J-Source launches International Reporting Bureau
Students at Toronto’s Humber College will provide ongoing reporting on how Canadian news outlets cover the world, as well as regular travel advisories.
By Bruce Gillespie, Editor-in-Chief
I’m pleased to announce the launch of J-Source’s International Reporting Bureau this week. The bureau is staffed by final-year journalism students at Humber College, in Toronto, under the direction of professor Carey French. As French writes in his opening column, the bureau will offer a range of ongoing reporting about how Canadian news outlets meet the challenge of reporting on about the world from home and abroad, as well as travel advisories for journalists working around the globe and debriefs with correspondents.
French brings a lot of experience to his role as editor of the International Reporting Bureau. As a former writer at The Globe and Mail, French covered international transportation issues, marine fraud and piracy, nuclear disarmament, terrorism and wars in South America and the Middle East, as well as Africa. He has an MA in media, with a research speciality in international reporting, from Bournemouth University in the U.K. He teaches an international reporting course at Humber College’s School of Media Studies.
French and his team have worked hard over the past few months to set up the bureau and have some exciting plans for it, so I’m glad to have them on board and looking at an important issue for Canadian news organizations. I’m also excited for them to establish a template for future bureaus across the country. The idea of having bureaus focused on one topic housed at journalism schools across the country, staffed by students and led by a faculty member, is something we’ve talked about for quite some time. I think it offers a great opportunity to get students involved in working and thinking more deeply about a specific issue as part of their coursework while building their portfolios at the same time.
If you have any suggestions for the International Reporting Bureau, please get in touch with French. If you’re interested in learning more about establishing a J-Source bureau at your journalism school, please let me know.
