Journalism walks and talks help students build community

Earlier this year, towards the end of the winter semester, two journalism students, Soraya LeCourt and I, started craving an opportunity to talk beyond class discussions about the profession and its culture. 

So, we asked our first-year instructor, associate professor Nicole Blanchett, who jumped at the chance but proposed something other than just another meeting in a classroom.  She said: “I thought, why don’t we go for a walk once a week and talk about journalism?”

That’s how the  “Walk ‘n Talk About Journalism” began. Every Thursday during the fall semester, any journalism student could join Blanchett for a walk to a scenic location in downtown Toronto.

We leave the Rogers Communication Centre at 5 p.m. and walk to places around the city such as the Distillery District, Toronto City Hall, Queens Park, and Kensington Market.

“We walk to an interesting place, everyone gets to hang out and have a nice conversation, but within this framework there’s also the opportunity to learn a little bit more about the program, about journalism and also to make connections within the program,” Blanchett said.

Blanchett also makes a point to take at least one photo at every destination. How does she pick the locations? “I try to pick a spot that has relevance, and sometimes it’s just a spot that I personally like hanging out in, quite honestly,” she said with a laugh.

Isabella Soares, a first-year journalism student said the in-person walks help her connect to her classmates and students in other years.  

“I thought that was probably one of the coolest things about these walks,” said Soares, who lives in a Toronto Metropolitan University (TMU) residence. “The walks really helped me to get to know what’s next to my university that I haven’t seen before.”

While walking, the students talk about career paths and current issues in the journalism profession and industry. For instance, during a walk right before the FIFA World Cup kicked off, the group discussed Qatari security officials harassing Danish TV’s Rasmus Tanthold while he was reporting.

Blanchett said the out-of-class talks help her approach to teaching journalism as well. “It’s a chance for me to keep connected with students as they move through the program. The real benefit for me is to be able to get to know the students a little bit better because I think that’s so important as an educator.”

As the temperatures dip, Blanchett is thinking of the winter semester, toying with the idea of transitioning into a “Skate and Talk” but with an eye to starting the walks again next fall.