Journalism Students Experience Hands-on Opportunities
Journalism at The Creative School students went on field trips around the city, received personal advice from industry experts and delved deep into investigative reporting this fall 2025 semester.
We spoke with our students and faculty to learn more about how they brought their A game this term.
JRN 801 Students Learn from Podcaster Nichole Hill
Award-winning audio showrunner and podcast creator Nichole Hill (external link) visited assistant professor Shari Okeke’s JRN 801: Advanced Podcasting and Radio Doc. class for a live recording of Hill’s podcast “Our Ancestors Were Messy (external link) .”
The podcast is a Black history comedy described on Hill’s website (external link) as, “a show about the gossip, scandals, and pop culture that made headlines and then history in pre-Civil Rights Era America.”
The students received a lesson from Hill, where she shared advice on podcasting, using tone and improv in her episodes, and students were able to ask questions before the class went on break.
During the break, Moyo Lawuyi, a fourth-year Journalism student and research assistant for Okeke, went over the script and accompanying slides with Hill and Okeke that Hill would later record in front of the class.
Lawuyi was surprised by how Hill went beyond her script during the live recording.
“I thought she was going to read the script word for word, so I thought it was going to sound very mechanical,” she explained. “Actually seeing the process, she improvised words, so it sounded more conversational…it was nice to see her changing the words, pausing for effect and talking to the audience during the live recording.”
The experience made Lawuyi think about the podcasts that she listens to and made her more interested in the process.
Jack Cochrane, a fourth-year Journalism student, appreciated Hill sharing the behind-the-scenes of her podcast and how she built it to where it is now.
"We got to see her formulation, and then we got to see it in action," Cochrane shared.
JRN 801 was his second time as a student in Okeke’s class; he said she had given him many new learning experiences.
From Hill's discussions with the class and the live recording, second-year Master of Journalism student Praise Ditep learned not to be scared to record episodes about trauma or sensitive topics.
"I learned that when talking about serious issues, I could talk about [them], but also make it fun and conversational."
Ditep will remember how Hill used audio to turn taboo topics into a lighthearted, informative conversation.
Field Trip Shows Historical Significance of Black Publishers in North America
Every year, post-COVID-19, JRN 333: Reporting on Race students visit Mackenzie House (external link) , a few blocks away from campus.
As the only class in Journalism at The Creative School that is dedicated to reporting on Black communities, it’s important to assistant professor Eternity Martis that students learn about “some of the pioneers of journalism in Canada and the incredible contributions that the Black press had in securing freedom, community, advocacy and truth for Black communities in Canada.”
Which includes the first Black woman publisher in North America and the first woman publisher in Canada, Mary Ann Shadd (external link) .
Mackenzie House staff educate students on her legacy as well as the challenges of the Black press.
Martis said, “Mackenzie House does a wonderful job at teaching students about her life, career and legacy and also has an interactive component where students can use an old printing press to print a copy of the Provincial Freeman (her newspaper).”
Anna-Giselle Funes-Eng, a fourth-year Journalism student, took JRN 333 to ensure they were learning the best practices for reporting on Black communities, and they liked how in-depth the course went into reporting.
Funes-Eng enjoyed the historical element throughout the field trip and learning about Toronto’s history with abolitionist newspapers.
“Especially in Ontario, a lot of our historical space is really focused on white colonial thinkers and people who shaped the province in that way, so it was really cool to learn about a Black leader who was based out of here," they said.
Nomi Wiesner, a fourth-year exchange student from Germany, selected JRN 333 as she didn't learn a lot of Black history back in school, and she writes about Black community topics.
"I wanted to learn about Black Canadians, but also how to be sensible about reporting on my own community."
Wiesner didn’t know what to expect from the trip, even from a quick scroll through Google Maps.
She was surprised at having the experience of pressing her own newspaper copy.
"It shows the importance of journalism; journalism is not a job that you do for money or for having a big career, it's something you do out of passion," Wiesner added. "It shows how much passion people had back in those days that they did all that work just to send out the message."
