New Content Creator Fellowship Launched

TORONTO, Dec. 9, 2024 /CNW/ - The Canadian Journalism Foundation (CJF), in partnership with The Canadian Press (CP), today launched the new CJF-CP News Creator Fellowship dedicated to nurturing video storytelling talent.

Supported as well by the Google News Initiative (GNI) and by YouTube in Canada, the fellowship provides a unique opportunity to participate in building the future of local news for recent graduates of Canadian post-secondary journalism programs. This six-week fellowship, offered to six emerging news-content creators, will provide comprehensive training and mentorship from Canadian Press's editors and journalists, focusing on the creation of engaging local news videos for publication on CP's and the creator's YouTube and social channels. In addition to valuable training on compelling content creation, fellows will receive a $5,500 stipend.

"Local news creators on digital platforms are reshaping our media landscape with innovative approaches to storytelling," says CJF President and Executive Director Natalie Turvey.  "We're excited to partner with The Canadian Press, drawing on their established journalism expertise to create this transformative opportunity.

"This fellowship will help build the future of local news by empowering emerging creators with professional mentorship, technical skills and a robust platform to reach Canadian audiences."

The News Creator Fellowship represents the second career development collaboration between the CJF and CP, with the Tom Hanson Photojournalism Award in its 15^th year.

"We are thrilled to be a part of this program and can't wait to welcome these talented, emerging videographers into our newsrooms," says CP editor-in-chief Andrea Baillie. "We look forward to mentoring them, but I have no doubt they will also energize and teach us something in return."

Adds Suzanne Perron, News Partnerships Manager at Google Canada: "Visionary partnerships and programs like the CJF-CP News Creator Fellowship are critical to building a more sustainable, diverse and innovative news ecosystem. We're very proud to support this groundbreaking collaboration and look forward to seeing the content these talented fellows create take shape and have an impact."

For her part, Stephanie Wilson Chapin, the News, Sport and TV Partnerships Lead for YouTube in Canada says: "Fostering the development and growth of next generation Canadian news creators is an important focus for YouTube in Canada. We are committed to lowering the barrier to entry for Canadian storytellers and to helping them to grow and reach new audiences. This program will provide talented journalists with resources to hone their craft in this age of multi-platform, multi-format storytelling."

The application deadline for this and other fellowships is Jan. 24, 2025.

View the award details and the online application.

The 2025 fellows will be recognized at the CJF Awards ceremony on June 12 at the Fairmont Royal York in Toronto. 

Cision is the exclusive distribution partner of the Canadian Journalism Foundation.

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.

About the Canadian Press

The Canadian Press is Canada's trusted news source and leader in providing real-time, bilingual multimedia stories across print, broadcast and digital platforms. From breaking regional, national and international stories to the biggest events in politics, sports, business, entertainment and lifestyle, The Canadian Press is there when it matters, delivering news about Canadians to Canadians, 24/7/365. We give Canadians an authentic, unbiased source, driven by truth, accuracy and timeliness.

About YouTube

YouTube's mission is to give everyone a voice and show them the world. Launched in May 2005, YouTube allows billions of people to discover, watch and share originally created videos. The platform provides a forum for people to connect, inform and inspire others across the globe. According to Oxford Economics, YouTube's creative ecosystem contributed $2 billion to Canada's GDP in 2022 and supported more than 35,000 full-time equivalent jobs in Canada.

About Google News Initiative

The Google News Initiative offers journalists and publishers of all sizes a range of resources, products, digital expertise and collaborative solutions that spur progress across the news industry. Our partnerships support the advancement of quality journalism and help publishers build stronger and more sustainable business models. To that aim, we're working alongside newsrooms, news startups, researchers and content producers worldwide to build a more sustainable, diverse and innovative news ecosystem – so that everyone, everywhere, has access to reliable information. Learn more about our work, journalist tools, innovation challenges and funding opportunities at newsinitiative.withgoogle.com.

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

SOURCE The Canadian Journalism Foundation

For further information: Natalie Turvey, President and Executive Director, The Canadian Journalism Foundation, [email protected]