Every year, I speak to winners of Concordia’s journalism school awards as they’re presented at the Montreal Gazette offices. Today, this year’s winner of the Philip Fisher bursary, Aviva Lessard.

Aviva Lessard

Normally at the bottom of these things I try to plug a Twitter account or website or Instagram or something so people can follow these aspiring journalists’ careers. But Aviva Lessard gave me a bit of an embarrassed shrug because she hasn’t set up an online presence for herself yet. She’s promised to get working on that. She asked what form (Twitter, Facebook, website) that should take, and I noted that the younguns these days do the Instagramming more than Twitter, but really the more the merrier as far as social platforms.

(UPDATE: She’s since fixed that. See below.)

In the meantime, you can read her articles at The Concordian, or this documentary she did about waste management in Victoria, or this project that tells the story of the Oka crisis through a series of maps.

Lessard was an anthropology student at the University of Victoria, but grew up in Montreal. While at UVic she held jobs including production coordinator at its radio station CFUV. Among her functions there was to edit this podcast for use on the radio at CFUV and other campus and community radio stations. She’s not sure if I’ve ever heard of it. It’s called “Canadaland.”

Something about media, I think.

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Every year, I speak to winners of Concordia’s journalism school awards as they’re presented at the Montreal Gazette offices. Today, this year’s winner of the Enn Raudsepp award, Amanda Henderson Jones.

Amanda Henderson Jones

I know what you’re thinking. She looks like her name is Amanda Jones and she’s a sorority girl who gives beauty tips on her own YouTube channel. And … okay, that’s true, BUT she also has a degree in criminology and is planning to go to law school.

The 22-year-old from Barrie (actually Midhurst, Ont., a suburb just north of it), Jones studied criminology and sociology at Western University (you know, that geographically-challenged university that used to be called the University of Western Ontario even though it’s not in western Ontario).

She’s not trying to be pretentious with the triple name, but just try Googling “Amanda Jones” and there’s a sea of them, from “America’s favorite dog photographer” to a 19th-century inventor to Miss USA 1973 to a Kansas insurance agent to a Scottish lawyer to a San Francisco writer/photographer to an actress to a different actress to a New Zealand public health researcher to a Texas painter to a Seattle medical educator to a Missouri mom of a missing girl to a British racing cyclist to a University of Waterloo PhD candidate to a Rolling Stones song (and a Lea Thompson character from an 80s movie it was used in). And that’s just a couple of pages of Google results. I could go on for a while here.

“To not be one of the million Amanda Joneses, all my work I’ve gone under Amanda Henderson Jones,” the Amanda Jones I talked to said. “It’s my mom’s maiden name.”

What got you into journalism?

I always liked writing. When I was in high school I took a journalism course, honestly because my debate coach was the teacher and you’re supposed to be doing debate work during the course, but I ended up really loving it. She gave me a lot of freedom when it came to the type of work I was doing — pure journalism but a lot of parody writing and comedic writing and things that I loved.

So I ended up applying to Carleton journalism on a whim; it was the school I wanted to go to the most in my undergrad. I got in with a very big scholarship and my father suggested I go to business school instead. So I went to business school! I went to Western, I was originally in the Ivey Business School. It was a program that you were supposed to start your third year and when it came to the third year I was like ‘I don’t want to do this.’

To backtrack a little bit, after doing economics, accounting, all numbers, I was missing a creative outlet. So at the end of first year I decided to apply for Her Campus [a website for “for the empowered college woman”], the Western chapter, where I started as just a general writer. I really, really loved it. So that year, my second year, I became a chapter adviser for Her Campus. which is where you oversee seven chapters and advise them on writing and day-to-day and sort of be their connection between Her Campus chapter and national, and at the end of the year I was elected editor in chief for their chapter. And then around the same time I had been following this blog called Total Sorority Move since I was in high school, writing all these parodies. I decided, again on a whim, I always loved this site, let’s apply for a job. I ended up getting the job and was a staff writer for two years at TSM, where I did a lot of comedic writing, which is — I mean, I love journalism, but my true love is comedic writing and being funny and different.

Not to continue to say my CV, but around the same time I left the Western chapter and moved to the national chapter of Her Campus, where I was a style and beauty writer as well as a national intern, and it sort of got to the point in my undergrad — because my undergrad is in criminology and sociology — it really got to the point that just 90% of my time was journalism. So I decided to apply to Concordia. This program seemed amazing, and I’ve put so many years into journalism and wanted to study journalism for such a long time that [I thought] I should just do it. And so that’s kind of what made me do it, was just years of all these different types of writing that I was like I should really give it a shot and if I don’t study it now, when am I gonna study it?

