CJF Black Journalism Fellows Announced

TORONTO, April 28, 2022 /CNW/ - The Canadian Journalism Foundation (CJF) is proud to announce Wendy-Ann Clarke, Kiernan Green, Dorcas Marfo and Ashleigh-Rae Thomas as recipients of the Black Journalism Fellowship Program in partnership with CBC/Radio-Canada, CTV News and the Investigative Journalism Bureau (IJB).

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 a CBC/Radio-Canada (English and French) or CTV News newsroom or at the IJB at the University of Toronto's Dalla Lana School of Public Health.

The fellowship recipients are:

• Wendy-Ann Clarke, inaugural CJF-IJB Black Investigative Journalism Fellowship; 
• Kiernan Green, CJF-CBC/Radio-Canada Black Journalism Fellowship; 
• Dorcas Marfo, CJF-CTV News Black Journalism Fellowship; and 
• Ashleigh-Rae Thomas, CJF-CBC/Radio-Canada Black Women's Journalism Fellowship.

"Every one of our fellows this year has displayed an incredible passion for journalism," says jury chair Dexter Brown, executive member of the Canadian Association of Black Journalists and a writer at CTV News Channel. "Their energy, enthusiasm and extraordinary drive to enlighten and inform Canadians impressed us. I can't wait to see what they will do with this exciting opportunity."

The four 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, which will be considered for publication/broadcast by the media partner organizations.

The recipients will be recognized at the CJF Awards ceremony on June 7 at the Art Gallery of Ontario. For more information, see contact details below or visit the CJF Awards page.

Thanks to the generous support of our sponsors:

• lululemon for the CJF-CBC/Radio-Canada Black Journalism Fellowship;
• Aritzia for the CJF-CBC/Radio-Canada Black Women's Journalism Fellowship;
• BMO Financial Group for the CJF-CTV News Black Journalism Fellowship; and
• Unifor and The Jay and Barbara Hennick Family Foundation for the CJF-IJB Black Investigative Journalism Fellowship.

The CJF Black Journalism Fellowship jury members are:

• Dexter Brown (chair), executive member of the Canadian Association of Black Journalists and writer, CTV News;
• Ron Charles, retired national reporter, CBC News;
• Rob Cribb, investigative journalist, Toronto Star; Founder and director, The Investigative Journalism Bureau at the University of Toronto's Dalla Lana School of Public Health;  
• Ramneek Gill, general manager, CP24 and CTV News Toronto; and
• Andree Lau, managing editor of digital news, CBC News.

Cision is the exclusive distribution partner of the CJF.

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.

Related Links
http://www.cjf-fjc.ca

SOURCE Canadian Journalism Foundation