Connie Walker is an award-winning investigative reporter and host of the CBC News podcast, Missing & Murdered.
In 2017, Missing & Murdered: Who killed Alberta Williams? won the RTDNA's Adrienne Clarkson Award and was nominated for a Webby Award.
Walker and colleagues at the CBC's Indigenous Unit, won multiple awards including the 2016 Canadian Association of Journalists' Don McGillivray investigative award, a Canadian Screen Award and the prestigious Hillman Award for its "Missing & Murdered: The Unsolved Cases of Indigenous Women and Girls" interactive website.
Walker is from the Okanese First Nation, in Saskatchewan. She currently lives with her family in Toronto.
Connie Walker is an award-winning investigative reporter and host of the CBC News podcast, Missing & Murdered.In 2017, Missing & Murdered: Who killed Alberta Williams? won the RTDNA's Adrienne Clarkson Award and was nominated for a Webby Award. Walker and colleagues at the CBC's Indigenous... Read More →
Thursday January 3, 2019 7:30pm - 9:00pm MST
Spectrum 3/4
You hit a wall simply because you’re a student. How do you jump over it? How do you push through it? This workshop offers strategies based on the experiences of the award-winning student team at The Signal. We’ll also share stories so together we can work to bring down the wall for good.
Assistant Professor, Journalism, University of King's College
Terra Tailleur runs The Signal, an award-winning news site powered by journalism students at the University of King’s College in Halifax. She’s vice-president of the Canadian Association of Journalists and regularly advises and mentors communicators at large. She spent 20 years... Read More →
Friday January 4, 2019 10:00am - 11:00am MST
Spectrum 2
Do you have a great idea for a podcast and don't know where to start? Or maybe you already have a show, but want to step up your podcasting game. Meg Wilcox breaks down what it takes to bring your idea to brilliant podcast reality... and answers any burning podcast-related questions.
Meg Wilcox is a journalist, host and producer who has worked from Parliament Hill to the Rockies to the Arctic Circle. Now based in Calgary, she hosts How I Hear It Tuesday nights on CKUA, makes podcasts and teaches journalism at Mount Royal University.
Friday January 4, 2019 10:00am - 11:00am MST
Spectrum 3
Jason Chiu, Deputy Head of Visual Journalism at The Globe and Mail, will talk about some of the great visual stories The Globe has told in the past year. He will also give an overview of where The Globe looks for inspiration and and guidance on innovative visual storytelling. Bring questions!
Deputy Head of Visual Journalism, The Globe and Mail
Jason Chiu is the Deputy Head of Visual Journalism at The Globe. Photos, video, design, interactive presentations, data, graphics and neighbourhood coffee recommendations are his speciality.
Friday January 4, 2019 10:00am - 11:00am MST
Spectrum 1
One-on-one critiques give you a chance to sit down with an industry professional and have them give you helpful feedback on your work. If you are interested in critiques, please fill out this short google form. It'll ask you for your name and contact info, as well as allow you to upload or link to the piece you'd like critiqued.
Critique registration closes on Sunday, December 30 at 11:59 MST. All critiques will be done by pre-registration only.
If you’ve got a love for writing and a love for sport, there are few gigs better than covering it from the sidelines. This panel will discuss how to best build a sportswriting portfolio, keep up with industry trends, build relationships with team sources and stay fresh when covering a team or league over the duration of a long season.
Kristen Anderson has worked in media for over a decade, covering a variety of sports and adapting to the changing environment of newspapers. She works for Postmedia — the Calgary Herald and Calgary Sun — covering the National Hockey League and the Calgary Flames on a daily basis... Read More →
Kaitlyn McGrath is the associate editor and Blue Jays writer at the Athletic Toronto. Before entering the world of journalism startups, Kaitlyn previously worked at CBC and the National Post. She is a graduate of Western University and a former editor at The Western Gazette.
A Gauntlet alumnus, Ryan Pike grew up as a sports fan and writes about hockey for FlamesNation.ca, The Hockey Writers and The Sporting News. He's a member of the Professional Hockey Writers Association.
Friday January 4, 2019 11:00am - 12:00pm MST
Spectrum 3
Newspaper reports of workplace accidents present a profoundly distorted picture of occupational injuries and fatalities. Drawing on five years of research, this session will examine how reporters cover workplace injury, why they cover it that way, and the impact of this approach on public perceptions and public policy.
Matt Frehner, Head of Visual Journalism at The Globe and Mail, will talk about structuring stories for maximum impact online. He’ll discuss the behind-the-scenes process of how The Globe’s team works, and highlight some examples of the best visual storytelling in the world today.
