The Indigenous Journalists Association (IJA), in partnership with The Narwhal and IndigiNews, is excited to launch the Indigenous Journalism Fellowship — a year-long, full-time opportunity designed to support and elevate Indigenous voices in Canadian media.
This new fellowship offers hands-on newsroom experience, mentorship, and professional development for an early- or mid-career Indigenous journalist ready to take on ambitious reporting projects and strengthen their skills in investigative and solutions journalism.
Working with The Narwhal’s editorial team, in partnership with IJA and IndigiNews, the Indigenous journalism fellowship is a one-year opportunity for an early- or mid-career Indigenous journalist who is looking to develop their professional skills and undertake ambitious reporting projects with support and guidance.
The fellow will gain experience in an award-winning newsroom and develop their instincts and abilities as a journalist. They will also receive mentorship and professional development from the Indigenous Journalists Association, and editorial support from IndigiNews. Stories produced by the fellow may be published by both The Narwhal and IndigiNews.
The purpose of this fellowship is to build career pathways for Indigenous journalists, who remain underrepresented in Canadian media, particularly beyond entry-level positions. By supporting the fellow to develop skills in high-quality reporting, conducting investigations, editing, fact-checking, audience engagement and solutions journalism techniques we hope to nurture a leader in Indigenous journalism with the skills and support to make an impact. Fellows who undertake this one-year term at The Narwhal will develop high-level skills in environment reporting related to natural resource development and policy, Indigenous sovereignty and land rights and the impacts of climate change on communities and the ecosystems upon which they depend.
This fellowship is open to First Nations, Inuit and Métis applicants or Native American tribal citizens and descendants who are living and working in British Columbia. (For this initial fellowship, applicants based primarily in B.C. are preferred for an on-the-ground reporting experience.)
Responsibilities:
- Pitching, developing and reporting stories from in B.C., with a focus on biodiversity, Indigenous Rights, environment and climate change
- Attending weekly editorial meetings
- Working with other members of the editorial team to prepare stories for copy-editing and publication
- Participating in relevant trainings from The Narwhal, IndigiNews and IJA on fact-checking, editing, story development and more
- Contributing to The Narwhal’s house style guide and contributing to the development of best practices for reporting for and in Indigenous communities
- With the support of our editorial team, the fellow will have the opportunity to develop a significant editorial project of their own direction, such as a series or in-depth investigation
- Other editorial responsibilities as required
Required skills & experience
- Excellent writing skills in English
- Some experience in journalism, in a staff or freelance capacity (work in comparable professional communications, documentary filmmaking or other forms of research and fact-based writing may also apply)
- Awareness and a complex understanding of Indigenous issues
- Commitment to reconciliation, diversity, inclusion and equity
- A genuine interest in pursuing a career in journalism
This fellowship is meant to invest in and skills train Indigenous journalists who might otherwise leave the journalism industry. The required skills and experience listed here should not deter passionate prospective applicants. If you think you would be a good fit but are concerned about your eligibility, please reach out to Michelle Cyca, The Narwhal’s bureau chief, conservation and fellowships for more information: michelle@thenarwhal.ca.
Desired skills (nice to have)
- Editing or fact-checking experience
- Video or script-writing experience
- Completed or working towards a post-secondary diploma or degree in journalism, media studies, communications, English or a related discipline
The pilot year of this fellowship is made possible with support of the Sitka Foundation. As per The Narwhal’s editorial independence policy, The Narwhal retains full authority over editorial content and cedes no right of review or influence over editorial content or news decisions.
