Like any journalist knows, research determines the quality of a story. Which is why to mark the School of Journalism’s 75th anniversary this year, the Future of Journalism Initiative (FJI) was established.
The FJI is a collaborative hub where journalists, academics and students work together and independently on innovative projects that further the collective knowledge and understanding of journalism practice.
The FJI’s aim is to incubate ideas and nurture the objectives of students and researchers, while fostering creative and academic partnerships with other likeminded institutions in the industry and the academy, engaging visiting practitioners and academics on projects that serve a public interest and/or which bolster the study of journalism in society.
At present those projects include: an international research initiative — “Journalism in the Time of Crisis” — which has engaged a team of students with a global network of experts to analyze lessons learned from the pandemic and better inform the future of journalism practice.
The Future of Journalism Initiative is also spearheading an unprecedented national obituary project that has students across the country writing tributes to the Canadian victims of COVID-19. At the same time, students, faculty and alumni are working to decolonize journalism and journalism studies and to promote media innovation in Canada.
The Future of Journalism Initiative also supports research, with a multitude of investigations into the evolving impact and influence the media is having on our industry and our democracy. This will enable students, faculty and visiting researchers to dive into research geared toward advancing the study of journalism and improving the prospects of journalism’s future in Canada and abroad.
Key to the school’s longstanding success has been its capacity to evolve and shape its teaching to guarantee that every generation of journalists that emerges from our school is able to thrive in an ever-changing industry. With your gift in support of the initiatives outlined below, you will give students the opportunity to build skills and make discoveries that benefit them, our industry and society.