Matt Frehner leads the Visual Journalism team at The Globe and Mail. The award-winning group of editors, designers, developers, photographers, videographers and graphic artists works to make sense of a complicated and fast-moving world through high-impact visual journalism.
Friday January 4, 2019 11:00am - 12:00pm MST
Spectrum 1
Covering science stories can be intimidating, but it doesn’t have to be! Learn how to find “healthy” science stories and make them interesting for the general public. And of course, some tips on how to interview those jargon-loving scientists.
With a Bachelor of Science and MJ under her belt, Vanessa’s passion is science and health journalism. This past year she was Postmedia’s Michelle Lang Fellow, reporting on Fetal Alcohol Spectrum Disorder.
Friday January 4, 2019 12:00pm - 1:00pm MST
Spectrum 1
Travis Lupick, an award winning journalist with the Georgia Straight newspaper and the author of Fighting for Space: How a Group of Drug Users Transformed One City's Struggle with Addiction, was living in Vancouver's Downtown Eastside when the dangerous synthetic-opioid fentanyl contaminated the illicit-drug market there. He'll recount how residents reacted to the health emergency and what it was like reporting from the community as overdose deaths skyrocketed and government appeared helpless to respond.
Travis Lupick is an award-winning journalist based in Vancouver’s Downtown Eastside and the author of Fighting for Space: How a Group of Drug Users Transformed One City’s Struggle with Addiction (Arsenal Pulp Press, June 2018).
Friday January 4, 2019 12:00pm - 1:00pm MST
Spectrum 3
Television news is changing. Gone are the two- or three-person shoots for a news story. Instead, the videojournalist must do two or even three or four jobs at once! Chris will be give tips on how to do the best as a one person crew. As a non-Indigenous person working with the Aboriginal Peoples Television Network, Chris will also give insight about how to follow proper customs and protocols when working with Indigenous Peoples.
Chris has worked at CBC, Global, CTV, and now APTN for the past 6 years. He began his career as a videographer for news, so it was only natural that he become a videojournalist. Chris has covered events like the Fort McMurray fires, and the Standing Rock Protests.
Friday January 4, 2019 12:00pm - 1:00pm MST
Spectrum 2
Almost every news story can be linked to climate change. Prominent political issues, like the carbon tax or the oil price differential, are apparent examples, but even stories about immigration or how governments choose to spend their money carry significant environmental impacts. This panel will explore why it’s more important now than ever to get climate reporting right and what that looks like in practice.
Tamara is Metis from Winnipeg, Manitoba. She worked as a videographer for CBC in Winnipeg and Iqaluit, Nunavut. She now works for APTN as a video journalist in Calgary, Alberta.
Sharon is an investigative journalist covering Alberta for The Narwhal. Her essays, interviews, and long-form nonfiction have been published by The Walrus, The Tyee, Maisonneuve, and Harper’s (where she is regular contributor to the Harper’s Weekly Review), among others. Her research... Read More →
Don is a veteran broadcaster, student, and consultant with the Hamilton Media Group. He is committed to using all that comes with a career in media, as well as what he is learning at Simon Fraser University as he completes his master’s degree to help effect positive social change... Read More →
James Wilt is a freelance journalist based in Winnipeg, focusing on energy & environmental politics. He holds a journalism degree from Mount Royal University and is currently working on his MA in Geography at the University of Manitoba. He regularly contributes to The Narwhal, and... Read More →
Friday January 4, 2019 2:00pm - 3:00pm MST
Spectrum 3
Yup. Ad dollars are pretty dried up these days, but there's still ways to stay in the black. We'll talk about how newspapers used to make money, what we can learn from that, and discuss some modern approaches to selling journalism but not your souls.
Sam Brooks is an engineer turned journalist turned entrepreneur. He caught the bug while spending way more time taking photos for the Gateway than working through differential equations and has since gone on to be CUP president, work on special projects for Postmedia and has now co-founded... Read More →
From first idea to final drafts, learn some key secrets about how to weave massive subject areas into captivating features. It's kind of like writing an undergrad essay, except for when it isn't.
Jason Markusoff writes about Alberta and almost everything else for Maclean’s magazine, after more than a decade of newspapering. He has won several national journalism awards and kudos from his mom for talking so well on television.
Friday January 4, 2019 2:00pm - 3:00pm MST
Spectrum 1
Ethical dilemmas are the stuff great literature — and of everyday journalism. The NewsMedia Council helps when mistakes and errors blemish your copy, but equally important are the ethical questions you tackle to prevent those problems. Come and hear more with Pat Perkel and Brent Jolly!
