CUTV and CJLO present a crash course on grassroots journalism for activists and community organizers. Workshops will explore the foundations of journalism, the role of independent media in organizing spaces, longer form documentary investigations, and connecting ideas to lived experiences and working those experiences into a piece.
Workshops facilitated by Kalden Dhatsenpa (Local514), Adam Inniss (CJLO), Savannah Stewart (The Rover), and Christopher Curtis (The Rover).
Workshops
Intro to grassroots journalism
With Kalden Dhatsenpa
A hands-on introduction to grassroots journalism, exploring how to uncover stories, amplify community voices, and report with impact.
Rad radio reporting: The role of independent media in organizing spaces
With Adam Inniss
For those interested in reporting and journalism but want to resist corporate and mainstream media narratives, this workshop will explore how reporters can operate ethically in organizing/rad political spaces.
Documentary investigation: long form reporting
With Savannah Stewart
This workshop will explore long form reporting on social issues, by moving past the headlines and contextualizing issues, embedding in struggles, and creating compelling narratives.
Real world journalism: connecting lived experiences
With Christopher Curtis
This workshop focus on making connections between ideas and the lived experiences of individuals, using personal stories to expand on broader issues.
Facilitators:
Adam Inniss is a reporter with the local journalism initiative at CJLO 1690 AM Concordia’s campus radio station. His reporting focuses on community and global issues ranging from environmental organizing to Palestine to housing activism.
Kalden Dhatsenpa is a journalist and the host of Local 514, a Montréal news talk show. He is also on the editorial board of Canadian Dimension. He has work published in The Breach, Commo Mag, Yeshe Journal, and Carte Blanche.
Savannah Stewart has led daily operations at The Rover as Managing Editor since 2023. Previously a reporter for The Eastern Door and Cult MTL, and freelancing for various outlets, she has since shifted her focus to documentary journalism. She co-directed The Rover’s first-ever documentary, Palestine on Campus, alongside videojournalist Justin Khan, which was nominated for a Canadian Association of Journalists Award and a Digital Publishing Award.
Christopher Curtis used to work for Postmedia; now, he works for you. After almost a decade at The Montreal Gazette, he started The Rover to escape corporate ownership and tell the stories you won’t find anywhere else. Since then, Chris and The Rover have won a Canadian Association of Journalists award, a Medal of the National Assembly, and a Judith Jasmin award — the highest honour in Quebec journalism.
