perspectives on noteworthy events and public issues. Salon and Slate are two of the most