The Canadian Journalism Foundation (CJF) is proud to announce the six inaugural recipients of the CJF-CP News Creator Fellowships, offered in partnership with The Canadian Press (CP).
The recipients of the six-week paid fellowships, open to recent graduates of Canadian post-secondary journalism programs, are:
- Willa Easton, of Toronto and the Blue Mountains, Ont.;
- Angelina Havaris, of Toronto and London, Ont.;
- Jacqueline Newsome, of Halifax;
- Fatima Raza, of Toronto;
- Noah Trenton, of Mississauga, Ont. ; and
- Janessa Ventura-Alvarenga, of London, Ont.
“We’re at a crucial moment and, as storytellers, it’s never been more important for us to ensure we’re providing credible, relevant, compelling journalism,” says Richard Bloom, director of audio and video at The CP. “As Canada’s trusted news leader, The Canadian Press is ideally positioned to train these emerging journalists. I’m excited to have them join our newsroom and watch them grow.”
Supported by YouTube Canada and the Google News Initiative, the fellowships represent a unique opportunity to participate in building the future of local news. Fellows will receive comprehensive training and mentorship from The CP’s editors and journalists, focusing on the creation of engaging local news video.
“I’m thrilled to see this fellowship being made available and to have the Canadian Press as a partner,” says Owen Leitch, jury member and senior producer at CTV National News. “To see young people having these opportunities and creating video journalism with the support of a major news agency is really important and encouraging.”
In addition to valuable training on compelling content creation, fellows will receive a $5,500 stipend.
The 2025 fellows will be recognized at the CJF Awards ceremony on June 12 at the Fairmont Royal York in Toronto.
Thanks to the generous support of YouTube Canada and the Google News Initiative for their sponsorship of this program.
The CJF-CP News Creator Fellowship jury members are:
- Richard Bloom, Director, Audio & Video, The Canadian Press;
- Owen Leitch, Senior Producer, CTV National News;
- Tchadas Leo, Host/Producer at CHEK TV;
- Natalie Turvey, President and Executive Director, CJF; and
- Charmaine Wong, Supervising Producer – Video Content, The Canadian Press.
CIBC is the presenting sponsor of the 2025 CJF Awards.
The 2025 CJF Awards are also supported by Google News Initiative, Labatt Breweries of Canada, McCain Foods, Intact, TD Bank Group, CBC/Radio-Canada, Aritzia, BMO Financial Group, Canada Life, Sobeys, Scotiabank, RBC, FGS Longview Communications, KPMG, Canadian Bankers Association, 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, WSP. 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.
