Journalism has changed radically in recent decades: whereas large Canadian newspapers once directed public discourse, today we see those conversations led on social media, SubStack newsletters, and podcasts.

Aspiring journalists need a broader set of skills than ever before to address new platforms and patterns in news consumption and production.

The Journalism & Creative Writing (JCW) program, a four-year degree/diploma program offered jointly through Trent University Durham Greater Toronto Area (GTA) and Durham College, empowers its graduates to meet these challenges through three foundations: writing skills, hands-on learning, and critical media analysis.

When interviewed for this article, CBC senior producer Aaron Leaf noted that, in today’s media landscape, “Running successful social media accounts, YouTube channels, email newsletters, and podcasts can lead to good jobs in media, or they can be a lucrative career in their own right.”

Acquiring an audience on any of these platforms requires storytelling and the development of a unique writing voice, skills that JCW students develop through Creative Writing courses at Trent University Durham.

While Leaf argues that “Good reporting is still essential,” he stresses that, today, “Good writing is perhaps even more important.” Led by award-winning writers, these classes hone techniques integral to both new media platforms and more traditional formats.

Along with high-level writing abilities, the emergent media environment requires wide fluency in practical skills to move seamlessly across platforms. Leaf observes that journalists today “can expect to work a number of digital media jobs in their lives,” and that a key factor determining success is “an entrepreneurial approach” drawing on versatility.

Through courses at Durham College and working in their newsroom for the campus publication The Chronicle, students develop the full suite of real-world skills required by the job market through training in feature writing, broadcasting, videography, digital publishing, podcasting, and social media.

Ganga Rajesh, a fourth-year JCW student, recalls the moment her first news story went live on The Chronicle website: “It was a moment of pride, a real sense of accomplishment.”

Today’s graduates also face the rise of disinformation and the erosion of public trust in news media.

In Trent courses such as Media and Society, JCW students examine the history of various forms of media and the ways different technologies shape our understanding and use of that media. These perspectives position students to make thoughtful, strategic, and ethical decisions in their work.

Rajesh said, “This program has equipped me to adapt to the diverse demands of the industry while ensuring that I remain grounded in the core principles of journalism.”

Teaching the fundamentals of creative writing, practical skills, and critical analysis positions graduates to take advantage of the opportunities offered by journalism today, as informed media production is especially urgent.

Alvin Ntibinyane,  award-winning journalist and 2023-24 JCW Writer in Residence, said journalism “can be used to empower, it can be used to humanize, and it can also be used to repair the broken world.”  

JCW graduates are ready to rise to the challenge. 

Learn more about the Journalism & Creative Writing program at Trent Durham.

This article, penned by Trent Durham Professor Dr. Amanda Paxton, originally appeared in Durham Metroland.