Martis said that some things can’t be taught; they need to be seen or told by someone else. “It’s an entirely different learning experience to be hearing about it while standing in a historic building, touching the same kind of printing press she would’ve used.”
She said, “I think it gives students a greater appreciation, in this case, for the history and contributions made within journalism when they can see and experience it for themselves.”
JRN 507 Justice and the Courts welcomed guest speaker Christy Perez
On Sept. 16, 2025, JRN 507: Justice and the Courts instructor Khawla Nakua invited Christy Perez (external link) , a formerly incarcerated Trans woman who spent over a decade in a men’s prison in the Georgia Department of Corrections, to speak with students about the justice system.
While incarcerated, Perez earned degrees in history and theology. Since her release in 2023, she has continued her education by pursuing legal studies.
Currently, she is a writer, public speaker, and advisor on prison reform, using her personal experience to educate others.
Her talk with students focused on her experiences entering foster care, struggling with homelessness at 13, and eventually being incarcerated as a trans teenager in a men’s facility, where reform was not treated as a priority.
Perez called this the funnel from foster care to prison, showing how systemic failures shaped the circumstances that led to her imprisonment.
For Journalism student Pamela Hackett, hearing Perez explain intersectionality made her reflect on past experiences with how the media portrayed crimes.
“It made me think back to all of these events that I had lived through as a teenager and as a young adult, and re-question how I would have reported on these things, what stories I would have told, and how I would have followed up,” she said.
Hackett now though differently about it, thinking back to a court case she attended.
“Suddenly I'm thinking, did these men do this or were they the outcome of a system that produced these terrible situations and terrible acts that these men committed?” she said. “The reason I thought that was because I've [now] been in a class where a woman by the name of Christy Perez was a guest speaker,” she added.
Perez’s insights resonated so deeply with Hackett that she connected with her on LinkedIn to reach out and thank her. Hackett explained to Perez that her visit was felt across the class.
Perez responded to Hackett that she was thrilled that somebody had contacted her and that the message had “made [her] tear up in a good way.”
“No matter how big and amazing somebody may become…it's still important for a lot of journalists to have an impact,” Hackett said. “I think that having that impact even through a school situation with students really meant something to her.”
Ayshat Abdurzakova and Nageen Riaz win OTR’s Fall 2025 TKTK award
On The Record (OTR) (external link) presents an award at the end of the term to the student who produced the best story, as voted on by their classmates. This award is the TKTK Award.
This year, there were two winners for the first time.
Ayshat Abdurzakova and Nageen Riaz’s broadcast (external link) was voted to be the best package produced during OTR’s fall 2025 term. The story (external link) followed the developments of Bill 33, the Supporting Children and Students Act, which gives the province greater control over university fees.
This sparked concern among students about increased police presence on campus, government control over student fees, and weakening campus services. Both Abdurzakova and Riaz noticed posters, petitions, and protests surrounding Bill 33.
They investigated following their journalistic curiosity.
“As journalism students, it's like, ‘oh, there's something going on. Let's dig into it, let's do a little dive and figure out what this is about, how we can help the cause,’” said Riaz.
When it came to reporting, the pair worked seamlessly.
“Nageen is like the best camera person ever. She edits so well, she films so well. Her and I worked together to create questions and basically make a base plan… I was more of a reporter, so I interviewed people. Nageen was behind the camera, editing sound,” Abdurzakova explained.
“It didn’t even feel like there were roles,” Riaz said. “Looking back…I think it just blended because we work really well together.”
Their professors and classmates agreed. The package was praised for its cohesive visuals and storytelling.
Even before the winners were announced, classmates were secretly telling Abdurzakova and Riaz how much they loved the piece.
“It was a big honour to be on that list, and an even bigger honour to have won the award for the best story,” Abdurzakova said.
“I don't think… it would have been possible if we didn't have that newsroom. Being in that space with those specific people, I think, allowed for this to happen… we had that foundation for support,” said Riaz.