CJF Black Journalism Fellowship Final Report

 

If someone had told me that I would be doing business journalism after graduating from J-School, I would’ve said it was impossible. But my fellowship with The Globe and Mail challenged me in ways I never expected and taught me the importance of keeping an open mind.

 

This fellowship gave me the keys to walk through doors I never would have had access to. I had never worked in a newsroom before and was terrified people would be cold and uninterested in anything I had to say. Instead, people welcomed me with open arms and constantly made me feel like I belonged.

 

I began on the personal finance team, where I learned how to pitch stories that made complicated financial ideas easier for readers to digest. I later joined the economics team, where I had some of the best interview experiences of my life and worked closely with my editor to turn everyday topics, from thrift stores to my love of coffee, into stories that explored broader economic trends. I entered the world of business journalism knowing nothing about statistics or financial jargon that often made my head spin. One moment that stuck with me was bringing a list of pitches to my editor and watching him find the business angle in ideas I had never considered. It was a lightbulb moment that changed how I think about reporting and reinforced that almost anything can become a business story if you find the right lens.

 

In my final weeks, I joined the Life and Culture team, where I wrote a feature on social media’s impact on Gen-Z’s skincare habits and self-confidence. I also had the chance to try something outside the box by joining The Decibel podcast team. There, I assisted with editing, summaries, live interviews and production meetings. It was a fast-paced, collaborative environment and a fantastic way to end the fellowship while strengthening my audio storytelling skills.

 

Throughout the fellowship, I made a point of asking everyone for coffee, pitching story ideas, asking all the questions and sitting in on conversations and meetings whenever I could. Those interactions helped me build meaningful connections and learn more about the newsroom than I ever expected. This experience reminded me that confidence, curiosity and passion can open more doors than you realize. Before this fellowship, I had a lot of self-doubt and fears about my future as a journalist. Now, I know I belong in this field, and I leave this fellowship as a better journalist.

 

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