What kind of journalism do you see yourself doing?

So I am hoping to go to law school after this, and ideally I would like to be doing some sort of legal reporting, that feeds my major in criminology into it, which really interests me. Now I basically just work all day and then go home and watch crime shows, so if I could just merge the two that would be cool.

Where did the interest in criminology come from?

I wish I knew. I really wish I knew. I’m absolutely fascinated by it. I’m always afraid I’m going to scare people off when they enter my apartment because I just have a bookshelf full of books on serial killers and crime, and my Netflix history knows me very well, I don’t think it suggests a single thing that isn’t murder. My parents are worried about me (laughs). It’s just a real interest of mine and I’m really glad I got to study it in university.

What medium would you see yourself working in?

Definitely writing. As much as I love doing the radio, the broadcast, I love just putting pen to paper.

Do you see yourself doing stories on a daily basis or more magazine writing?

I don’t really know. I think beat reporting interests me when I’m young, but I don’t know if I’d want to carry that on when I’m 40, so I think that whatever happens happens. I’d obviously love to do bigger investigative pieces. I took a course on the wrongfully convicted and taught a seminar on it and that really interests me, the fact that journalism can play such a big part in the wrongfully convicted and helping [innocent] people get off and get out of jail where they shouldn’t be. We’ll see what happens.

How do you see the future of journalism?

That is genuinely scary. With Donald Trump and fake news in one compartment, and bloggers and companies trying to abuse bloggers and not pay people for writing. I mean, the number of times I’ve gotten emails being like ‘We’d love you to do this big job,’ and I talk back and forth about what this job would entail and 10-20 emails down the chain they go ‘Well this is all for free but this will look really good on your resume.’ Well, my resume is actually very good, thank you. You’re not really doing me any favours by asking me to relocate to a new city and start a whole branch for you completely for free.

So I think the world of journalism is really shifting, I think that we need to, as journalists, really assert ourselves and make sure that we let the world know that hey, our profession is very valid and should be valuable, should be paid, and respected, because we all go to school for this, we all put in the all-nighters for this and we’re all very passionate about this and we’re not all just bloggers sitting at home on the computer [Editor’s note: Maybe I should be transcribing this at work instead of on my couch]. We should be respected.

Considering the changing business model of the industry, how optimistic are you of journalism’s future?

I am optimistic. I did get a paying journalism job when I was 19. I think if you find your niche and you find people who value your niche that can never really be replaced.

How can people follow your work?

I am on Instagram, at @amanda_h_jones. If you just Google “Amanda Henderson Jones” everything should come up.

Amanda Henderson Jones is among many students strongly encouraged to apply for the Montreal Gazette summer internship. The deadline is 5pm on Nov. 2.

Every year, I speak to winners of Concordia’s journalism school awards as they’re presented at the Montreal Gazette offices. Today, this year’s winner of the Mike King scholarship, Jon Milton.

Jon Milton, a born-and-bred Montrealer, is a Concordia undergraduate, with a double major in journalism and the School of Community and Public Affairs.

He isn’t pictured here at his request, because he’s done some reporting on some extremist groups (the type that love to make people’s lives hell by releasing personal information about them) and so he likes to keep a low profile. You can read the latest of those stories here. He also collaborated on a Montreal Gazette investigation into neo-Nazis.

What got you into journalism?

After I left high school I wasn’t planning on going back to school. So I worked for a couple of years at call centres and things like that. I guess the short version is that I wanted to go back to school for different reasons because I didn’t want to keep doing that for the rest of my life.

One of the big kickoffs for me was the student movement in 2012. It was just this period that changed the way I looked at the world. I had not been somebody that was interested in politics beforehand, and all of a sudden I saw all these people in the streets who were working together to change the world. So that was a politicizing moment for myself, and brought me back into school, and before I knew it I wanted to become a journalist.

I was trying to become involved in social movements and finding that maybe organizing itself wasn’t for me, it wasn’t something I was particularly great at. But I did realize that I had the talent for writing. So I asked myself what my skillset is and what I can contribute to changing the world around me, to building toward a world that’s more fair for everybody, and I think journalism is a field that does that every day.

What kind of journalism would you like to do?

A lot of what I am doing, which is journalism that reports on social movements, on people that are working to lift up marginalized people, providing a platform so that voices that are typically ignored can have a say, and demystifying the way the world functions so that people understand where they can act and have an impact. That’s one of the major tasks of journalism, to hold powerful institutions’ feet to the fire and lift up voices that are traditionally denied a platform.

Do you see yourself doing more writing or broadcast?

