The Spring 2023 issue of the Review of Journalism is launched

This issue includes deep dives into CBC’s mistreatment of temporary workers (external link) , online harassment female sports journalists face (external link) , Toronto Star’s reputation as a progressive paper (external link) , and more.

“It feels amazing to see all the different parts of the magazine come together - from the advertising and promotional efforts, to podcasts, to fact-checking, to copy-editing and layout,” said Shenaz Kermalli, one of the instructor's for the final year course which produces the magazine.,

“There was an incredible amount of thought put in by the students at every stage, and this shines through when you read the issue,” she says.

One student said it felt profound to actually see the magazine in print. “What surprised me when I first picked up this year's Review, for the first time, was how emotional I felt to see my work alongside my classmates' stories. When you know … a little bit of what each person went through to produce not just their story, but the Review itself, it's quite a profound feeling,” said Leslie Sinclair, an MJ2 student. 

Her feature, The Art of Law (external link) , explores the important work of courtroom illustrators.

“I think it's important to remember that while it's the writer who gets the byline, a journalist never stands alone,” Sinclair says, “There are countless people behind a story starting with our sources and the journalists whose work we've built on, to the handling editors, fact-checkers, final proofreaders and, in the case of the Review, kind and patient professors who were just as invested as we were.”

Behind the Frame (external link) , highlights the works of photojournalists who adopt a decolonial lens in their work, which includes grappling with the ethics of shock value journalism.

The author, Iman Adem, said one of the challenges was finding sources to profile. 

“It was challenging finding photojournalists who's stories I wanted to highlight in the piece … in the end I found three different and amazing photojournalists who all have very thoughtful and different approaches to photojournalism,” she says.

“It is a great honour … I know how hard the entire review team worked on these stories so it has all been very rewarding,” Adem says.

In their editor’s note (external link)  this year, Anthony Milton, Rachel DeGasperis, Silas Le Blanc, Carly Penrose and Katrina McGaughey describe the importance of continuing to hold Canadian media to account through these stories.

“It’s never easy: like all others before it, this issue is the product of early-career journalists, figuring it out as they go, often late into the night,” they say. 

One former Review editor who attended the launch, Justin Dallaire ‘17, also paid homage (external link)  to long-time Review instructor, Stephen Trumper, for his “25 years of brilliance, empathy, and endless patience at the J-school.” Trumper retired in 2022 and died January 4, 2023, at 69 years of age.

Current instructor, Kermalli, spoke with pride about the students on this year’s Review. “Working closely together on a shared goal is never easy, but they pushed through. It's been an honour and privilege, and I see a very bright future ahead for them,” says Kermalli.

You can read more stories from the Spring 2023 issue here (external link) .