On September 28, the Canadian Journalism Foundation (CJF), WAN-IFRA’s World Editors Forum and Project Kontinuum present Choose Truth, a global campaign at the heart of the World News Day 2024. Dedication to bringing Canadians fact-based journalism is at the heart of what we do as media workers part of the Canadian Media Guild, whether we work at CBC/ Radio-Canada or Buzzfeed, as a journalist or as a media-technician.
On September 30, National Day for Truth and Reconciliation, Canadians remember the Indigenous children who were taken away from their families and died in residential schools.
It wasn’t until May 2021 when reporters went to cover the news of the discovery of the unmarked graves on the grounds of what was the Kamloops residential school that we saw a federal response where previously there had been a denial of the residential school experience. As media workers, we are dedicated to reporting the facts truthfully regardless of how painful they may be. Some of us will be working to bring coverage of gatherings and commemoration ceremonies over the weekend and on Monday, and some of you will be doing this while living through the intergenerational impacts of residential schools.
With this in mind, I share resources that may be useful to you my union siblings or to members of the community you may encounter through your work. As always, I invite you to share your perspectives and thoughts about ways we can do more to support each other as union members.
As I reflect on my own experience as a journalist and a Canadian, I’m reminded of the importance of not only the work that we do as professional media workers in bringing high-quality research and facts to Canadians but also the steps we can take as individuals towards Truth and Reconciliation.
For these reasons, the Canadian Media Guild (CMG) is offering a scholarship for Indigenous youth pursuing post-secondary studies, with the deadline to apply by October 26, 2024. The CMG National Executive Committee and I encourage you to distribute this opportunity across your networks. Our lived experience allows us to contribute unique perspectives when we report the news, and we need more Indigenous youth who are empowered to pursue careers as media workers.
In Solidarity,
Annick R. Forest (she/her)
President
Canadian Media Guild