CJF Black Journalism Fellows announced

Press Release

TORONTO, May 12, 2026 – The Canadian Journalism Foundation (CJF) is proud to announce this year’s five recipients of the 2026-27 CJF Black Journalism Fellowships in partnership with CBC/Radio-Canada, CTV News, The Globe and Mail, and the Investigative Journalism Bureau (IJB). The five are Nathan Abraha, Zachary Gaouad, Myron Mayne, Joy SpearChief Morris and Danielle Reid.

The fellowship program aims to amplify Black voices, improve coverage of Black issues in the news and cultivate future Black media leaders. Each fellowship provides a unique opportunity for an early-career Black journalist–with one-to-five years’ experience–to be hosted for six months at CBC/Radio-Canada (English and French), The Globe and Mail, a CTV News newsroom or at the IJB, housed at the University of Toronto’s Dalla Lana School of Public Health Sciences.

The Fellowship recipients are:

Nathan Abraha, a Toronto-based journalist covering culture, arts and politics, whose latest project, Beles Magazine, focuses on connecting the Eritrean diaspora to its cultural roots, is the CJF-CBC Black Journalism Fellow;
Zachary Gaouad, a Canadian, Mauritanian and French writer and journalist with an interest in digital and literary culture, is the CJF-IJB Black Journalism Fellowship;
Myron Mayne ,a journalist with experience in digital storytelling and content production is the CJF-CTV News Black Journalism Fellow;
Danielle Reid, a freelance journalist, researcher and editor who graduated from Toronto Metropolitan University’s School of Journalism in 2024, is the CJF-CBC/Radio-Canada Black Women’s Journalism Fellow; and
Joy SpearChief Morris, an Indigenous Black Canadian journalist and former Canadian national team hurdler, with bylines in The Globe and Mail, Toronto Star, The Narwhal, The Walrus, CBC and Sportsnet, is the CJF-Globe and Mail Black Business Journalism Fellow.

“These fellowships recognize promising journalists whose work is helping broaden perspectives and strengthen coverage of all communities across Canada,” says jury chair and CJF vice-chair Desmond Brown. “This year’s fellows bring a remarkable range of experiences, interests and storytelling approaches to their work, and we are proud to support them as they continue to build their careers in journalism.”

The five fellows will receive mentoring and training for a variety of skills, including video and audio editing, writing, research and investigative reporting. The CBC fellowships are offered in English or French.

Each fellow will receive a competitive full-time stipend and will write, produce or contribute to an article/series during their fellowship opportunity that will be considered for publication/broadcast by the media partner organizations.

The recipients will be recognized at the sold-out CJF Awards ceremony on June 10 at the Fairmont Royal York. For more information, see contact details below or visit the CJF Awards page.

Thanks to the generous support of our sponsors:

Aritzia: CJF-CBC/Radio-Canada Black Women’s Journalism Fellowship;
BMO Financial Group: CJF-CTV News Black Journalism Fellowship;
Canada Life: CJF-The Globe and Mail Black Business Journalism Fellowship; and
Unifor and North Horizon: CJF-IJB Black Investigative Journalism Fellowship.

The CJF Black Journalism Fellowship jury members are:

Desmond Brown (chair), RE/MAX real estate agent, Life In The 6ix and former reporter at CTV, National Post, Toronto Star;
Rob Cribb, investigative journalist, Toronto Star, and founder and director, The Investigative Journalism Bureau at the University of Toronto’s Dalla Lana School of Public Health;
Nathan Downer, CTV News Toronto anchor;
Sophia Skopelitis, director, content creator talent and people resources, BellMedia;
Melissa Stasiuk, head of newsroom development, The Globe and Mail;
David Thurton, senior parliamentary reporter, CBC; and
Tina Verma, inclusion strategy lead for CBC News.

CIBC is the presenting sponsor of the 2026 CJF Awards.

The 2026 CJF Awards are supported by Google News Initiative, Rogers, Aritzia, BMO Financial Group, Canada Life, Sobeys, TD Bank Group, Intact, CBC/Radio-Canada, Canadian Medical Association, McCain Foods, RBC, Scotiabank, FGS Longview, KPMG, WSP, Canadian Bankers Association, Aga Khan Development Network, AI Safety Foundation, Barry and Laurie Green, CIGI, Canada’s National Observer, CPPIB, Definity Insurance, Fidelity Investments, The Globe and Mail, Loblaw Companies Ltd., Maple Leaf Foods, McDonald’s Canada, The New York Times, OLG, OMERS, Ontario Securities Commission, Real Content Networks, Rishi Nolan Strategies, TD Securities, Uber, Village Media, Weber Shandwick and Zai Mamdani/Mamdani Family Foundation.

Cision is the exclusive distribution partner of the CJF.

About the Canadian Journalism Foundation

Established in 1990, The Canadian Journalism Foundation promotes, celebrates and facilitates excellence in journalism. The foundation runs a prestigious annual awards and fellowship program featuring an industry gala where news leaders, journalists and corporate Canada gather to celebrate outstanding journalistic achievement and the value of professional journalism. Through monthly J-Talks, a public speakers’ series, the CJF facilitates dialogue among journalists, businesspeople, academics and students about the role of the media in Canadian society and the ongoing challenges for media in the digital era. The foundation also fosters opportunities for journalism education, training and research.

For more information please contact Natalie Turvey, nturvey@cjf-fjc.ca.

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