The CJF Bursary for BIPOC Student Journalists
The CJF Bursary for BIPOC Student Journalists Winner
TORONTO, May 23, 2025 /CNW/ – The Canadian Journalism Foundation (CJF) is proud to announce that Alexa Toguri-Laurin of Concordia University in Montreal will receive the 2025 CJF Bursary for BIPOC Student Journalists.
Funded by Media Profile, an independent Canadian public relations firm, the $5,000 bursary aims to support racialized journalism students, a group that has historically been underrepresented in the industry.
Toguri-Laurin, an award-winning student journalist intends to bring what she learned reporting on Montreal’s Chinese community for school assignments and The Link newspaper to reporting on her own Japanese-Montreal community, focusing on the survival of Japanese-Canadians in Second World War internment camps. “We make up only 0.1 per cent of Montreal’s population,” she notes, “yet we possess so many stories and perspectives that have not been shared.”
Says Alison King, president of award sponsor MediaProfile: “We are happy to support Alexa’s goal of pursuing stories and issues around accessibility and intergenerational trauma that are important to the Japanese-Canadian community. We’re proud that BIPOC student journalists can benefit from our support through this bursary.”
For her part, selection committee member Amber LeBlanc says: “Alexa shows a commitment to bravely telling independent stories in her community and a real aptitude for chasing and detailing local news and is shining an important light on topics relevant to Montreal. I look forward to seeing where she takes her storytelling next.”
Toguri-Laurin will be recognized at the CJF Awards on June 12, at the Royal York Hotel in Toronto.
CIBC is the presenting sponsor of the 2025 CJF Awards.
The CJF also thanks supporters Google News Initiative, Rogers Communications, Labatt Breweries of Canada, McCain Foods, Intact, TD Bank Group, CBC/Radio-Canada, Aritzia, BMO Financial Group, CTV News, Canada Life, Sobeys, Scotiabank, RBC, FGS Longview Communications, KPMG, Canadian Bankers Association, WSP, Jackman Foundation, Canadian Medical Association, Accenture, Aga Khan Development Network, Apple Canada News, Bennett Jones LLP, Blakes, Canadian Women’s Foundation, CPP Investments, Loblaw Companies Ltd., Maple Leaf Foods, OLG, Rishi Nolan Strategies, TD Securities, Uber, Greenrock Real Estate Advisors, CDPQ, Zai Mamdani/Mamdani Family Foundation, North Horizon, Toronto Star, The Globe and Mail and Massey College.
In-kind sponsorship is provided by Beehive Design, The Canadian Press, Bespoke Audio Visual, MLSE and Porter Airlines.
Cision is the exclusive distribution partner of the CJF.
About The Canadian Journalism Foundation
Founded in 1990, The Canadian Journalism Foundation promotes, celebrates and facilitates excellence in journalism. The foundation runs a prestigious awards and fellowships program featuring an industry gala where news leaders, journalists and corporate Canada gather to celebrate outstanding journalistic achievement and the value of professional journalism. Through monthly J-Talks, a public speakers’ series, the CJF facilitates dialogue among journalists, business people, academics and students about the role of the media in Canadian society and the ongoing challenges for media in the digital era. The foundation also fosters opportunities for journalism education, training and research.
About Media Profile
Media Profile is a complete communications agency based in Toronto. As Canada’s largest employee-owned agency, Media Profile sparks conversations with relevance and curiosity. Media Profile is proudly independent and represents a range of clients from top international brands to Indigenous governments and not-for-profit organizations.
For more information, please contact: Natalie Turvey, President and Executive Director, The Canadian Journalism Foundation, nturvey@cjf-fjc.ca
