Jocelyn Foster Tatum
Narrative Journalist
Jocelyn Foster Tatum has been a literary journalist for nearly 20 years and practices narrative nonfiction, a type of journalism that applies the creative devices of fiction like characterization, scene-setting, dialogue and tension, yet all is factual through in-depth reporting methods. She believes the narrative arch structure is important in the news because it is more effective in getting readers to care about her topics. People's stories matter in connecting a community. Stories tell us something about ourselves and our place in the world, each a thread in the tapestry of life. For this reason, she believes stories dissolve concepts of "the other."
She was also a media literacy and news writing professor for over a decade and is currently a nonfiction editor, consultant, narrative strategist and mentor. She is about to embark on a new journey — she wants to take her craft out of the ivory tower and into the streets to hold story-healing circles and mentor others in writing their stories as a medium of self-discovery and self-advocacy. Her Instagram bio for @narrativenewscoach sums it up: "A healer of stories, a healer of people through stories."
