Sabrina Wilkinson named J-Source – CWA Canada reporting fellow

Wilkinson will be working on a research project looking into the gender diversity of Canada’s newsrooms. Continue Reading Sabrina Wilkinson named J-Source – CWA Canada reporting fellow

J-Source is pleased to announce Sabrina Wilkinson has been selected as the second J-Source/CWA Canada Reporting Fellow.

Wilkinson will be working on an ambitious survey of newsrooms, journalism faculty positions, and other journalism workplaces across Canada to find out what strides women, transgender and gender diverse journalists have made.

This survey will provide crucial information about the representation of women, transgender and gender diverse people in Canadian journalism workplaces, and look in depth at the complexities of the workplace, including promotional paths, length of employment and the kind of jobs women, transgender and gender diverse people hold.

This survey will also provide a benchmark that our industry can look to as managers seek to improve hiring practices, and that J-Source can later revisit to measure progress.

“I’m thrilled to be working with J-Source on this timely project and look forward to furthering the dialogue about journalistic work and equity in Canada,” said Wilkinson.

Wilkinson is a doctoral researcher at Goldsmiths, University of London where she investigates the politics of internet policy in Canada. Prior to her doctoral studies, Wilkinson completed her master’s degree at Carleton University’s School of Journalism and Communication. Her thesis examined the state of the news media in Canada with a particular focus on journalistic labour. Alongside her studies, Wilkinson is a freelance writer and researcher and has contributed to several policy interventions related to communication regulation in Canada, including for the  SSHRC-funded Canadian Media Concentration Research Project.

J-Source obtained arm’s-length funding from CWA Canada, a national union representing media workers, to support the fellowship. The editorial focus and content control falls to J-Source’s team of editors and publisher.

“We’re very grateful to CWA Canada for stepping up to sponsor the fellowship,” said J-Source publisher Christopher Waddell. “This series wouldn’t have been possible without their generosity.”

This research will be published on J-Source and CWA Canada’s blog.

You can find Sabrina on Twitter or email her here.

H.G. Watson was J-Source's managing editor from 2015 to 2018. She is a journalist based in Toronto. You can learn more about her at hgwatson.com.