Thomas French

Thomas French serves as the Riley Endowed Chair in Journalism and Professor of Practice at The Media School, Indiana University, where he teaches narrative reporting, project reporting, and police/courts coverage. His pedagogical impact is evidenced by students winning seven Hearst writing championships—more than any other journalism program nationally.

His academic foundation includes a journalism degree from Indiana University’s Bloomington campus, where he was a Poynter scholar and editor-in-chief of the Indiana Daily Student, earning a Hearst award for a profile on a State Fair hog.

French pioneered serial narrative journalism through 27 years at the St. Petersburg Times, specializing in immersive storytelling for both breaking news and book-length projects. His work interrogates human vulnerability in crisis—from criminal investigations to medical emergencies—with signature techniques in deadline narrative construction and character-driven nonfiction. This approach bridges journalistic rigor with literary depth, influencing contemporary narrative nonfiction pedagogy.

His publications reveal a trajectory from true crime (Angels & Demons) to health journalism (Juniper), consistently prioritizing moral complexity and systemic analysis within deeply personal frameworks. This evolution underscores his commitment to expanding journalism’s emotional and structural boundaries.

Notable honors include:

• Pulitzer Prize (1998) for Angels & Demons
• Sigma Delta Chi award
• Distinguished Alumni Award from IU’s School of Journalism
• Induction into Indiana’s Journalism Hall of Fame
• Gretchen A. Kemp teaching award

Mentorship defines his academic legacy: students under his guidance dominate Hearst competitions through mastery of narrative structure and investigative depth. His global workshops—from Harvard’s Nieman conference to newsrooms in Dubai and Johannesburg—disseminate methodology for transforming complex realities into compelling public narratives. French also co-founded IU’s High School Journalism Institute, extending his pedagogical influence to pre-collegiate journalists.

As co-author of Juniper with journalist-wife Kelley Benham French, he continues exploring medical trauma narratives while leading narrative workshops internationally and advising on trauma-informed reporting practices.