I’ve dabbled in video, I’ve done a little bit of video freelancing, but I’m primarily a writer.

Are there other subjects that interest you that you’d see yourself writing about?

I kind of think everything is political. So when I say political I don’t just necessarily mean political parties, what’s going on in parliament — that type of thing doesn’t actually interest me that much. What I think does interest me is the things people are doing on the ground that are trying to affect the direction that the world around them is taking. That can be everything from people organizing their workplaces, to people who are operating in more clearly defined social movements, to people who are doing anti-poverty work, people who are helping to revive indigenous cultural practices. All of these things, despite being very dissimilar, all (are) political because they’re all about building up people’s capacity to act who are traditionally denied that capacity.

How do you see the future of journalism? How worried are you about the prospect of having a career in this field?

I got into journalism through social movements, so I always was preparing myself that the work I’m going to be doing, I’m never going to be rich off of it. So it’s nice when something like this happens where I get some actual recognition off of it, but I’m also not under any illusion that I’m going to live in a mansion for the rest of my life. I’d rather work in a way that’s principled and fits with the non-monetary goals that I have for what I’d like to do with my life, rather than just doing whatever I can to get myself a job and not feeling the passion that I feel about the field.

Where can people follow you?

I’m on Twitter, at @514jon. I post my articles on there when they come out and occasionally will post about current events.

Milton is among many students strongly encouraged to apply for the Montreal Gazette summer internship. The deadline is 5pm on Nov. 2.

Every year, I speak to winners of Concordia’s journalism school awards as they’re presented at the Montreal Gazette offices. Today, one of the winners of the Enn Raudsepp bursary in 2016, Michael Boriero.

Michael Boriero

I’ve never met Michael Boriero. And he feels really bad about it.

You see, in 2016, when the Montreal Gazette hosted an awards night for Concordia Journalism students, and invited the entire graduate diploma class to attend, Boriero was among some students to skip it.

“I chose to work on a school assignment instead,” he tells me now by email. “Not worth it in hindsight!”

So when his name was called out as the winner of the Enn Raudsepp award, named for (and presented by) the former journalism department chair, there was an awkward oh-he-didn’t-show-up moment. His classmates vowed to ensure he didn’t live it down.

But I won’t hold it against him, except for the public embarrassment of publishing the above paragraphs on the internet. I got his contact info from professor Linda Kay and sent him some questions. (The photo is supplied, since I didn’t get the chance to take his picture either.)

The 27-year-old from Kirkland has a B.A. in history from Concordia, and has worked as a freelance journalist for various publications including the Suburban and WatchMojo. After earning his degree in 2014, he spent a year in Hangzhou, China, teaching English as a second language. Then he came back and entered the journalism diploma program.

Why did you decide to study journalism?

While I was living abroad I knew I wanted to go back to school. I started writing a blog, it was supposed to be weekly but it turned into a monthly thing as I got busier. But I realized that I enjoyed sharing my experiences and telling stories about the students, teachers and people I met while living in China. It wasn’t always easy being away from my friends and family but writing became an outlet for me to unwind and understand what was happening around me. A few months into my stay, my girlfriend sent me a link to the Concordia journalism graduate diploma and I jumped on it as soon as I got back to Montreal.

What does journalism mean to you?

I just think journalism keeps people honest, and curious about the world, or city that they live in, by exposing them to unique stories, people, organizations, etc., that they may have never heard about. But at the same time, through those stories, journalism also opens our eyes to issues of corruption, natural disasters, war zones, and political movements.

What kind of journalism would you like to do?

Since graduation, I’ve mainly done online and print, but I really miss the video and radio aspect of this job. I’ve covered a lot of sports, some arts, politics and general news. I’m not really picky, I like to learn about new and different things, meet new people and share stories around the city. I’ve wanted to start podcasting but I have yet to take the plunge, maybe something revolving around sports, politics and culture.

What other interests do you have that you think you can apply to a career in journalism or a related field?

I like to read just about anything. Recently, I got really into comic books and graphic novels. I find it’s a great medium to learn about scripting and narrative. I’ve also written scripts for a YouTube channel and that has helped me understand the importance of outlining your story before starting to write.

How do you see the future of journalism?

I know the future of journalism has many within the industry worried, but I’m sort of excited to see where it goes. Yes, it feels like journalists are being laid off every other week, and that scares me a bit, but at the same time new opportunities are popping up. As journalists, we’ll probably need to fight harder to tell our stories and hold people accountable. But with mediums like podcasting and The Athletic gaining popularity, I’m inclined to believe people will always want fact-driven, honest, original, and creative storytelling. I think the industry is just enduring an uncomfortable shift.

