Championing Aboriginal Journalism in Ontario

Journalists for Human Rights recognizes the Ontario Trillium Foundation for its support of the award-winning Northern Ontario Initiative.

TORONTO, April 2, 2014 /CNW/ - Tonight, at an event to celebrate strong journalism in Canada and around the world, Journalists for Human Rights, Canada's leading media development organization, will recognize the Ontario Trillium Foundation for its $206,000 grant, made in March 2013, to support JHR's Northern Ontario Initiative.

To date, funds from the Ontario Trillium Foundation, an agency of the Government of Ontario, has supported journalism training for 48 emerging Aboriginal journalists, and media-literacy training for over 300 community members in six Northern Ontario Communities.

The Northern Ontario Initiative, a one year pilot program ending in June 2014, is a community-based media development project to increase Aboriginal journalists' capacity to report on and from their communities. The training focuses on creating linkages between local and mainstream media, and expands participants' abilities to sell their work to mainstream media outlets.

"Journalists for Human Rights has been delighted to work with Ontario Trillium Foundation and Wawatay Native Communications Society on this pioneering initiative, providing skills and opening up professional networking opportunities for Aboriginal journalists to tell stories about their communities," said Rachel Pulfer, executive director of Journalists for Human Rights. "The goal is for Aboriginal journalists and Aboriginal communities to engage with media in Canada in ways that ensure they are truly part of the public conversation, not just the focus of it."

The Ontario Trillium Foundation will be recognized for its support at JHR's Spring Celebration. The public event takes place from 6:30 - 8:30 pm tonight at the Centre for Social Innovation Annex, in Toronto, Canada.

The event will feature remarks on the Northern Ontario Initiative by JHR Executive Director Rachel Pulfer, and Ernest McNee, a member of the Ontario Trillium Foundation's Board of Directors.

The Spring Celebration will also feature presentations from Global News' Ashley Terry, who will speak about her time in Ghana as part of the JHR partnership with the Shaw Africa Project. Grant McDonald, of AM 640, to reflect on his time with JHR in Liberia. And Kallan Lyons, recently returned from Ghana, will discuss her experiences with JHR on the Canadian Government-funded International Youth Internship. 

The event is taking place at 720 Bathurst Street, Toronto, from 6:30 - 8:30pm. Tickets are $5 at the door. 

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Notes for Editors:

A leading grantmaker in Canada, the Ontario Trillium Foundation strengthens the capacity of the voluntary sector through investments in community-based initiatives. An agency of the Government of Ontario, OTF builds healthy and vibrant communities. To learn more, please visit: www.otf.ca

Journalists for Human Rights (www.jhr.ca ) is Canada's leading media development organization. JHR helps journalists build their capacity to report ethically and effectively on human rights and governance issues in their communities. Since 2002, JHR has trained over 12,500 journalists whose stories have reached over 50 million people.

JHR currently has projects in Jordan, Sierra Leone, the Democratic Republic of Congo, and Northern Ontario.

SOURCE: jhr (Journalists for Human Rights)

For more information please contact Claire Hastings, Director of Community Engagement at [email protected], 416 413 0240 ext. 206