Instructors, alumni receive award nominations
The School of Journalism congratulates our instructors who received nominations at the Digital Publishing Awards (external link) for their journalistic innovation and excellence!
J-school Professor Adrian Ma received a nomination for Best Personal Essay for his piece, “100 Years after the Exclusion Act, Chinese Canadians like Me Still Question Their Belonging” (external link) with The Walrus. In his piece, Ma traces back the history of Chinese immigrants in Canada and how his own family history intertwines with these broader social and political narratives.
Ma emphasized that although this was a personal essay–it was still very much a collaborative effort. Ma thanked Angela Misri, Journalism at The Creative School assistant professor and former digital editor at The Walrus, Monika Warzecha, his managing editor for the piece, and Darya Soufian (‘23), Ma’s former research assistant.
“Even the most personal stories can be collaborative efforts and those collaborations can bring out your best work. It's important to trust your instincts, but also see the value that having other people's perspectives on your story can bring,” said Ma.
J-school instructor Ivan Semeniuk received a nomination for Best Science & Technology Storytelling for his piece, “The new hunt for dark matter” (external link) with The Globe and Mail.
Queer Media instructor Andrea Houston’s investigative team at Ricochet Media received a nomination for Best Online Video: Mini-Documentary for Killer Water: The toxic truth about Alberta’s oil sands. At the heart of the team were investigative journalist Brandi Morin and producer Geordie Day, and outlets IndigiNews and The Real News network co-produced the documentary in an innovative partnership with Ricochet Media.
Instructors H.G. Watson and Navneet Alang received nominations for Best News Coverage (Community Publication) for their work on “Mayor’s Race” (external link) with The Local. Alang and Watson received this nomination alongside The Local’s team of reporters that contributed to tracking the 2023 Toronto mayoral by-election.
Laura Hensley received a nomination for Best Digital Design for the piece, “Inside TD Terrace, the new skyscraper changing the Toronto skyline” (external link) with TD Stories by the TD Bank Group. Hensley receives this award alongside the TD Stories Digital Content Team.
“My first Digital Publishing Awards nomination was for a project I worked on while I was at TMU studying journalism. That early acknowledgment gave me the motivation to keep pursuing important stories that make an impact. I hope students feel inspired when they realize they are capable of award-winning work, too,” said Hensley.
Carly Lewis received a nomination for Best Arts & Culture Storytelling for her piece, “A Flare Amidst the Rubble” (external link) with Arcade. Lewis receives this award alongside contributors Tatum Dooley and Chris Frey.
A full list of alumni nominations will be added soon.