A new episode of the Media Girlfriends podcast!
Hi,
It’s a new episode of Media Girlfriends!
I haven’t talked with you in so long. There’s so much to tell you about how Media Girlfriends is growing, as well as some new developments in my own life, so I’ve come back to the podcast to fill you in.
I originally launched Media Girlfriends as a podcast in 2016 as a way to practice my interviewing skills and talk to other women about our experiences in Canada’s journalism industry. I didn’t mean to, but I created A Thing. People have come to know us as a group that supports more perspectives in media, particularly those from women, non-binary folks and people of colour. Media Girlfriends is just one of many inclusive, supportive organizations in Canada’s journalism industry, and I am glad for it. We are part of an interconnected ecosystem with the shared goal of making sure everyone in our industry feel like they belong. I hear about the changes people are making in their newsrooms and personal practices to produce more inclusive journalism, and while there are bumps, mistakes and frankly, dead ends, I know we’re on the right track.
Speaking of bumps and being on the right track, that’s what this update is about. In our last newsletter you read about how Garvia Bailey, Hannah Sung and I started a podcast production company. Now you can hear us talk about it, including navigating the workload and what it means to set up a business together as longtime friends. Garvia gets me to open up a bit about what broke me this past year. Both Hannah and Garvia express the toll and loneliness of trying to lead change. And we all talk about how we ended up producing a six-episode podcast series on Black history in Canada. You’ll also hear what we’re like with each other, which is…real, for lack of a better word. For example, since we’ve been through the same kind of pain at work, we joke about it. As you do.
This is us, being very normal, in a meeting.
Plus there’s my own personal news: I don’t work at CBC anymore, and I’m a professor now. Yup, I do research and everything. I can’t wait for you to learn more, and maybe help! Listen to the episode now.
Talk soon,
Nana aba.
💥INTRODUCING
Between Us with Wes Hall is a brand new podcast Media Girlfriends just published in partnership with The Toronto Star. Wes is a businessman and entrepreneur who talks about solutions to anti-Blackness and racial discrimination in the workplace. He speaks with guests like Kardinal Offishall, Tyrone Edwards, Perdita Felicien, and check out how direct and honest “Black on Bay Street” writer Hadiya Roderique is in this latest episode.
Our new website.That's Garvia's daughter on the front page!
👂🏾WHAT I’M LISTENING TO
I just started listening to Auntie Up!, a new 10-part podcast by Indigenous women with their world view-–or at least the auntie world view. It's executive produced by author and filmmaker Tanya Talaga. Excited for you, Tanya and team! Meet the Aunties.
LOUD: The History of Reggaeton is so fun, smart and deep. It gets into the origins of the music, as well as the socioeconomic and cultural factors around production and consumption of reggaeton. And oh my god the host, the authentic perspectives, and the MUSIC! Delicious. It's in English and Spanish, and I love that it centres Spanish speakers. Just listen.
📚WHAT I'M READING
At The End Of The Day, obviously, because it's Hannah's newsletter. It's a people-first perspective on the news and her latest edition is a gift guide and give away, including my favourite soaps from Binu Binu Soap House.
Mary Ann Shadd: Publisher, Editor, Teacher, Lawyer, Suffragette, and my hero. Mary Ann Shadd Cary was the first Black woman publisher in North America and the first woman publisher in Canada. She founded and edited The Provincial Freeman in 1853, advocating for equality and education for Black people and women's righs. She's currently a major feature in my research.