CAJ Spring 2024 mentorship program matches 67 journalists with mentors

Press Release

TORONTO, ON, Apr. 5 2024 – The Canadian Association of Journalists (CAJ) is pleased to announce 67 early and mid-career journalists have been successfully matched with mentors as part of the tenth round of its semi-annual mentorship program.

“It is incredible to witness the continued growth of our mentorship program since it began in those early dark days of the pandemic,” said Brent Jolly, CAJ president. “The demand for professional guidance and sharing of practical experiences is a time-honoured tradition in the world of journalism. Our mentorship program is an exceptional opportunity for members of the association to work collaboratively with each other, share knowledge, and to develop invaluable professional skills.”

Throughout the spring and early summer, mentees will be working with mentors from across the country, mediums, and platforms. Mentors had the option to select mentees for a full six-week individual or group mentorship, or have a one-hour conversation. This allowed flexibility for mentors’ busy schedules, and allowed for more young and mid-career journalists to participate in this round of the program.

The CAJ received a total of 103 applications for this round of the mentorship program. As a competitive program, applications were first evaluated by a panel of committee members and then shared with individual mentors. Mentors, then, made the final determination about which mentees they would work with.

The mentorship matches for this round are:

• Kristin Annable – Reporter, CBC News Investigative Unit
  • Anaïs Elboujdaini – Student, University of Ottawa
  • Nicholas Frew – Reporter/data journalist, CBC Edmonton

• Michael Armstrong – National Reporter, Global News Montreal
  • Robert Lothian – Video journalist, Global News Peterborough

• Ian Bailey – Reporter, Ottawa Bureau, The Globe and Mail
  • Amir Said – Journalist, Great West Media
  • Jenna Head – Multimedia journalist, St. John’s Telegram
  • Lys Morton – Community journalist, Discourse Community Publishing

• Denise Balkissoon – Ontario Bureau Chief, The Narwhal
  • Noushin Ziafati – Journalist, CTV News

• Alex Ballingall – Reporter, Parliament Hill Bureau, Toronto Star
  • Natasha Baldin – Student, Carleton University
  • Stuart Bonell – Current affairs reporter, Northern Native Broadcasting Yukon (CHON-FM Indigenous Radio)
  • Andrew Roberts – Student, Toronto Metropolitan University

• andrea bennett – Writer & Senior Editor, The Tyee
  • Jackie Dives – Freelance photojournalist

• Rhonda Brown – News Director, Global News Halifax
  • Said Najib Asil – Freelance journalist
  • Yalda Sarwar – Student, Carleton University
  • Rachel Ward – Producer, CBC

• Christopher Cheung – Reporter, The Tyee
  • Annicca Albano – Student, Humber College
  • Liam Newbigging – Student, MacEwan University

• Mike Crawley – Reporter, Queen’s Park Bureau, CBC News
  • Bill Atwood – Reporter, Woolwich Observer
  • Seth Forward – Journalist, Black Press Media

• Karissa Donkin – Investigative Journalist, CBC News
  • Michelle Allan – Reporter, CBC Thunder Bay
  • Cassidy McMackon – Student, Queen’s University
  • Oliver Pearson – Student, St. Thomas University

• Tom Fennario – Investigative Journalist, APTN
  • Ali Abbas Ahmadi – Journalist, BBC News
  • Audrey Chan – Student, University of King’s College
  • Déborah St-Victor – Student, University of Montreal
  • Paige White – Freelance photojournalist
  • Pedro Zaya – Student, University of Montreal

• Maureen Googoo – Owner/Editor, Ku’ku’kwes News
  • Mira Dietz Chiasson – Freelance journalist
  • Ry Pembroke – Freelance journalist

• Emma Graney – Reporter, The Globe and Mail
  • Caitlin Brezinski – Digital journalist, CTV Regina
  • Shereen Lee – Student, University of British Columbia

• Daniele Hamamdjian – Middle East Correspondent, Global News
  • Diary Marif – Freelance journalist

• Kenneth Jackson – Investigative Journalist, APTN
  • Taylor Pace – Journalist, GuelphToday

• Colleen Kimmett – Trainer, Google News Initiative
  • Shaistha Khan – Freelance journalist
  • Fadwa Lapierre – Journalist, Radio 98.5
  • Alexandra Mehl – Reporter, Ha-Shilth-Sa

• Étienne Lajoie – Reporter, Assignment Editor & Producer, Radio-Canada
  • Véronique Duval – Multiplatform journalist, Radio-Canada
  • Annie Labrecque – Freelance journalist

• Wency Leung – Reporter, The Local
  • Zaneb Alzubaidi – Student, MacEwan University
  • Daniel Reale-Chin – Journalism fellow, Canadian Journalism Foundation

• John Loeppky – Freelance Journalist
  • Ha Linh Pham – Journalist, Vietnam News Agency

• Kaitlyn McGrath – Reporter, The Athletic
  • Muhammad Adrees – Student, Centennial College
  • Jonas May – Student, St. Thomas University
  • Melissa Verge – Writer, The Canadian Baseball Network

• Noémi Mercier – Freelance Journalist
  • Angie Landry – Journalist, Radio-Canada
  • Jessica Leblanc – Journalist, 98.5 FM Cogeco
  • Florence Morin-Martel – Journalist, Le Devoir
  • Marie-Lise Rousseau – Freelance journalist

• Holly Moore – Managing Editor, CTV
  • Vladimir Matic – Reporter/Anchor, Global News (640 Toronto)

• Kathleen Newman-Bremang – Deputy Director, Global, Refinery 29
  • Chidi Ekuma – Associate producer, CBC
  • Sarah Onyango – Student, University of Regina

• Amy O’Kruk – Data & Graphics Editor, CNN Digital
  • Sophie Bouquillon – Student, Western University
  • Arthur Hamdani – Student, University of Toronto
  • Dionne Phillips – Journalist, IndigiNews

• David Rider – Toronto City Hall Bureau Chief, Toronto Star
  • Kavi Vidya Achar – Student, University of Ottawa
  • Geena Mortfield – Journalist, The Brandon Sun

• Roberto Rocha – Freelance Journalist
  • Asad Chishti – Reporter/editor, CBC North, CJUC 92.5 FM
  • David Slater – Student, MacEwan University

• Kaleigh Rogers – Reporter & Editor, FiveThirtyEight
  • Kyla Cortez – Student, University of Toronto
  • Alek Golijanin – Writer, The Voice Magazine
  • Sadeen Mohsen – Student, Carleton University

• Tim Smith – Freelance Photojournalist
  • Dustin Patar – Communications Manager
  • Matthew Thompson – Photojournalist and reporter, Rocky Mountain Outlook
  • Ryan Wiesner – Student, NAIT
  • Kai Wilson – Student, University of Western Ontario

• Tracy Tong – Multi-market Anchor & Producer, Global News
  • Ben Low-On – Student, NAIT
  • Sheena Shirani – Student, Seneca Polytechnic

• Jody Vance – Owner/Journalist, Broadcast Pirate Services
  • Saturn Steel-Mendez – Student, Toronto Metropolitan University

The CAJ board of directors offers a sincere thanks to all the mentors who have made this program possible.

Applicants who did not match in this round are strongly encouraged to apply for the next session in Fall 2024. If you are a journalist interested in mentoring for the next edition of this program please get in touch with us.