Communications Officer, National Newsmedia Council
Brent is a Canadian journalist, who joined the NNC in August 2016. He holds a Bachelor of Journalism from Carleton University, and an M.A. in Political Science from the University of Toronto, where he studied as a junior fellow at Massey College. During the summer of 2018 he was a... Read More →
Pat’s role with the NNC follows a long print- and broadcast- news freelancer career in Ontario. Internationally, she’s edited a youth forum and worked as staff support to Commonwealth journalists.
Friday January 4, 2019 2:00pm - 3:00pm MST
Spectrum 2
On this panel, the founders of The Discourse, Taproot and The Sprawl — community-based journalism start-ups in Vancouver, Edmonton and Calgary, respectively — will discuss their approaches to community storytelling and their place in the Canadian media landscape.
Katrina is passionate about the intersection of art, technology, business and education – all of which are reflected in her diverse career path. She has held marketing and senior management roles at the CBC and CKUA Radio. She also helped launch the Alberta Podcast Network in 2017... Read More →
Jeremy Klaszus is founder and editor of The Sprawl, a Calgary pop-up journalism startup that launched in 2017. It's a crowdfunded, ad-free, made-in-Calgary model—a reinvention of local journalism in tough times. Before launching the Sprawl, Jeremy worked as a freelance journalist... Read More →
Mack is media entrepreneur with a background in software development. He is the co-founder of Taproot Edmonton, which has a curiosity-driven and membership-based approach to building a thriving home for local journalism.
Erin Millar is founder and CEO of The Discourse, and holds multiple awards for journalism innovation. Recently named one of the top seven women-led ventures in Canada at SheEO summit, Millar was also a Bob Carty Fellow by Canadian Journalists for Free Expression, Storyteller-in-Residence... Read More →
Friday January 4, 2019 3:00pm - 4:00pm MST
Spectrum 3
We will share tips and advice for navigating today’s media sector as interns, freelancers and employees. Participants will gain practical skills and knowledge that they can use throughout their career, including: what to look out for in a freelance contract; what rights interns, freelancers and employees have under federal and provincial law; how to make the most of an internship; why it’s important to keep work-related records; and how to negotiate a fair rate of pay. This workshop is presented by CWA Canada Associate Members, a free and voluntary union for student, precarious and entry-level media workers.
Nasr Ahmed is the CWA Canada Associate Membership Coordinator, former CBC Sports Producer and Technical Director of the Brampton Beast Hockey Club of the ECHL. Nasr is also an active community organizer in Toronto.
Friday January 4, 2019 3:00pm - 4:00pm MST
Spectrum 2
Campus and community radio is a unique platform in the media landscape. From music shows to podcasts, contributing to your campus station can diversify your portfolio and compliment your work as a journalist. The session will explore the guiding principles of campus radio, the content that you can produce, and how to build a relationship with your station.
Marta Ligocki is the Program Director at CJSW 90.9 FM and has been involved with the station since 2013. She made her way into campus media through The Martlet as an undergraduate at UVic.
Friday January 4, 2019 3:00pm - 4:00pm MST
Spectrum 1
Vue Weekly, Edmonton’s alt-weekly publication, ceased operations at the end of November 2018. Calgary’s free weekly publication, FFWD, folded in early 2015. However, alt-weeklies in cities like Toronto, Vancouver and Halifax continue their operations. This panel will discuss the role of alt-weeklies in arts communities, the challenges they face and the responsibility other publications have to carry on alternative arts coverage when alt-weeklies shutter. Plus, find out how your student publication can best support your local arts scene.
Moderator: Kurtis RIdeout, CUP communications officer
Drew Anderson started his career freelancing for Calgary’s now-defunct Fast Forward Weekly, where he eventually became editor and publisher. He currently works as a journalist for CBC Calgary.
Travis Lupick is an award-winning journalist based in Vancouver’s Downtown Eastside and the author of Fighting for Space: How a Group of Drug Users Transformed One City’s Struggle with Addiction (Arsenal Pulp Press, June 2018).
Jaelyn Molyneux is the executive editor of digital content for Redpoint Media & Marketing solutions, which publishes Avenue magazine and WestJet Magazine as well as a handful of custom publications.
Friday January 4, 2019 4:00pm - 5:00pm MST
Spectrum 3
Whether it’s adding humorous touches to your op-eds, drafting the perfect clever Twitter thread or making use of full-on satirical news, jokes in journalism can have more power than you think. Join Mel Woods for a chat about how you can use humour writing to supplement your paper’s news coverage, make readers care about the issues and maybe even almost get sued.
