TORONTO -- A Toronto university is offering a new course aimed at teaching young journalists how to responsibly report on stories affecting Black Canadians after a group of recent graduates created a successful petition.
Breanna Xavier-Carter, Tiffany Mongu, Rosemary Akpan and Sara Jabakhanji called on Ryerson University to incorporate a new Black Canadian reporting course in its journalism curriculum.
“We are one of the most progressive journalism schools in the country and I think that our curriculum needed to match something like that,” Xavier-Carter told CTV’s Your Morning on Tuesday. “I think it’s important that any young journalists have the opportunity to understand how to properly report on these narratives in a fair and unbiased way.”
In their petition, the graduates said portrayals of Black people in the media are often stereotypical and framed with “negative and presumptuous” undertones.
“The result of this is Black stories, perspectives, and voices aren’t being given the platforms they equally deserve,” the petition states. “Their own narratives are being published by the white writers, editors and producers that make-up [sic] mainstream newsrooms, ultimately showing the systemic racism which builds most of our institutions.”
Mongu said these misrepresentations can stem from journalists not taking the time to listen to Black people when they’re covering a story.
“I feel like that’s one of the big problems that creates a distrust between Black people and the media because nobody really tries to sit down and listen,” Mongu shared with CTV’s Your Morning.
As a solution, the young women demanded the university develop a new course that would cover the history of Black Canadians, how certain narratives perpetuate racial biases and injustices and how to deconstruct these biases when reporting on Black communities.
“We are hoping that it’s going to be covering how to deconstruct both overt and covert racism in terms of the way that the Black people in the community are framed in certain stories,” Xavier-Carter said.
She said she would like to see the course taught by a Black professor with experience in the industry who will be able to highlight the successful careers of other Black media professionals in order to inspire incoming Black students.
The petition also asked to see more recognition of Black students’ academic achievements in the journalism program with more awards and scholarships tailored to them.
It appears the graduates weren’t the only ones seeking change as the petition they created surpassed their expectations, attracting thousands of signatures in support within its first week.
As of Tuesday morning, the petition has garnered more than 3,600 signatures of its 5,000 target. The graduates didn’t need to reach their goal for the university’s attention, however.
A few days after the petition was launched, the school reached out to the young women to discuss their ideas. As a result, Ryerson University will be offering the new course, “Reporting on race: The Black community in the media,” this fall.
Mongu said she hopes the new course will create a ripple effect in other universities and journalism institutions so that Black voices are heard and represented in a responsible way.
Beyond the classroom, Xavier-Carter said she believes media outlets need to hire more Black reporters in their newsrooms.
“We are also talented writers, we have so much to tell, not only with the issues that happen in our communities, but as well as the success that happens within the Black community,” she said.
