Not just any aspiring writer can land a byline with the CBC before they even graduate. But students in Concordia's The Digital Magazine (JOUR 528) course in the Graduate Diploma in Journalism program did just that.
Every year, journalism students registered for the graduate-level class are invited to collaborate with CBC Montreal to create solutions-focused multimedia news stories. The method highlights positive responses and initiatives aimed at addressing societal problems.
This winter's theme, When Language Brings Us Together, was coined during a brainstorming session with the students, who said they were interested in approaching the topic to counteract its divisive nature.
"The stories are very strong, and I hope they contribute to softening the debate around language, immigration and identity in Quebec," says Amélie Daoust-Boisvert, associate professor in the Department of Journalism.
"Students did find it tough to find solution-oriented stories about language, probably because the focus is so negative in the media that the positive angles are completely overlooked."
"It makes their stories even more special."
We've come out stronger as journalists'
Two students who completed JOUR 528 and earned their graduate diplomas this summer say their time in the course was impactful.
Joshua Allan, who is now pursuing a master's in Digital Innovation in Journalism Studies, says this course offered him phenomenal hands-on experience.
"From drafting the story to visiting CBC Montreal and pitching editors, all of us can say we've come out stronger as journalists," Allan notes.
"Publishing a story to the CBC website is a significant boon for the professional portfolio of any young journalist."
Allan worked on a story about the Projet communautaire de Pierrefonds. The West Island organization helps newcomers adjust to their community in various ways, including by tutoring their young children on their schoolwork, all in French.
"I felt that the positive approach this community organization took to encouraging young newcomers to embrace the French language had a message that ought to be spread. It certainly met this year's course theme."
Developing connections
Erin Seize, who now reports for CityNews Montreal, says she was moved by her story.
She and her group featured the participants of Mother Goose, a bilingual parent-child literacy program for kids ages 0 to 3 that connects them and their caregivers through songs and stories.
"Many of the participants were newcomers to Montreal, and some were learning French at the same time as their children, which was interesting," Seize shares.
"Above all, this was a place to connect with other parents in a non-judgemental, structured environment."
Seize says she's glad she and her team had the opportunity to visit the sessions several times throughout the term and connect with participants before beginning to interview and produce multimedia.
"I was moved by how the child-parent relationships developed during the sessions, seeing them strengthen before my eyes through the stories and activities that they were engaged in."
Other stories that emerged from this winter's class featured a multilingual bar night that brings Montrealers and newcomers together to practice their language skills, as well as the volunteers who've stepped up to meet the growing demands of a Carrefour de ressources en interculturel program that helps newcomers learn French and integrate into Quebec culture.
The power of solutions journalism
Inspired by the course, Seize pitched another language story with a solutions journalism angle when she began an internship at CityNews Montreal. It too was published.
Daoust-Boisvert says this is evidence that the course and the solutions journalism approach are impactful for students beyond the classroom.
"This is the first time the class inspired a student to pitch a story outside the scope of the course," Daoust-Boisvert says.
"It shows how solutions journalism can help students develop original stories about people and themes that are often overlooked and succeed with their pitches."
Find out more about Concordia's Department of Journalism.