What have you been up to since receiving your award?

I completed my diploma and I’ve been freelancing ever since. I had a brief stint as a content writer for a marketing company but after several months, I decided to focus all my attention to freelance work. It has been a grind, for sure, but I really love what I do and I wouldn’t have it any other way.

How can people follow your work?

I’m published weekly in The Suburban and online at www.thesuburban.com. I cover local amateur sports and athletes, and I can be found in their arts and entertainment section. I’m also published weekly for the St-Lambert Journal, TMR Journal and Nuns’ Island Journal, where I do features and write about local news. Unfortunately there is no online platform available. My Twitter is @boriero84 and my DMs are always open!

The Montreal Gazette summer internship application deadline is 5pm on Nov. 2.

Every year, I speak to winners of Concordia’s journalism school awards as they’re presented at the Montreal Gazette offices. Today, this year’s winner of the Lewis Harris bursary, Franca Mignacca.

Franca Mignacca

Last week, Franca Mignacca provided an inadvertent demonstration of one of the more important practical rules of journalism: Get people’s names right.

When the Montreal Gazette helps present bursaries to Concordia University journalism students, the way it works is that someone connected with the person the award is named after (usually a family member) gives a little speech about that person and then talks a little about the student receiving the award. The latter part of the speech is basically a summary from the student’s submission for the award, and it’s not double-checked before delivery. Mignacca’s name was massacred while being announced, leading to profuse apologies from just about every adult in the room.

She took it in stride, though.

Another thing about this awards ceremony is that while the entire graduate diploma class is invited, and none of them know who will win awards, some awards are given to undergrads, and the fact that they’re there means they know they’ve already won.

Mignacca, 22, is an undergrad, studying journalism and film. She was news editor and managing editor of The Link at Concordia, and she recently published stories as an intern with CBC Montreal.

Why did you get into journalism?

I don’t know. I guess I’ve always enjoyed writing and I’ve always enjoyed communicating with people, so I feel like this is a profession that allows me to do both. It lets me give voices to people that aren’t necessarily heard otherwise, which means a lot to me.

Do you see yourself incorporating your film studies into journalism?

Initially I chose the minor in film studies because I was really influenced by François Truffaut, who was a French new wave director, and I really wanted to be a film critic and potentially write for the Cahiers du cinéma some day in France. As I started to go through J-school, my interests kind of changed, and as much as I am still passionate about film, I’ve very much become more of a news reporter lately. So who knows, maybe some day I’ll do something with the film studies degree, but for now it’s more of a pastime.

What kind of journalism would you like to do?

I see myself being a multiplatform journalist. I really like radio, TV, web writing and print writing so I see myself honestly doing a bit of everything. In terms of topics to report on, I’ve honestly covered everything from sports to news to arts, so I’m not entirely sure, but if there’s one thing that I’ve covered more than others, I’ve covered a lot of Indigenous issues. I’ve reported on Indigenous communities, especially Kahnawake, and Indigenous initiatives in Montreal and I’d really like to keep doing that.

Is there a particular reason that speaks to you so much?

My first internship was at the Eastern Door [the weekly newspaper serving the Kahnawake community], and I guess that’s why. I really liked it. I feel like they don’t get nearly enough attention in mainstream media and I want to give them more attention.

So you’re entering a field that…

Oh wait, wait wait, can I add something to that?

Sure.

I’m also highly influenced by Christopher Curtis. So that’s another reason.

So you’re entering a field that is in the midst of, let’s say change. How do you see the future of journalism? 

I do think a lot of journalism is going to end up on the web. But I do think that it’s not a dead profession. I think a lot of people think of it as a dead profession, but it’s like I always tell people It’s not necessarily dying. It is changing, it’s going to different mediums. Where you would listen to the radio before now you might listen to a podcast or you read articles online. So I do see it going more online.

Are you worried about the business model?

Not really. I am a little concerned because I am seeing more sponsored content and larger ads taking up space where there would be articles, and smaller issues, and that does concern me a little. But I think that we’re living in a time when news is important and I think people, at least here, at least somewhat recognize that and I do think we’ll find a way to make the profession survive.

What does journalism mean to you?

It sounds cheesy, but honestly journalism to me is both telling people’s stories but also holding authorities accountable and making sure that people aren’t stepped on because they don’t know what’s going on at levels of the government, that they know where their money is going and they’re not taken advantage of.

Where can people follow your work?

On Twitter: @FrancaMignacca

Mignacca is among many students strongly encouraged to apply for the Montreal Gazette summer internship. The deadline is 5pm on Nov. 2.