Beneath the Byline: Interview with Jenny Rough
Jenny Rough is a freelance writer and lawyer. She contributes articles and personal essays to The Washington Post and is a feature writer and legal correspondent for WORLD Magazine. She has also been featured in publications including Literary Mama. You can subscribe to her newsletter, Rough Draft, through this link: https://www.jennyrough.com/rough-draft/.
Your background: Was there a specific moment that made you realize you wanted to be a journalist? If not, how did you end up where you are? Why journalism and not some other type of writing?
I majored in Creative Writing and English Literature. In college, I thought of journalists as extroverted, high-energy people who could turn around stories super-fast. I pictured them in an open office workspace, chain-smoking and clacking on their noisy keyboards (I went to college in the early 90s, when open office concepts were not common, keyboards were loud, and smoking was allowed everywhere). I also imagined that a journalism job meant shoving a microphone into the faces of people who had just experienced a tragedy. None of that appealed. I wouldn't understand until years later that journalism is a broad field with many different branches. It has plenty of room for people like me: quiet, unhurried, and sensitive. Even to this day, I don't really think of myself as a journalist. I think of myself as a writer.
What are your favorite types of stories to tell?
Evergreen stories. That means stories that endure, the way pine trees stay green through all seasons. Not breaking news. As a former practicing lawyer, I also like a good legal story.
What story or stories are you the most proud of?
Almost every time I work on a big story, I catch myself thinking: This is my favorite! I love to learn and think deeply about the conflicts people face and how to navigate them. But if I had to pick, I'd say stories that contain a seed of eternity, meaning stories that incorporate a biblical truth.
What is your favorite story that you wanted to tell that didn’t get the greenlight or got killed?
Oh, gosh. I have a file full of those! Perhaps some of them will get told one day. One story I haven't quite been able to tell fully yet is how geography affects romantic relationships. I'm serious! Start paying attention to this, and you'll see it everywhere.
What have been some of the most challenging moments of your career?
A few answers here. Writing can be a satisfying job, but it's not a high-paying one. Also, as a writer, I have a vision for a story, but sometimes my editor has a different vision. This just happened to me recently on a story I've been thinking and praying about for two years. My editor came back with his idea after I turned in the first draft, but I felt like he'd only been thinking about it seriously for 48 hours. After balking a bit, I realized perhaps his approach was an answer to my prayers to tell that particular true story well. And I do think the editor and I found a solution that presented the story in a way that combined our ideas to give readers a better, fuller understanding of things. Finally, there are so many wonderful stories to write, but only so many hours in a day. It can be hard to let go of some of them, but you have to pick.
What writers and authors have influenced your work the most?
As far as influencing my work, I hope and pray the Bible helps me to write words full of truth and grace. I think I have almost every book by Elisabeth Elliot and Amy Carmichael. I love Susan Cain's book Quiet. I'm obsessed with walking and hiking, so I've enjoyed many of Annabel Abbs-Streets[LK1] 's books, as well as books by other walker-writers. Both Susan Cain and Annabel Abbs-Streets combine personal narrative with reporting, and I'd like to do more of that.
How have you seen journalism and/or the media change throughout your career? What further changes do you anticipate?
I started exclusively in print. Then podcasts hit the scene. The first time an editor asked me to do a radio story, I thought, No way! I'm a print gal! But it was a story about a chaplain who used music to help Alzheimer's patients, so it was well-suited to be an audio story. I agreed to give it a try. After that, I was hooked. Now the majority of my writing is for podcasts. I hope podcasts stick around for a while.
People consume more media than they ever have. How do you think this has changed the world?
I don't know. I would have to do some research before answering this question!
What is your advice for younger people interested in journalism?
Don't be afraid to pursue a different (or simultaneous) career. It will only enhance your journalism.
Part of journalism is paying attention and asking good questions. What are some daily habits or ways of being that promote paying attention and asking good questions?
Keep a notebook with daily entries to help you remember things, or think about things. In other words, write things down. When interviewing someone, you want to stay engaged in the conversation, but let the other person do most of the talking. And if there's an important question or one you really want an answer to, ask it three times.
What do you read (journalism and not)?
All sorts of things! It depends on the day. Right now, on August 24, 2025, I'm reading the Gospel of Mark and Swimming Studies by Leanne Shapton. I usually make a daily pass through headlines in The New York Times and The Wall Street Journal.
Interview conducted by Grace Mackey
