Major: Economics, with a concentration in narrative journalism
It was the appeal of mixing storytelling with journalism that drew Marcus Nowling ’23 to the narrative journalism concentration. An economics major, Marcus is exploring a path to combine his economics major with narrative journalism to give a voice to those facing economic hardships. This summer, he will take part in a six-week program under the direction of Jack Shuler, chair of the concentration in narrative journalism, to bring awareness to the struggles facing families living in poverty.
How did you come to the narrative journalism concentration?
I wanted to focus my economics major. I was introduced to this style of writing in my Writing 101 course, which focused on human rights and asked students to produce in-depth, fact-based reports. I also took literary nonfiction, in which we learn about immersion writing. That kind of writing allows us to immerse ourselves in a new experience, pay attention to detail, and learn techniques to draw the audience into that same setting.
Tell us about the project you’ll be researching this summer in Columbus.
I grew up in a neighborhood that was sandwiched between two economic extremes, poverty and affluence. This summer, I’ll report on the impact COVID-19 has had—and is having—on marginalized communities, bringing light to people’s experiences. I’ll also be meeting with local activists, reporters, nonprofits, and political officials who deal with different systems that affect these communities. Before coming to college, I assumed I needed to be a policymaker or an activist to influence issues, but I was introduced to long-form writing to bring awareness to issues. That sparked my interest, and I knew I needed to pursue it.