The questions that inspired this website.

Project Description

“I can say that I have never seen a truly gifted young journalist go unrecognized. Maybe in the short run, but never over time. There just isn’t that much excellence loose in the world that news executives can afford to ignore it.”- Samuel G. Freedman, Letters to a Young Journalist

My  project was spurred by my experiences as a teaching assistant for the UBC School of Journalism’s undergraduate new media course. Many of our students are considering a career in journalism, and have expressed an interest in receiving practical advice from those at the entry level of the profession.

In response, I created this online resource for students at their level, a platform for fresh perspectives on a changing industry. “So, you want to be a journalist?” is an anthology of original advice by young journalists, for young journalists. The 33 entries range from general guidance to platform and genre-specific pointers.

I have not employed a quantitative metric to gauge the potential of these young journalists. This is not a sociological study; this is a journalistic story about a generation that is making its way forward during times of transition. The young professionals I have featured do not fit into a single formula, but they have demonstrated their passion and proficiency in various ways.

Many have achieved prestigious accolades early in their careers: Allison Cross and Leslie Young were part of the first team of Canadian students to win an Emmy award, and Jasmeet Sidhu has already been named one of Canada’s 100 most powerful women.

Others stand out for their specialized proficiencies in a particular area. Alejandra Hering has advanced experience in creating online portfolios, and Adam Avrashi has hosted his own morning radio show.

Still others have demonstrated incredible ambition and initiative: while still an intern at the Toronto Star, Jesse McLean found his own way to Haiti after the 2009 earthquake, and Bethany Horne broke news that police had been granted extra powers during Toronto’s recent G20 summit.

This compilation is, therefore, more qualitative than it is standardized, and is by no means an exhaustive list of everyone with potential. If you know of an emerging journalist who could contribute unique insight, please email me at ef.carletti (dot) gmail (dot) com.

Thanks for visiting!

➠ Read about the site creator here
➠ Scroll through all the entries here, or see the full list here.
➠ Navigate the entries by category here, or by author here
➠ Browse multi-platform resources about journalism in the 21st century here
➠ Find the search bar and other site info at the bottom of every screen
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➠ Check out tweets about this site here