Melanie Woods is a Vancouver-based writer and audio producer. Her work has appeared in the Globe and Mail, Vice, CBC, the Georgia Straight, Slate, This Magazine, and Xtra.
Friday January 4, 2019 4:00pm - 5:00pm MST
Spectrum 1
Journalists – now more than ever are being challenged with a toxic mix of polarised rhetoric, propaganda and disinformation. That’s why the art of asking the right questions and leveraging the right interview techniques is critical as we wade through news about our climate charged with the impending apocalypse, or politically and socially charged events that are challenged by our own cultural and tribal beliefs. This session will look at narrative story telling, the psychology of questions, formal and informal styles of communication and when to use each. We will address how to develop and use empathy and when to employ the power of silence in search of the “beautiful question” that unlocks the story. Participants will understand and identify manipulative and persuasive questioning techniques and consider the various channels of communication and how to determine which is appropriate.
Don is a veteran broadcaster, student, and consultant with the Hamilton Media Group. He is committed to using all that comes with a career in media, as well as what he is learning at Simon Fraser University as he completes his master’s degree to help effect positive social change... Read More →
Friday January 4, 2019 4:00pm - 5:00pm MST
Spectrum 2
Come fulfill your obligation to CUP at mid-week plenary. Here's CUP president Erik Preston on what to expect during this session:
"We have a mid-week plenary on day two of NASH. This is a one to two hour session that we ask each paper to send a representative to, ideally the person(s) will also be attending Sunday plenary. At this session, we usually set the agenda for Sunday plenary so we can ensure a smoother, more successful meeting that will end at a reasonable time."
Friday January 4, 2019 5:00pm - 6:00pm MST
Spectrum 1
Vocal Fry Studios is a podcast studio in Toronto co-founded by Katie Jensen and Vicky Mochama. Vocal Fry is dedicated to building a supportive, inclusive and innovative podcast industry in Canada.
Katie Jensen is a freelance multi-platform journalist who produces podcasts & provides strategic consultation for a diverse client roster — from small tech start-ups to one of Canada's largest daily newspapers. Currently, she’s producing The Secret Life of Canada for CBC Podcasts, Polaris Podcast for the Polaris Music Prize, and I’ll Go First for the Globe and Mail. Prior to becoming a full-time freelancer in 2017, she worked at Canadaland, where she produced the company’s flagship media criticism podcast and co-created The Imposter. Last spring, she created a sold-out PWYC workshop for working artists, low-income, and racialized individuals.
Vicky Mochama is a writer and podcaster from Toronto. She is the host of Safe Space, a podcast about the news and politics when it can remember what happened. Vicky was the national columnist for StarMetro where she wrote columns on race, gender, immigration and Canadian politics. Vicky edited and wrote the Canadaland Guide to Canada, a national bestselling humour book about Canada's history and culture. She has written for the Toronto Star, Flare Magazine, and The Walrus. She has taught opinion writing at Ryerson's School of Journalism.
Vocal Fry Studios is a podcast studio in Toronto co-founded by Katie Jensen and Vicky Mochama. Vocal Fry is dedicated to building a supportive, inclusive and innovative podcast industry in Canada. Katie Jensen is a freelance multi-platform journalist who produces podcasts & provides... Read More →
Friday January 4, 2019 7:30pm - 9:00pm MST
Spectrum 3/4
The era of The Columnist is in decline. Newspapers and magazines now routinely rely on freelance writers to produce op-eds and columns to fill print and digital column inches. What makes a good opinion piece? How can you tailor it to your audience? And how can you make sure it has the best chance possible of getting picked up? In this session, David Moscrop will address those questions and talk about what work as a freelance opinion writer/columnist looks like today — and what it might look like tomorrow.
David Moscrop is an author, postdoctoral fellow in the Department of Communication at UOttawa, writer for Maclean's, and contributing columnist for the Washington Post.
Saturday January 5, 2019 10:00am - 11:00am MST
Spectrum 2
In this workshop we will walk through how disinformation on the internet spreads and what tools you can use to find it, trace it, and write about it. (Responsibly.) We will focus on social media investigations and online databases. Bring your laptop and come awake.
