CBC Manitoba’s Community Advisory Board: How it’s going so far
It’s an exciting new pilot for CBC that, if successful, could provide a template for the public broadcaster’s other stations across Canada.
Hey y’all! Anita here. For this edition’s intro, I want to take the opportunity to make a heartfelt request to you, dear subscriber. Since launching The Other Wave in September 2020, I’ve seen this newsletter grow and attract a readership that encompasses journalism leaders around the world, including at the biggest institutions here in Canada and beyond. I’m grateful that many of you seem to find my insights on media innovation valuable, often forwarding my bimonthly missives to your colleagues and sending me kind notes. 🙏
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Last spring, I announced that CBC Manitoba had contracted me to consult on the development of a new community advisory board to better inform the way its journalists cover the province, and reflect the communities they serve. It’s an exciting new pilot for CBC that, if successful, could provide a template for the public broadcaster’s other stations across Canada.
It’s been almost a year since then, so I wanted to provide an update on our progress. Here’s what’s happened so far:
May 2021
Consultation begins. I work closely with CBC’s then-Manitoba community engagement producer who spearheaded this process and led ongoing engagement journalism work at the station.
CBC Manitoba makes a public call for Community Advisory Board applications.
June 2021
I meet the Community Advisory Board selection committee members, and talk to them about selection bias, outlining the factors the members should be mindful of when assessing applicants. I emphasize that people are complex and nuanced, so we want to ensure the board is diverse and inclusive across multiple factors. So, I highlight underserved geographic and identity-based communities across the province that CBC Manitoba can better serve; we look at news deserts, race and ethnicity, gender and sexual orientation, age, employment sector, and socioeconomic background. In addition, the engagement producer provides an overview for the timelines, process and criteria for the initial application screening, as well as the applicant interviews.
July 2021
The selection committee begins reviewing the applications, and selects their top candidates.
September 2021
We narrow the applicants down to a shortlist.
November 2021
Applicant interviews begin, and are conducted over Zoom.
December 2021
We narrow the applicants down to a final list.
January 2022
CBC Manitoba officially unveils its 19-person Community Advisory Board.
Seid Ahmed, a former journalist from Ethiopia who works as the director of (re)settlement and integration support for Manitoba Association of Newcomer Serving Organizations.
Dieth Aquino de Leon, a Filipino, non-binary health-care worker who is passionate about social work and mental health issues.
Jennifer Brisson, who works with inmates across Manitoba through her role as program manager with Initiatives for Just Communities.
Amy Chegus, a mother of four who has lived in various parts of Manitoba.
Patty Douglas, an education researcher at Brandon University and mother of a son with autism.
Anna Marie Gobenciong, a former journalist for the Manila Broadcasting Company in the Philippines.
Izzeddin Hawamda, a teacher who was raised in the West Bank and a co-founder of Gaser-Bridge (a Palestinian/Israeli interfaith dialogue group).
Alia Harb, a longtime community volunteer.
Doretta Harris, who currently serves as the interim regional director for the Winnipeg Regional Health Authority/Shared Health Indigenous Health Program.
Shannon Huynh, who was born and raised in Winnipeg.
Kristine Janz, a school division trustee who hopes to bring a rural perspective to the board.
Paula Keirstead, a community advocate/activist and woman living with a disability.
Naomi Ruth Letkemann, a lifelong Winnipegger who has worked with many non-profit organizations in the city after leaving a career as a teacher.
Raj Maniar, who has been in the bar and restaurant industry for 25 years.
Garret Munch, who has a background in biochemical engineering and works for the Public Health Agency of Canada.
Felicita Ovadje, a lawyer and beauty entrepreneur.
Allan Pineda, one of the founders of the non-profit organization Kultivation Festival FAMD (Food, Art, Music, Dance) and a member of the Filipino and cannabis communities in Manitoba.
Bobbi Thompson, a volunteer and organizer of several initiatives in northern Manitoba.
Brandi Woodhouse, an Anishiniaabe Ikwe from Pinaymootang First Nation who is the owner and founder of RezGal Lashes Inc.
In this next phase of the community advisory board’s development, I’ll be consulting CBC Manitoba on how to conduct and structure the meetings. I’m also working closely with host Nadia Kidwai and executive producer Bertram Schneider to strategize how to meaningfully incorporate the board’s feedback into CBC Manitoba’s editorial workflow. Stay tuned to The Other Wave for more updates…
Paid opportunities: TGL Fellows and feature reporters
The Green Line is currently looking for a talented investigative and/or feature reporter based in Toronto who specializes in labour issues. We offer competitive freelance rates, and are interested in long-form pitches that tackle a systemic labour issue in the city through a solutions lens.
The Green Line is also hiring Business Development Innovation Fellows, as well as News Innovation Fellows who are interested in reporting on digital communities, e/sports and sneakers, especially through a Toronto lens. I’m prioritizing applicants who identify as being from underrepresented communities in Toronto, which in this context means people who don’t see themselves reflected in legacy local media.
If you want to learn more about either of these opportunities, feel free to contact me for more information. Or if you’re interested, please send me your resume, cover letter and links to three clips (multimedia is preferred for Fellows applicants and longform is preferred for labour-reporter applicants).
In my community
I’m thrilled to share that I was elected Secretary of the Online News Association’s board of directors last month! It’ll be my first time assuming a leadership role as an officer for ONA.
Apply for the 100-day Entrepreneurial Journalism Creators Program where you’ll learn how to build your own news product alongside a select group of international peers. Deadline to apply for the spring 2022 program is Feb. 11.
Here’s a snapshot of last week’s kickoff event, Building Community Trust, for RSA Canada’s Changemaker Series where we explored how to build systems that support sustainable and purposeful futures. Thanks to the panellists and my co-organizers for helping create an inspiring and engaging atmosphere.
Cool stuff I like
Listen to Culture Shift, a podcast hosted by Canadian writer and curator Devyani Saltzman, which interviews thinkers, activists, innovators and artists who defy the status quo through systems-oriented creative work in all kinds of fields.
Everyone’s talking about Showtime’s Yellowjackets, which follows a high-school girls’ championship soccer team as they survive a plane crash in the Ontario wilderness and descend into cannibalism. If you enjoy ‘90s nostalgia with a strong dose of feminism and Lord of the Flies vibes, this is the show for you.
For a post-Yellowjackets palate cleanser, check out The Afterparty, a laugh-out-loud murder-mystery comedy show created by Christopher Miller of Lego Movie fame. It also stars the incomparable Tiffany Haddish alongside a stellar cast of comedic actors.
How you can support The Other Wave
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