In a time when so much of our news is limited to 280-character Tweets and TikTok clips, long-form journalism is more vital than ever. These pieces offer a level of depth and complexity that short-form rarely delivers. The most remarkable long-form stories can ignite your passion for a topic you had zero interest in — don’t ask me how long I spent completely absorbed in an article about Fisher-Price rockers being recalled. That’s the magic of great storytelling — it pulls you in and doesn’t let go.
As a long-read aficionado, I’ve probably read hundreds of these in-depth pieces. I adore both writing and consuming journalism, and long-form is the most addictive. I’ve compiled, with much difficulty, my 10 favorite long-form pieces, from true crime to medical mysteries.
- The Itch by Atul Gawande
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Everyone gets an itch from time to time. But what if it never went away? Atul Gawande tells the story of a woman in The New Yorker who faced exactly that. After a bout of shingles came and went, she was left with a strange, persistent itch on her scalp that never faded. This is definitely one of the articles that’s stuck with me the most — I literally think about it every time I get an itch anywhere on my body. It’s a fascinating deep dive into a medical mystery with no real resolution.
- The Landlord & the Tenant by Raquel Rutledge, Milwaukee Journal Sentinel, and Ken Armstrong
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Many long-read journalism pieces focus on true crime — murders, heists, scams — but The Landlord & the Tenant takes a slightly different approach to investigating a tragedy. It follows, in parallel, a corrupt landlord whose properties have been repeatedly flagged for safety hazards and a young mother who moves into one of his homes with her children. This piece is a masterclass in building suspense and tension.
- FRAMED: She was the PTA mom everyone knew. Who would want to harm her? by Christopher Goffard
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Goffard’s write-up is probably the most purely entertaining article on my list. No, it doesn’t deal with horrific murders or grisly true crime. Instead, it dives into a scandal almost too melodramatic to be real — suburban moms, personal vendettas, and planted drugs in Irvine, California. Told in six parts, the story unfolds like reality TV. I was gripped from start to finish. Don’t be intimidated by its length — every second spent reading is worth it.
- Fatal Distraction: Forgetting a Child in the Backseat of a Car Is a Horrifying Mistake. Is It a Crime? by Gene Weingarten
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Fatal Distraction is the article that’s sparked the most intense debates I’ve ever had. It’s easy to judge stories about parents who accidentally leave their children in hot cars, but this piece completely changed my perspective. It dives deep into the psychology and science behind this tragic phenomenon, showing how even the most loving, attentive parents can make the worst mistake of their lives. It’s as fascinating as it is devastating — and the article got me fully hooked on the power of long-form journalism.
- A Teen’s Fatal Plunge Into the London Underworld by Patrick Radden Keefe
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What could drive a seemingly normal 19-year-old in London to leap to his death into the Thames from an apartment balcony? Keefe unpacks the tangled world of con artists, cryptocurrency, and gangsters that led Zac Brettler’s life to spiral out of control. Part Catch Me If You Can, part heartbreaking tragedy, this piece is nearly impossible to put down.
- Angels & Demons by Thomas French
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This is another incredibly long deep-dive — this time into the murders of Joan Rogers and her two daughters, Michelle and Christie, in Tampa Bay. It covers everything: the victims’ lives, the crime itself, the investigation that went cold, and the eventual arrest and trial. French won the 1998 Pulitzer Prize for Feature Writing for this piece — and when you read it, it’s clear why. The writing is both evocative and devastating.
- Her trans daughter made the volleyball team. Then an armed officer showed up. by Casey Parks
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Anyone with access to social media has undoubtedly seen conversations about the inclusion of transgender athletes in sports. In today’s political climate, there’s no piece more important to read than Parks’ write-up of a transgender teenage girl and her mother in Florida. It’s a frustrating and heartbreaking story — impossible to get through without clenching your fists. Parks offers an unflinching look at the human cost of banning transgender athletes from competing.
- Animals: The Horrific True Story of the Zanesville Zoo Massacre by Chris Jones
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Animals is a deceptive piece. On the surface, a story about exotic animals being released from an Ohio zoo might not seem all that compelling. But this piece is harrowing and absolutely insane. It follows the police force on duty as they’re forced to wrangle 50-some lions, tigers, bears, monkeys, horses… after the animals’ owner sets them loose and then takes his own life. It’s so rich with detail that I felt like I was right there with the cops, trying to handle the animals and manage the chaos.
- Meet the queen of the ‘trad wives’ (and her eight children) by Megan Agnew
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“Trad wives” have definitely been trending on social media over the past year, with influencers like Nara Smith and Ballerina Farms gaining massive followings. Agnew spends time with the latter, observing how Hannah Neeleman — the family’s matriarch — interacts with her children and husband. As someone who’s spent time falling down the trad-wife rabbit hole, I found this piece completely addicting. I doubt I’ll ever watch Nara Smith’s videos the same way again.
- When Your Child Is a Psychopath by Barbara Bradley Hagerty
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Can a preteen be officially diagnosed as a psychopath? What does psychopathy look like in children? As someone who’s worked with kids, I’d be lying if I said those questions never crossed my mind. Kidding! (Mostly.) Still, Hagerty’s piece is captivating. It follows the family of an 11-year-old girl who’s been unofficially recognized as a psychopath and explores the various treatments available for what’s often seen as a “terminal” diagnosis in children.
Long-form journalism can cover just about any topic imaginable — if you can think of it, chances are an author has spent months digging into it and thousands of words bringing it to life. My favorites are a mix of pieces that changed how I see the world and ones that simply entertained me. Hopefully, at least one of these sparked your interest — in both the story itself and the art of long-form journalism.