We’re delighted to welcome Gabrielle McMann, who is joining us this year through our new early-career fellowship for Black and/or Indigenous journalists, in partnership with The Philanthropist Journal.

Gabrielle is a graduate of Toronto Metropolitan University’s School of Journalism, and her reporting and essays can be found in The Narwhal, The Globe and Mail, and Canada’s History magazine. She is mixed Ojibwe from the Mississaugas of the Credit First Nation.

Over the course of this year, Gabrielle will be working together with the Local team, learning the craft of magazine-style community journalism. The features she writes during this fellowship will be jointly published in The Local and The Philanthropist Journal, which publishes weekly stories by and for the non-profit sector in Canada.

This fellowship is made possible through funding and support from the Rideau Hall Foundation.

As we aim to support the next generation of local journalists, with bylines as diverse as the city itself, we are excited to introduce Gabrielle:

What made you want to become a journalist?

In simple terms, it was my passion for people that drew me to journalism. I’ve always thought that the power of storytelling lies in its ability to close the gap in human connection and understanding. I came into journalism with the intention of sharing and elevating stories that would foster a deeper sense of empathy, because I think the world would be a better place if we’d just take a second to listen to one another.

What does good journalism look like to you?

In my opinion, good journalism challenges people to examine their opinions, perspectives, and biases. But I also think good journalism is shaped by the approach that we, the reporters, take. I try to report in a way that fosters long-term relationships with the people and the communities that I report on; as a First Nations woman, I am trying to care for my community while also challenging the colonial roots that shape Canadian media.

What are you looking forward to most about this fellowship?

One of the things I am looking forward to is the opportunity to challenge myself by reporting on stories that are a little bit out of my comfort zone—whether that’s reporting on communities apart from my own, or broaching topics I haven’t had the opportunity to report on just yet. As a young reporter, I am still finding my beat, and I am excited to have a team of seasoned journalists to support me as I continue exploring my interests and capabilities.

What’s something unrelated to journalism that our readers should know about you?

My love language is food; this is a passion that I inherited from a long line of foodies. The women in my family have always bonded by spending time together in the kitchen and around the dinner table. As children, my cousins and I would roll out dumplings on the counter while my aunt Patty fixed a pot of hearty Jamaican curry. These are some of my favourite memories, and they have shaped my love for cooking—and for eating, of course.