Changes in journalism spurred by technological shifts and industry restructuring have left observers questioning both the nature of the profession and what educators ought to do in order to prepare aspiring journalists. Despite attempts to rethink what it means to be a journalist and the educational experience needed to prepare students, few qualitative studies have emerged that track how learners are negotiating professional values. This article does precisely that by providing a case study of how students in an undergraduate Canadian university’s journalism program are conceptualizing the profession against the backdrop of changing practices and principles. Based on the data generated from 96 open-ended reflections, this investigation offers some important findings about the student professional identity experience within a 4-year program. More precisely, the results indicate that the ideals of ‘high modernism’ (especially those surrounding objectivity, the role of the public watchdog, and ethical practice) are being negotiated by journalists in training in important and meaningful ways.

Background  This study is the first to examine Canadian postsecondary journalism programs as generators of local news. Motivated by growing local news poverty in Canada, the study investigated local news terrain from the vantage point of journalism faculty involved in program-based publications. Analysis  Survey results from faculty based in 22 English language Canadian universities, colleges, and technical institutes revealed active local news publishing environments, some of which included collaborations with media and non-media partners. Conclusions and implications  While survey and focus group data showed strong faculty interest in expanding local news contributions by Canadian journalism students, participants also identified the pragmatic, economic, and pedagogical challenges of doing more. Résumé Contexte  Cette étude est la première à examiner les programmes de journalisme canadiens postsecondaires en tant que pourvoyeurs de nouvelles locales. Motivée par une pauvreté croissante des nouvelles locales au Canada, cette étude examine les nouvelles locales du point de vue d’enseignants en journalisme participant aux publications réalisées dans le cadre de leurs programmes. Analyse  Les résultats d’un sondage d’enseignants de 22 universités, collèges et instituts de technologie de langue anglaise au Canada révèlent des milieux où la publication de nouvelles locales s’avère active, y compris en collaboration avec des partenaires médiatiques et non-médiatiques. Conclusions et implications Les données provenant du sondage et de groupes de discussion indiquent un intérêt prononcé de la part des enseignants pour accroître les contributions aux nouvelles locales faites par leurs étudiants en journalisme. En même temps, les personnes interrogées ont identifié des défis pragmatiques, économiques et pédagogiques qui entravent leurs capacités d’en faire plus.

In this reflection, a group of undergraduate research assistants and student changemakers use a podcast to explore which students are at the research table, and what barriers are keeping many others outside of it. This student-authored paper and SoTL-inspired auditory experience dives into multiple demographic topics such as gender, race, and socio-economic status in relation to student-faculty partnerships in the research realm. Both listeners and readers are encouraged to reflect on the recruitment process they use in finding their student partners, and how they can better serve priority populations and implement diversity and inclusion in their practice.

A faculty-student partnership records a podcast to share their experience of a students-as-partners framework. The commentary invites the listener to explore some of the inherent tensions associated with power, voice, and positionality. Listeners are gifted with the story of the Ani to Pisi (Spiderweb), which informs this work.

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