Madeleine Baran did not begin her journalism career knowing exactly where she wanted to go. Today, she is known for her investigative reporting and her work on the podcast In the Dark, but her path to becoming an established journalist involved uncertainty, experience and a willingness to keep learning. Her career demonstrates how traditional reporting skills can develop into powerful long-form storytelling that examines important issues and holds institutions accountable.
Baran explained during a class visit that her early career was not a straight path saying I wasn’t sure that I wanted to be a journalist, and I was kinda going back and forth. She attended graduate school for journalism but eventually left the field before returning to it. She later accepted a part-time position as an online reporter in the Minnesota Public Radio newsroom, initially planning to freelance on the side. Instead, she began focusing on long-form investigative stories for the station’s website.
That decision helped shape her future. Baran eventually became an investigative reporter, joining a national investigative reporting and documentary unit created by the company. She then worked with her colleague Samara Freemark to develop In the Dark, a podcast that would become a major part of her career.
Baran said she and Freemark originally pitched the project as a single story. However, when choosing a name, they intentionally selected something broad enough to accommodate future investigations. She explained that they wanted “a name that would work for more than one story.” Their decision left room for the podcast to grow beyond its original concept.
Unlike podcasts that release frequent episodes based on interviews and current events, In the Dark requires extensive research and reporting. Baran explained that her team sometimes spends years investigating a single story. She described story selection as the most difficult part of the process because the team must identify an issue important enough to justify that commitment.
“We’re trying to do is find a story that’s primarily investigative,” Baran said, explaining that these investigations often examine powerful people or institutions potentially harming others. The team also considers whether a story can sustain a serialized audio format rather than work better as a single documentary.
One of the podcast’s most notable investigations examined the case of Curtis Flowers, a Mississippi man who was tried six times for the same crime. Baran and her team investigated concerns about prosecutorial misconduct and the evidence against Flowers. Before committing to the project, they spent months reviewing all six trial transcripts and examining the strongest evidence against him.
Baran explained that the team needed to determine whether the case raised meaningful questions beyond technical legal issues. Their reporting ultimately examined the weaknesses in the case and the circumstances surrounding Flowers’ repeated trials. The investigation demonstrated how persistent journalism can bring attention to questions about the justice system.
Her reporting process also depends on learning how to interview people effectively. Baran said confidence often develops through repetition, recalling an early internship with the New York Daily News. She conducted dozens of man-on-the-street interviews, which helped her become more comfortable approaching strangers and asking questions.
She encouraged aspiring journalists to practice their craft rather than wait until they feel completely prepared. “Journalism is more of a skilled trade in that way, where it’s like you just get better by doing it,” she said.
Baran’s approach also emphasizes curiosity over personal agendas. She explained that journalists should focus on understanding how people think instead of entering interviews determined to prove someone wrong. That mindset allows reporters to gather information that might challenge their initial assumptions.
Ultimately, Baran’s career shows that investigative journalism requires patience, confidence and a commitment to following the facts. Her work on In the Dark illustrates how years of research, careful interviewing and thoughtful storytelling can turn complicated cases into accessible narratives. For aspiring journalists, her experience is a reminder that strong reporting begins with asking questions, developing story ideas and remaining open to what the evidence reveals.
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