The Canadian Journalism Foundation (CJF) and The Canadian Press (CP) have launched a fellowship program to develop video storytelling talent for local news coverage. 

The initiative offers six recent journalism graduates a six-week intensive training program with CP’s editors and journalists.

Selected fellows will receive a $5,500 stipend and create local news videos for distribution on CP’s platforms and their own YouTube and social media channels. The Google News Initiative and YouTube in Canada support the program.

“Local news creators on digital platforms are reshaping our media landscape with innovative approaches to storytelling,” CJF President & Executive Director Natalie Turvey said in a news release. The fellowship marks the second collaboration between CJF and CP, following their 15-year partnership on the Tom Hanson Photojournalism Award.

CP Editor-in-Chief Andrea Baillie added the program would integrate emerging videographers into their newsrooms. “We look forward to mentoring them, but I have no doubt they will also energize and teach us something in return.”

The initiative aligns with YouTube’s focus on developing Canadian news creators. “We are committed to lowering the barrier to entry for Canadian storytellers and helping them to grow and reach new audiences,” stated Stephanie Wilson Chapin, News, Sport and TV Partnerships Lead for YouTube in Canada.

Google Canada’s News Partnerships Manager, Suzanne Perron, described the fellowship as “critical to building a more sustainable, diverse, and innovative news ecosystem.”

Applications close on January 24, 2025. The Canadian Journalism Foundation will recognize selected fellows at their annual awards ceremony on June 12 at Toronto’s Fairmont Royal York.

Eligible candidates must be recent graduates of Canadian post-secondary journalism programs. The fellowship includes training in video content creation and professional mentorship focused on local news coverage.

The launch of the CJF-CP News Creator Fellowship comes at a critical time for Canadian media, as recent research from the Media Ecosystem Observatory shows that news organizations have lost 85% of their engagement on Facebook and Instagram following Meta’s news ban in the country. 

According to the Observatory’s study, news outlets have seen a reduction of 11 million views per day, and approximately 30% of local news outlets in Canada are now inactive on social platforms.