Jane Lytvynenko is a journalist with BuzzFeed News, where she covers online misinformation. Her work focuses on analyzing the spread of fake news, digital deception, and the rise of hyperpartisanship through online platforms. She has written about illegal online drug sales, cryptocurrency... Read More →
Saturday January 5, 2019 10:00am - 11:00am MST
Spectrum 1
Chris Turner draws on more than 15 years reporting on climate change solutions to discuss how the climate beat has moved from margin to mainstream, how to navigate one of the most heavily politicized topics in journalism, and why the news media still fails to understand how people (not the planet) are at the centre of the climate change story.
Chris Turner is a long-form journalist and bestselling author based in Calgary. His latest book The Patch: The People, Pipelines and Politics of the Oil Sands won the 2018 National Business Book Award.
Saturday January 5, 2019 10:00am - 11:00am MST
Spectrum 3
One-on-one critiques give you a chance to sit down with an industry professional and have them give you helpful feedback on your work. If you are interested in critiques, please fill out this short google form. It'll ask you for your name and contact info, as well as allow you to upload or link to the piece you'd like critiqued.
Critique registration closes on Sunday, December 30 at 11:59 MST. All critiques will be done by pre-registration only.
Many long-form journalism stories are well-suited for an even longer format, and lots of journalists are taking the time to tell their stories between hard covers. But behind the scenes, there’s a lot that goes into book publishing, from proposals to agents to contracts to editors. This panel of authors (or soon-to-be authors) will discuss everything you need to know about the process of writing a book.
Calgary journalist Marcello Di Cintio is the author of four books, most recently Pay No Heed to the Rockets: Palestine in the Present Tense. Di Cintio’s magazine writing has appeared in publications in Canada and abroad.
Taylor Lambert is a freelance longform journalist and the author of several books, including “Darwin’s Moving,” an exploration of class divides in Calgary through the lens of the moving industry that won the W.O. Mitchell Book Prize. His new podcast, The Calgarian, launches... Read More →
Saturday January 5, 2019 11:00am - 12:00pm MST
Spectrum 3
Lifestyle reporting is often seen as the fluffy stuff — food, arts, shopping, home decor and more. But the best lifestyle reporting layers on different perspectives including not only culture but also pretty much any hard news angle you can think of. Find out how to find the hard edges of the fluffy stories to write better lifestyle pieces.
Käthe Lemon is the editor-in-chief of Avenue magazine in Calgary. She has worked as a magazine editor and writer for 20 years for a range of award-winning publications, and has been at the helm of Avenue since 2007.
Saturday January 5, 2019 11:00am - 12:00pm MST
Spectrum 1
At NASH, Kathryn will talk about the challenge of Teaching and Learning Journalism Today: How can we use questions to help navigate through a world where truth is ever more difficult to find? And what is the role of journalism/journalism education is getting us there?
Professor, Graduate School of Journalism, University of British Columbia
Kathryn Gretsinger is a journalist and senior instructor at the UBC Graduate School of Journalism. She works with students in courses and in project based learning to help them build journalistic skills and practices. Kathryn's research includes knowledge mobilization, podcasts, privacy... Read More →
Saturday January 5, 2019 11:00am - 12:00pm MST
Spectrum 2
Journalists can decide what stories people hear, read and care about. But to what extent should journalists strive for impartiality when selecting which stories to tell? Can journalists be activists? And is it ever possible for a reporter or editor to entirely separate their beliefs from their work? This panel will explore the murky relationship between activism and journalism.
David Beers founded The Tyee. He teaches at UBC’s J-School, was an editor at Mother Jones and Vancouver Sun, and his writing has won awards in the US and Canada.
Mack Lamoureux is a reporter with VICE Canada. His work focuses on right-wing extremism and fringe groups. He was the first journalist to report on the Soldiers of Odin, III% Canada, and Atomwaffen's activity in Canada.
Bashir Mohamed is an Edmonton-based writer. He is interested in Alberta's history and how those legacies connect to the present. Currently, he works as a civil servant and spends his free time cycling or researching historic stories.
James Wilt is a freelance journalist based in Winnipeg, focusing on energy & environmental politics. He holds a journalism degree from Mount Royal University and is currently working on his MA in Geography at the University of Manitoba. He regularly contributes to The Narwhal, and... Read More →
Melanie Woods is a Vancouver-based writer and audio producer. Her work has appeared in the Globe and Mail, Vice, CBC, the Georgia Straight, Slate, This Magazine, and Xtra.
Saturday January 5, 2019 12:00pm - 1:00pm MST
Spectrum 3
After the rush of a breaking news cycle fades, it’s tempting to think your big story is done and it’s time to move on to something else. Drawing from more than a year of reporting on NXIVM, a self-help group accused of sex trafficking, Sarah Berman will speak on how to break a big story down into a series, which can form the basis of a book proposal.
