Journalism Professor Shari Okeke finalizes work on hit podcast series ‘The Plot Thickens’

Professor Shari Okeke was welcomed as a Journalism faculty member earlier this summer and has already accomplished much in the position. Alongside her role as an educator, Okeke recently started working as a story editor for the fourth season of the hit series, The Plot Thickens, a documentary-style podcast that delves into the world of Hollywood movies and the people who make them.

Shaping the narrative arc: the role of a seasoned story editor

The fourth season of The Plot Thickens recounts the trailblazing career of Pam Grier, an African-American woman who found A-list success in hit movies such as Jackie Brown, Foxy Brown and Coffy. Her journey, like many others, was rife with adversity and challenges not seen on screen. But her ability to persevere through such adversity and find joy is an integral part of her journey that lends itself to the truest form of the human experience.

As part of the production team that sifted through hours of rich dialogue between Pam Grier and host Ben Mankiewicz, Okeke’s role was to curate an informative, engaging and accurate story of Grier’s life.

“In my role as a story editor (one of two), I help our team shape the narrative arc of the podcast - figuring out how to tell this very compelling story of Pam Grier’s life,” stated Okeke. “We have hours and hours of recorded interviews, and the challenge, as always, is that we can’t include it all (even though we’d love to!) so we needed to figure out what absolutely needed to stay in the podcast.”

Every word matters

As a lifelong storyteller, Okeke explains how impactful words can be and to create a compelling story, emphasizing how the choice of words can dictate how a situation is framed 

“I love digging into the words we choose. Every word matters. For example, did a Hollywood producer “go to bat” for Pam or did he “insist on hiring” Pam?” remarked Okeke. “There’s a difference. Going to bat would suggest stepping in for her. You go to bat for people who can’t go to bat for themselves. Pam didn’t need a saviour. Her talent was in demand. The industry needed her. As one of the editors on this team, I love keeping an eye out for the words we choose - and flagging when maybe we need to have a discussion about how something is framed.“

Working as the story editor for the series was somewhat of a full-circle moment for Okeke. As a Black journalist herself, this story in particular really resonates. 

“Before working on this podcast, I only knew her [Pam Grier] as Jackie Brown. I thought that was so impressive, seeing her in that lead role in the late 90s when I was at the very beginning of my journalism career,” she said. “As a young Black journalist who dreamed of being a TV reporter, it meant a lot to see her on the big screen in a lead role.” 

Inspiring a generation of storytellers

Okeke has been a journalist for 25 years, and in that time, she’s worked as a TV news reporter, radio feature reporter and web writer for renowned news agencies. In 2018, she pitched and created the award-winning CBC podcast for teens called Mic Drop, which was later picked up by the US media agency PRX. When she left CBC to join TMU earlier this year, she was the senior producer of the network’s radio documentary program, The Doc Project.

With a journalism career spanning nearly three decades, Okeke has found considerable success, building a reputation founded in journalistic professionalism and integrity. This fall, she began teaching JRN801: Advanced Podcasting and Radio Documentary (opens in new window)  at the School of Journalism with a keen vision to inspire her students to develop their storytelling abilities.

In her capacity as an educator, Okeke is adamant that her students gain the skills necessary to become professional storytellers in their own way. Acknowledging that each student will take their own professional path, she hopes to teach them skills that are interdisciplinary.

“I’m teaching students a professional production workflow - the steps I’ve taken and still take when producing and/or story editing a documentary or podcast episode,” commented Okeke. “My hope is that they will be prepared to take on roles on production teams with confidence. Even if they choose to pursue a different path, I want them to leave my class having a solid grasp of how to pitch a story idea and sharpen the focus of a story because these are skills that are extremely valuable.”

Interested in learning more about Shari Okeke and her work on the newest season of The Plot Thickens? Read her full bio (opens in new window)  and stream the first episode of The Plot Thickens featuring Pam Grier (external link, opens in new window)  today.

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