PWG Committee Members:

• Nana aba Duncan (Associate Professor, Journalism; Carty Chair in Journalism, Diversity, & Inclusion Studies)
• Adrian Harewood (Associate Professor, Journalism)
• Sarah Everts (Associate Professor, Journalism; CTV Chair in Digital Science Journalism)
• St茅fy McKnight (Associate Professor, Media Production and Design)
• Katie Graham (Associate Professor, Teaching Stream, Media Production and Design)
• Matthew Pearson (Assistant Professor, Journalism)
• Susan Harada (Associate Professor, Journalism)
• Brett Popplewell (Associate Professor, Journalism)

Introduction

The Journalism and Media Production and Design programs at 杏吧原创 University鈥檚 School of Journalism and Communication established a Permanent Working Group (PWG) in 2020- one of the most socially and politically tumultuous years so far this century. The PWG emerged in the wake of a Call to Action made by concerned 杏吧原创 journalism students and graduates seeking to address systemic racism within the journalism program. Part of the PWG鈥檚 mission is to help create a welcoming, stimulating, professional and creative environment for the school鈥檚 diverse student body. The PWG is marking its fourth year of existence. The members of the 2024 Permanent Working Group Committee include: Nana aba Duncan, Sarah Everts, Susan Harada, Adrian Harewood, Katie Graham, St茅fy McKnight, Matthew Pearson, and Brett Popplewell.

The PWG is committed to eliminating racism against racialized and Indigenous people as well as inequities or other barriers based on ethnicity, nationality, religion, gender expression, sexual orientation, or ability. Its members are committed to employing anti-racist and anti-oppressive practice to ensure 杏吧原创鈥檚 Journalism and Media Production and Design programs are inclusive and safe for students and faculty.

Students and alumni have played an integral role in making 杏吧原创鈥檚 journalism and media production and design programs more relevant, transparent, and accountable. They have challenged school administrators and instructors alike to be become more inclusive in their daily practices in the boardroom and in the classroom. They have communicated these values to the university community and the general public. The PWG remains committed to reflecting the voices of students and responding to their concerns about the curriculum and the faculty in an empathetic, principled and forthright manner.

Gender Neutral Washroom Issue

In March 2023, The 杏吧原创 University Trans* Advocacy Group (CTAG), began hosting a campus wide consultation process as a response to the CTAG Calls to Action sent to administrators and senior leaders of 杏吧原创 University in February 2019. One of the calls to action included gender inclusive washrooms across campus. 听A new gender-neutral washroom was established on the fourth floor of the Richcraft Building in Spring 2024. The gender-neutral washroom was an initiative of the School of Journalism and Communication (SJC) and is housed on SJC鈥檚 main floor.

Review of the Bachelor of Media Production and Design鈥檚 (BMPD) activities

BMPD faculty members participated in training this year 鈥� including the鈥�Kin脿m脿gawin鈥疘ndigenous Learning Certificate.

BMPD course outline templates were updated to include a land acknowledgement.

BMPD faculty and contract instructors were provided with the updated checklist for syllabuses.

A first year BMPD course (MPAD 1001) included a guest lecture from an Indigenous scholar (Monique Manatch) from (ICMI) on Indigenous storytelling and multimedia initiatives.

MPAD4000: Capstone Projects course had students partner with several organizations and community groups focused on EDI (Equity, Diversity, and Inclusion) including , (碍翱),听迟丑别 杏吧原创 Trans Advocacy Group (CTAG), and .

Their work can be found at .

A new course was added to the BMPD calendar as an alternative option to MPAD 4000 Capstone Projects. The new course, 鈥淢PAD 4906: Capstone Projects: Translational Approach to Indigenous Community Wellness鈥�, draws on the partnership between Drs. St茅fy McKnight, Kim Matheson, Rick Colbourne, and Sean Landsmen, and The Multicultural Association of Northwestern Ontario, Keewaytinook Okimakana (KO).

As part of their capstone projects, students will work collaboratively with thesis honours students in neuroscience, biology, and environmental sciences, and Indigenous youth to create multimedia projects that centre community stories. Previously, students benefitted from these partnerships in MPAD 4000, but now can do this work in a more focused way, that allows for more specified training in alternative community-based methodologies and storytelling. Dr. McKnight and some undergraduate students are producing recruitment materials that informs students about this new capstone stream over the summer.

