The School of Journalism at the University of Regina is offering an exciting opportunity for Aboriginal and visible minority students interested in becoming journalists: a hands-on learning session with practising news reporters.

A one-day workshop will be held at the School of Journalism, University of Regina on March 24, 2007 to provide those within a year or two of attending the School an opportunity to learn more about journalism.

“It will be a hands-on experience, with a mock news conference, a short writing opportunity and a chance to get creative with page layout and photos,” Leonzo Barreno, Global Visiting Chair and coordinator of the workshop at the School of Journalism says. “We hope to give those who attend a flavour of what journalism is about.”

The seminars are part of an outreach program to increase the number students of non-European ancestry in journalism schools across the country.

A 2004 study by Professor John Miller of Ryerson University showed that newspapers are still almost exclusively populated by Canadians whose ancestry is European. The print business lags far behind in the hiring of staff to reflect the diversity of Canada’s population, the study states, and without qualified minority journalists, the face of Canada’s newsrooms is not likely to change.

Because of Saskatchewan’s – and other prairie provinces’ – ever-changing demographics, it is important to have different cultural backgrounds and experiences within a newsroom, Barreno says.

“To be representative of the province’s Aboriginal and multicultural reality, today’s media outlets have to reflect the cultural differences within their communities,” he says. “That’s why this program attempts to reach out to Aboriginal and minority groups and interest them in journalism as a career. In this way, media outlets can hire qualified applicants to meet the needs of their culturally diverse readers and listeners.”

The project was launched by Young People’s Press, a North American news service for young people, and includes journalism schools at Concordia, King’s College in Halifax, Carleton University in Ottawa, Ryerson University in Toronto and the School of Journalism at the University of Regina. The federal Department of Canadian Heritage is providing funding.

Young People’s Press editors will stay in touch with participants by e-mail, encouraging them to write stories for publication and editing their articles. The editors will also encourage them to pursue post-secondary journalism education.

Anyone interested in attending the workshop should contact Leonzo Barreno at (306) 585-4647 or e-mail at Leonzo.Barreno@uregina.ca.

There is no charge and lunch will be provided. Prizes will be awarded to winners of hands-on exercises and the writing contest.

The deadline to apply is March 15, 2007.

For further information, please contact:
Leonzo Barreno
Global Visiting Chair
School of Journalism, Faculty of Arts
University of Regina
(306) 585-4647
Leonzo.Barreno@uregina.ca