J-school alumni help foster media literacy

Alumni of the Journalism program at Toronto Metropolitan University (TMU) are not just making strides in journalism and communication for themselves—many are also helping children and youth understand the media in a rapidly evolving landscape.

Amanda Cupido ‘12, founder and CEO of Lead Podcasting, recently launched her first-ever children’s book titled “Let’s Talk Podcasting for Kids.” (external link)  Complete with illustrations by Ladan Lajevardi, the Amazon #1 bestseller introduces children to the world of podcasts.

Cupido previously published the Amazon best-seller “Let’s Talk Podcasting,” (external link)  a comprehensive guide on best podcasting practices, in 2018. While she was updating the book for the launch of its second edition, she said she came across research that showed the under-12 podcast listenership was skyrocketing.

“I started looking up what resources are available for kids who are first learning about podcasts,” Cupido said. “But I saw that there were no books for kids at all—Canada, U.S.—it didn't exist. […] I thought, ‘I have to put this out in the world.’”

In March 2025, after around five months of working on the project, Cupido’s children’s book came into the world.

The launch party was “amazing” according to Cupido who said people of all ages came together to celebrate the book. Colouring sheets were laid out for the youngsters, and the attendees had access to “little devices” where they could record their voices and listen back. Cupido hosted a read-aloud of her book, with a 5-year-old co-narrator, the child of friends she met while she was a student at TMU.

Filling the gap where young children are not directly taught about the world of podcasts was an important mission for Cupido.

“I love podcasts for people, no matter what their age, but it's especially important for kids,” Cupido said. “It's nice to be able to tap into your imagination without a screen. And that's the beauty of audio podcasts.”

Mercedes Gaztambide ‘22 was a host for CBC Street Cents (external link) , a social media-based program with content that ranges from being smarter about spending to identifying the use of AI in videos or understanding when a post might be sponsored but doesn’t explicitly say that it is.

“Particularly being a social media brand, it is kind of our responsibility to put media literacy at the forefront,” Gaztambide said.

“It’s open season on internet consumption,” Gaztambide said. Starting from when kids get access to the internet until adulthood, she said, efforts need to be made so they have media literacy skills.

Nowadays, even adults can’t tell apart AI content from non-AI content, Gaztambide said. Media literacy needs to start young, but it will also be a life-long process, as media evolves.

Cupido said it isn’t the responsibility of journalists alone to instill media literacy. 

“I think it actually has to be a shared responsibility,” she said, including the schools, parents and media outlets for a holistic approach. 

At the end of the day, these J-school alums recognize the importance of journalism as a means of building trust and meaningful connections and they say media literacy will always have a role to play in that.

Mercedes Gaztambide’s interview was conducted when she was a host on CBC Street Cents; she is now a reporter for CBC News.

 With files from Julia Lawrence.