Sarah Berman is a senior editor at VICE Canada who is working with Penguin Canada on a book about a secretive self-help group accused of sex trafficking.
Saturday January 5, 2019 12:00pm - 1:00pm MST
Spectrum 2
The necessity of social media to newsrooms is no longer theoretical — any modern day newsroom that doesn't take social seriously is bound to fail. But who is going above and beyond to bring social thinking into newsrooms? This is a discussion of the best in class, and where it's all going.
Elamin Abdelmahmoud is a news curation editor for BuzzFeed News. He's also a culture panelist for CBC radio's q, and a current affairs commentator for CBC news. Find him at @elamin88.
Saturday January 5, 2019 12:00pm - 1:00pm MST
Spectrum 1
Stories about hate are becoming more prominent, including on Canadian university campuses. This panel will discuss why exposing hateful people and organizations is important, how technology can be used to aid investigations and how to keep yourself safe while interacting with these groups as a journalist. Stick around later in the afternoon for a hands-on workshop that will continue the conversation started in this panel.
Mack Lamoureux is a reporter with VICE Canada. His work focuses on right-wing extremism and fringe groups. He was the first journalist to report on the Soldiers of Odin, III% Canada, and Atomwaffen's activity in Canada.
The Canadian Anti-Hate Network (antihate.ca) is a non-profit organization which monitors hate groups and their activities in Canada. Our advisory group is made up of Canada’s leading experts on hate groups and hate crimes, including human rights lawyers, academics, journalists, court-recognized experts, and leaders in targeted... Read More →
Alheli Picazo is a freelance writer and researcher whose columns appear at the CBC and Maclean's. Other bylines include Ottawa Citizen, National Post, Vice, and Canadaland.
Saturday January 5, 2019 2:00pm - 3:00pm MST
Spectrum 3
Your school's campus is jampacked with stories, many of which are hidden in the numbers. Decode your administration's workings with these practical tips for campus reporters.
Rachel Ward is a Calgary-based journalist with CBC. She has a master's degree in investigative journalism from the University of King's College, and specializes in data journalism and freedom-of-information.
Saturday January 5, 2019 2:00pm - 3:00pm MST
Spectrum 1
Canadian media is headquartered in Toronto and other big cities. We know this. But there are incredible opportunities to be had, and important reporting that needs doing, further afield. Yukon-based freelancer Eva Holland shares the pros and cons, the opportunities and the costs, of heading to the margins.
Journalism is precarious work. Seemingly never-ending cuts have eliminated thousands of jobs in Canadian newsrooms over the last decade, while freelance work suffers from the uncertainty of securing assignments — and that’s if you can get your editors to pay you on time. Adding on the intense burnout that journalism can cause, many decide to leave the profession to find employment elsewhere. This panel of former journalists will discuss why they moved on and how to know when it’s time to make the transition out of the newsroom.
Jamie Gradon is a Calgary writer, editor and communications professional working in public policy. A former journalist, she’s spent time in newsrooms in Saskatoon, Toronto and Calgary, where she worked as a health reporter, feature writer and digital producer and once got “blammo... Read More →
Tyler Hellard is a commercial copywriter who has written about technology, media and culture for THIS, Avenue, The Walrus and CBC. His debut novel was published last year and a collection of essays is scheduled for 2020.
On Deborah Tetley's first day of journalism school, the professor warned the class that less than one per cent of the students sitting in the lecture hall would find a job at a daily newspaper. She was fortunate enough to work at three major dailies, including 15 years at the Calgary... Read More →
Saturday January 5, 2019 3:00pm - 4:00pm MST
Spectrum 3
Great photojournalism can make or break a story, and lately, it seems everyone needs to become a photographer. In this session, we'll discuss how to take great photos with whatever tools you have available and what's the best place to spend a few dollars if you have them. From your phone to DSLRs, it's possible for anyone to pair a great story with a great photo.
Sam Brooks is an engineer turned journalist turned entrepreneur. He caught the bug while spending way more time taking photos for the Gateway than working through differential equations and has since gone on to be CUP president, work on special projects for Postmedia and has now co-founded... Read More →
Saturday January 5, 2019 3:00pm - 4:00pm MST
Studio
Maybe you are wondering… How do I pitch stories that get assigned? How long do I wait to hear? Then what? Are editors inherently soulless, or just frazzled? Learn keys to success from Tyee founding editor David Beers (who also freelanced and would like to believe he possesses a soul).
David Beers founded The Tyee. He teaches at UBC’s J-School, was an editor at Mother Jones and Vancouver Sun, and his writing has won awards in the US and Canada.
