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September 2 016
First Week 2016 in Photos and Social
RSJ welcomes the class of 2020











It  has become a fall tradition  around  the Ryerson School of Journalism that orientation week becomes a trending topic on Twitter.

The school welcomed some 130 new first year students into the Bachelor of Journalism on Aug. 30, and the enthusiasm showed that day continued into the program's  frosh  days throughout the rest of the week  ( full story ). 
Rogers Visiting Journalist 
Sharing real-life experiences: Duncan McCue

CBC journalist  Duncan McCue is teaching students how to navigate situations where reporting practices come in conflict with Indigenous customs.

His appointment comes nine months after the Truth and Reconciliation Commission called on  media and journalism schools to educate students about Indigenous history in Canada, an action that McCue says he is "thrilled" about (full story). 
ONA Nomination for Indigenous Issues Reports
Masters project  gets nod from ONA

During the 2016 Winter semester, Ryerson professor Asmaa Malik dedicated her masters level digital reporting class to working on Indigenous people's stories - as reported by J-Source. 

The result is "This is a Canadian Issue," a microsite dedicated to telling a wide variety of stories about Indigenous people, from the revitalization of Indigenous languages to an interactive story on the importance of reclaiming traditional naming practices .

In August, the project was named as a finalist for the David Teeuwen Student Journalism Award (large) for the 2016 Online News Association Awards

"I'm so proud of the hard work my students put into the project. It wasn't always easy for them to find subjects and stories but they really came through in the end with great stories that reflect the TRC's Calls to Actions on health, language, education, culture. Journalists for Human Rights' Miles Kenyon and Hannah Clifford offered tremendous support for the project with JHR's Indigenous Reporters initiative and the RSJ's Lindsay Smith and Sally Goldberg Powell made everything come together so strikingly," said Malik (full story). 
New Faces 
Chair ushers in school year with new instructors

 
Janice Neil says she can't believe how many fantastic, experienced journalists are interested in teaching journalism at Ryerson.

The chair of the program met with many instructors over the past couple of years and when part-time jobs were advertised last spring, 14 new instructors  were hired for this academic year. Ten are teaching this fall and the others start in the winter semester.

Dozens of candidates with a broad range of digital skills and teaching experience applied. It was a process that happened over a six-week period in June and July.

Neil was appointed as chair, effective July 1, for a three-year term. She was previously the associate chair to former RSJ Chair Ivor Shapiro, who is currently on sabbatical   ( full story ).
Research News
Study focuses on how mental health stories are shared on social media
 
News stories that deal with mental health-related recovery and treatment are shared much more frequently than stories about mental health and violence, according to new research by a Ryerson University journalism professor.

The study by Gavin Adamson examined the content of articles dealing with mental health and how they were shared across digital platforms such as Facebook and Twitter.

"There's sort of this assumption that what bleeds leads in journalism," said Adamson, who co-authored the report with McGill University's Robert Whitley and Liam Donaldson, a research assistant at Ryerson. "It's like this catchphrase. I don't know who coined it, but it's what the audience believes about journalism and it's sometimes what journalists believe about journalism too."  ( full story ).   
Ryerson Journalism Alumni Association

Get involved with the Ryerson Journalism Alumni Association

This year, the Ryerson Journalism Alumni Association's annual general meeting will be held on Oct. 1 from 10 a.m. until noon at the Rogers Communication Centre. Elections are being held for several positions. More info here

Upcoming event

What:  The Evolving Newsroom: Storytelling to reach
 new audiences
Who:  Natalie Alcoba - Managing Editor, VICE News Canada
When: Saturday, October 1st from 10 a.m. until noon
Where: Ryerson University Campus (Rogers Communication Centre - The Venn, RCC103)

Breakfast will be served. Get your ticket today! More info here
RSJ Voices
Video: Grads reflect on j-school experience 
















 Filipe Masetti Leite (RSJ '11)

Watch all RSJ Voices interviews  here.
Grads at Work
Jacky Habib
(RSJ  '11)
Currently: 
Reporter, Nation Media Group
Founder, New Lens Travel 


How has your time at Ryerson and J-School helped you now?

Studying journalism at Ryerson was great because it's such a hands-on learning environment that prepared me for a career in media. It helps that Ryerson's J-School is well-known and respected in the industry. In fact, back when I applied for the media training position in Ghana, one of my former instructors from the journalism program gave me a reference (shout out to Gary Gould) which I'm sure it helped me land the gig. I think where I am right now is directly linked to time I spent and connections I made in J-school (full story). 

Grads at Work is an occasional series of profiles of RSJ alums. If you know of a notable grad you'd like to see featured, send us an email at office.journalism@ryerson.ca.
In This Issue
Quick Links
RRJ
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Connect with us 

Catch up on the latest RSJ news on social media. Follow us on FacebookTwitter and Instagram

In Session
In Session website

The site is home to interactive course descriptions, examples of course work, and access to training materials for students enrolled in journalism classes.

RSJ Wire
The RSJ WIRE (www.rsjwire.ca and @rsj_wire) distributes our students' best work from j-school courses, internships, course partnerships and freelance work. 

Alumni

Don't be a stranger!

Alumni can stay connected in several ways: 
  • Volunteer to be your newsroom's contact to help us stay in touch or find partnership opportunities. 
  • Contribute to J-Source, Canada's journalism portal, whose editorial centre is now housed at Ryerson. 
  • Join other alumni to foster journalism in the developing world, starting in the winter of 2015 (see above).
  • Take a tour of the School. 
Whatever your choice, let us know and we'll be in touch.

Upcoming Events
September 20, 2016
Kamoga Hassan's 2014 film "Outed: The Painful Reality"  is a hard-hitting dramatization about the dangers of homophobic media reporting in Uganda. See the film and meet the director.  More info  here .
(RCC 103 - The Venn, 80 Gould St.) 12p.m.-2p.m.
September 30, 2016
Language Matters: Why the Words Journalist Use Are So Important - panel discussion
( The Venn - RCC103,  80 Gould St.)   11:30a.m.- 1p.m. 
October 1, 2016
Ryerson Journalism Alumni annual general meeting and speaker, Natalie Alcoba - Managing Editor, VICE News Canada.  More info here
( The Venn - RCC103,  80 Gould St.)    10a.m.-12p.m. 
October 4, 2016
Covering Traumatic Events - panel discussion
( The Venn - RCC103,  80 Gould St.)  4p.m.- 5:30p.m. 

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