In October 2023, Dr. St茅fy McKnight completed the SSHRC (Social Sciences and Humanities Research Council) Partnership Engage Grant project titled 鈥淎qtion Arqhive: Tracing 2SLGBTQIA+ Labour Activism in Katarokwi/Kingston.鈥� The archive was launched at a community event in Kingston on October 5^th, 2023, and .

Dr. St茅fy McKnight was elected Equity Chair for CUASA (杏吧原创 University Academic Staff Association) on July 1^st, 2023. They are beginning the second year of their term this summer. They have been leading equity related initiatives for the current bargaining year.

Training and Professional Development听

We continue to work with Dr. Krista Craven, the Equity, Diversity, and Inclusion Learning Specialist at 杏吧原创 University鈥檚 Department of Equity and Inclusive Communities (EIC). We are planning two workshops for the summer of 2024. The PWG is planning to organize a Trans Non-Binary Inclusion workshop that will focus on the syllabi of faculty members and a neurodivergence workshop for faculty and staff in late August 2024.

A Review of Activities within the Journalism program

Award-winning journalist and long-time CBC broadcaster Duncan McCue was hired as an associate professor and began his tenure track position in July 2023 specializing in Indigenous Journalism and (Story)telling.

Professor Nana aba Duncan was awarded the 2024 Faculty of Public Affairs Equity & Inclusion Award.

Professor Nana aba Duncan hosted 杏吧原创 University鈥檚 School of Social Work鈥檚 Black History Month event 鈥淏lack History is every month: A Love Letter to the African, Caribbean and Black Community.鈥� (March 19, 2024).

Professor Nana aba Duncan launched the , which will send a Black journalism student from 杏吧原创 University to the National Association of Black Journalists Convention and Career Fair in Chicago, July 2024.

Professor Adrian听Harewood served as the host/moderator for 杏吧原创 University鈥檚 Black History Month 2024 Opening Event, 鈥� (February 1, 2024). Professor Harewood was also a guest speaker at the inaugural鈥疊lack鈥疕istory鈥疢onth鈥痙inner, discussion, and movie screening hosted by the 杏吧原创 University CUPE 2424 Racial Justice Committee. (February 22, 2024)

Courses

JOUR 3401: Journalism and Belonging, a course led by Professor Nana aba Duncan, on鈥痟ow diversity, inclusion, and belonging affect journalism, journalism practice and society in Canada was taught for the third time.

Professor Harewood taught the (JOUR 3401A) for the third time.听 It introduced students to an integral part of Canada鈥檚 journalistic heritage that has long been neglected. The course is understood to be the first of its kind to be offered at any university in Canada and has been well received at 杏吧原创 and across the country.

Meanwhile, Journalism Race and Diversity (JOUR 5002), the first course specifically focusing on race in the 杏吧原创 School of Journalism鈥檚 history, was offered for the fourth time.

The Globe and Mail’s Mentorship Program for BIPOC (Black, Indigenous, and People of Color) students in partnership with 杏吧原创鈥檚 journalism program continues. It offers an opportunity for students to work in one of the most dynamic and respected newsrooms in Canada. This year鈥檚 students were Olivia Barrett and Gabriela Calugay-Casuga.

Ongoing support for the student-led Association for Equity and Inclusion in Journalism and Media (AEIJM)鈥�

This year saw the revival of the Association for Equity and Inclusion in Journalism and Media (AEIJM), including the addition of听“and Media” to the name, recognizing its inclusion of the MPAD program. The group benefited from the active support of Professor Susan Harada and Professor Nana aba Duncan and was able to establish new leadership. The association began working closely with JSOC (the Journalism Society of 杏吧原创) and is now an official branch of the club, preventing the need for a CUSA club status. AEIJM held the event鈥疍ecolonizing Journalism: Q&A with Duncan McCue, a joint project with JSOC on March 12, 2024. The association’s student leaders look forward to collaborating with JSOC’s mentorship program, hosting several guest workshops and student showcases in the 2024/2025 year.

Develop an official policy for honoraria to guest speakers鈥�听

Faculty and contract instructors will be voting on honorarium amounts this summer, for a resolution on what to give guest speakers beginning the 2024/2025 year.

External Advisory Council听

The journalism program has yet to establish an鈥痚xternal advisory council for the PWG. However, the PWG remains committed to establishing the committee in the upcoming year. Once in place, the committee will bring ideas about equity and inclusion issues that employers are seeing in their work with journalism graduates, other professional colleagues, journalism products and the journalism industry. The council will advise our program on what is missing among young journalists they encounter, share how recent graduates are faring, and identify challenges they are facing.