Saturday January 5, 2019 3:00pm - 4:00pm MST
Spectrum 2
"We Want No Dark Spots in Alberta." "Petition Protesting Negro Immigration Numerously Signed." "NEGRO INVASION." These are some of the headlines that accompanied early Black settlers in 1900s Alberta. This session will discuss reporting on this wave of immigration and the lessons it brings for modern immigration reporting.
Bashir Mohamed is an Edmonton-based writer. He is interested in Alberta's history and how those legacies connect to the present. Currently, he works as a civil servant and spends his free time cycling or researching historic stories.
Saturday January 5, 2019 3:00pm - 4:00pm MST
Spectrum 1
Universities have yielded some of Canada's biggest news stories in the past few years. While traditional media has virtually monopolized the reporting on all these stories, there's no reason a campus paper can't be the one breaking stories of national interest that explode to 500,000 views on Facebook before the Globe and Mail even has a chance to get its pants on.
Tristin Hopper is an Edmonton-based reporter and columnist for the National Post, a frequent radio and TV commentator and unchallenged creator of Canada’s largest Rice Krispie square. Although he writes all kinds of smart things, his best-read story of all time remains a scientific... Read More →
Saturday January 5, 2019 4:00pm - 5:00pm MST
Spectrum 2
This session is a hands-on workshop with researcher Alheli Picazo and the Canadian Anti-Hate Network on tracking and expose far-right groups in Canada. Participants will learn about the various groups in Canada, how to spot an alt-right neo-Nazi even if they're 'crypto', easy open-source data collection, and techniques to discover who's behind an anonymous account. We'll go through a case study of how we exposed a neo-Nazi propagandist and then open our laptops to go through examples of the social media presence of various hate groups. We will also briefly cover what our courts and law enforcement might consider 'hate speech'. It's our goal that by the end of the session participants should have the foundation to start finding their own stories.
The Canadian Anti-Hate Network (antihate.ca) is a non-profit organization which monitors hate groups and their activities in Canada. Our advisory group is made up of Canada’s leading experts on hate groups and hate crimes, including human rights lawyers, academics, journalists, court-recognized experts, and leaders in targeted... Read More →
Alheli Picazo is a freelance writer and researcher whose columns appear at the CBC and Maclean's. Other bylines include Ottawa Citizen, National Post, Vice, and Canadaland.
Saturday January 5, 2019 4:00pm - 5:00pm MST
Studio
In this workshop, Anishinaabe comedian/writer/media maker Ryan McMahon takes you into the making of Thunder Bay, the nuance of Indigenous storytelling, and how powerful partnerships with Indigenous creatives, communities, and Nations can be to change the discourse in mainstream media.
Ryan McMahon is an Anishinaabe comedian, writer, media maker and community activator from Couchiching First Nation in Treaty 3 Territory. Recognized as Indian Country's most decorated stand up comedians, Ryan has recorded five national comedy specials since 2010, appeared at the prestigious... Read More →
Saturday January 5, 2019 4:00pm - 5:00pm MST
Spectrum 1
The secrecy of Canadian public institutions, including universities, is one of the biggest barriers faced by the news media in this country. Journalism professor and former investigative reporter Sean Holman will show how you can penetrate that secrecy with freedom of information requests, allowing you to obtain exclusive information that makes headlines and serves the public good.
Sean Holman is a journalism professor at Mount Royal University who studies the history of freedom of information in Canada. He is also an award-winning investigative reporter and documentary filmmaker.
Saturday January 5, 2019 4:00pm - 5:00pm MST
Spectrum 3
Leah Hennel will talk about how to find visual stories and work on passion documentary projects. She'll discuss how to carve out a niche in a changing industry and how to gain access to communities by building trust with your subjects.
Leah Hennel, a Postmedia staff photojournalist/videographer has been following her lens for more than 20 years. It's taken the award-winning photographer everywhere, from rural Alberta to the Olympic Games. The Calgarian will be chatting about the importance of visual storytellin... Read More →
Saturday January 5, 2019 5:00pm - 6:00pm MST
Spectrum 1
Susanne Craig is an investigative reporter at The New York Times. She writes about the intersection of money and politics and for the past three years has been covering Donald Trump and his finances. She was the reporter who in 2016 was mailed pages of Mr. Trump's 1995 tax returns and was one of the authors of the investigation The Times published in 2018 that found the president received hundreds of millions of dollars from his father, some of it through fraudulent tax schemes. Previously, Ms. Craig was a reporter at The Wall Street Journal and worked at The Globe and Mail.
Ms. Craig was the lead reporter on a team of writers who were finalists for the Pulitzer Prize for national affairs reporting for their coverage of the fall of Lehman Brothers and the financial crisis. She is also the recipient of a National Newspaper Award and Michener Award. Ms. Craig is a graduate of the University of Calgary and got her start in journalism at The Gauntlet, the university's student newspaper.
Susanne Craig is an investigative reporter at The New York Times. She writes about the intersection of money and politics and for the past three years has been covering Donald Trump and his finances. She was the reporter who in 2016 was mailed pages of Mr. Trump's 1995 tax returns... Read More →
Saturday January 5, 2019 6:00pm - 7:30pm MST
Spectrum 3/4
Ryan McMahon is an Anishinaabe comedian, writer, media maker and community activator from Couchiching First Nation in Treaty 3 Territory. Recognized as Indian Country's most decorated stand up comedians, Ryan has recorded five national comedy specials since 2010, appeared at the prestigious... Read More →
Saturday January 5, 2019 7:00pm - 9:00pm MST
Spectrum 3/4
Doors open at 9:00 p.m. No cover. Come and mingle with fellow NASH attendees and speakers! There will also be a DJ from CJSW 90.9, a Calgary's community and campus radio station, plus food and drinks on menu.
Saturday January 5, 2019 10:00pm - Sunday January 6, 2019 2:00am MST
Trolley 5 Brewpub728 17 Ave SW, Calgary, AB T2T 4M2
Closing plenary will take place at The Kahanoff Centre in room #208. The Kahanoff Centre is across the street from Hotel Arts — leaving the front door, hang a right, cross Centre St. and The Kahanoff Centre will be the first building on the right.
Below is information about plenary from Erik Preston, CUP president:
Q: What is plenary and why should I care? A: Plenary is the backbone of NASH, and the reason why it exists. As a non-profit in Canada, we are required by law to hold an annual general meeting (AGM) with members in order to complete several procedural tasks (approval of our financial statements, our auditor for the following year, etc.). Given the logistical and financial nightmare that would come along with organizing an AGM for student papers across our massive country, CUP has made it a part of NASH so that we are able to achieve a quorum of members and maintain our status as a non-profit in Canada. Outside of the boring procedural matters, plenary is the opportunity for members to guide the direction of the organization for the next year and beyond. Every member has the opportunity to put forward motions that will guide the board’s directive for the following year and to discuss and change the guiding principles of the organization. For example, last year at plenary we amended the CUP fee structure for all members, struck a committee to examine the organizations policies and procedures and got tons of useful feedback from membership that helped to guide the projects that this year’s board has pursued for the benefit of membership. It is also the time when we elect our board for the following year and choose the location and hosts of NASH for the following year. If you are interested in serving on the CUP board of directors or placing a bid to host NASH, you must attend Sunday plenary to put your name forward and speak to your candidacy. Q: How long will it last? A: The length of plenary has varied over the year. We usually begin at 10 a.m. on Sunday morning (as long as we meet quorum). The meeting will last approximately 6 hours, with breaks throughout. While it is ideal to be there for the entire meeting, its okay if you have to leave at some point during the meeting to catch a flight, but please let us know ahead of time. We also have a mid-week plenary, usually on day two of NASH. This is a one to two hour session that we ask each paper to send a representative to, ideally the person(s) will also be attending Sunday plenary. At this session, we usually set the agenda for Sunday plenary so we can ensure a smoother, more successful meeting that will end at a reasonable time. Q: What should I do if I can’t attend? A: You are allowed to proxy your vote to another paper should you not be able to attend plenary. However, if you know you aren’t able to attend plenary, you should consider this throughout NASH as you look for someone to proxy your vote to. Ideally you should proxy to a paper with the same interests as you, and one that you trust will have your best interests at heart when casting your votes. Either that, or one that will communicate each vote to you for you to send your decision to. If you need to proxy, please have this arranged before Sunday plenary begins at 10 a.m. As a CUP member, it is your duty to attend plenary, especially if you have taken advantage of the cheaper delegate fees that members have access to. We are a very old organization that owes its success to the deep involvement of its members throughout its 81-year history. For the past couple years, attendance at plenary has been lower than in past years. This is not good for the health of our organization. We need the feedback of our members to guide our organization and to help it to continue to succeed. Please try your best to plan your travel arrangements around plenary. If this truly isn’t possible, then please proxy your vote.
Sunday January 6, 2019 10:00am - 4:00pm MST
Off-Site
