CPI Podcast

As podcasting continues to grow outside the traditional journalism ecosystem, questions and conversations are rising about how stories are sourced, produced, and shared. Facing the inevitabilities and uncertainties of growing AI enhancements and capabilities, there is much to consider now more than ever.  This virtual panel held on March 26, 2026 brings together journalists, podcasters, and students for a conversation about the ethics of journalistic podcasting and the possible implications of AI in the practice. In this episode produced by CPI’s Emma Miller, CPI co-director Brad Clark leads the conversation with MRU assistant Journalism Professor Gabriela Perdomo paez, MRU fourth year broadcasting student Mya Butler, and Director of growth at CANADALAND, Tony Wang.    You can find CANADALAND’s AI policy linked here. To learn more about the Community Podcast Initiative, you can visit the website at thepodcaststudio.ca or on socials at @communitypodyyc Learn more about the panellists Gabriela Perdomo Páez, PhD – Assistant Professor of Journalism, Mount Royal UniversityBorn and raised in Colombia, Gabriela has worked as a journalist, educator, and scholar in Latin America and Canada. She holds a PhD in Communication–media studies from the University of Ottawa and an MJ from the University of British Columbia. Gabriela researches anti-media discourses and changing norms and practices in different journalism cultures. Her research also focuses on the intersection of journalism and podcasting. Gabriela teaches core journalism courses in the first and second years, including Journalism Foundations, News Reporting, and Community-Centred Journalism. She is the co-creator of the Spanish-language podcast Periodémica, which highlights the life and scholarship of Latin American academics living in the diaspora. Mya Butler – Broadcast Student, Mount Royal UniversityMya is a fourth-year broadcasting student at Mount Royal University and a producer at CityNews. She has a passion for storytelling, from directing documentaries to covering breaking news. She is currently writing her undergraduate thesis on true crime podcasting ethics. Her industry experience includes assisting with filming the 2025 Snow Rodeo World Cup and completing a corporate communications internship at the City of Kelowna. Her goal is to become an investigative reporter once she graduates. Tony Wang – Director of Growth, CanadalandTony is the Director of Growth at Canadaland, leading strategies to expand the reach and impact of one of Canada’s most influential independent media outlets. A former freelance documentary filmmaker and Creative Director at the non-profit agency My Media Creative, he has built a career at the intersection of storytelling, social impact, and audience growth. Based in Toronto, Tony is passionate about using media to inform, inspire, and connect communities. He holds a B.A. & Sc. in Cognitive Science from McGill University.

What does practice-based research look like compared to traditional theory-based when it comes to the PhD process? In this episode, host Emma Miller sits down with Dr. Meg Wilcox who just returned from defending her thesis at the University of Glasgow.  They chat about her thesis questions, inclusivity in podcasting, and how her award winning podcast series, Static: A Party Girls Memoir, corresponds with practice-based research approaches.  Dr. Wilcox is the co-director of the CPI and is a journalism professor at Mount Royal University.   You can find and listen to Static: A Party Girls Memoir on our website or wherever you get your podcasts. To learn more about the Community Podcast Initiative, you can visit the website at thepodcaststudio.ca or on socials at @communitypodyyc

In an era of misinformation and diminishing trust, fact-checking has become more than a routine newsroom task.  In the second episode of our 2026 season, host Emma Miller sits down with experienced Journalist and MRU Journalism Professor, Brooks DeCillia.  They discuss the state of journalism today, how mistrust in the media is impacting newsrooms, and how fact-checking should be viewed as an act of moral and professional courage.  Through exploring the evolving social pressures and technological challenges that journalists face, this conversation explores what it means to commit to seeking the truth when the stakes are at their highest.  Their conversation is based on an article DeCillia wrote for J-Source back in March of 2025, titled Fact-checking as an act of courage.  For more information on spotting fake-news and misinformation, check out MRUnderstanding Misinformation. To learn more about the Community Podcast Initiative, you can visit the website at thepodcaststudio.ca or on socials at @communitypodyyc

Welcome back for the fourth season of the Community Podcast Initiative (CPI) series.  In this episode, we are taking a look back to a keynote lecture presented at Mount Royal University in April of 2025.  Visiting from RMIT University and the University of Tasmania, Mia Lindgren hosted a discussion relating to her work and research on the ethics of intimacy and parasocial relationship building in podcasting. Lindgren explores the advantages and disadvantages that the audio medium contributes to the journalistic landscape - as well as growing public mistrust in the media. You can find more on Mia Lindgren’s research on podcasting here.  To learn more about the Community Podcast Initiative, you can visit the website at thepodcaststudio.ca or on socials at @communitypodyyc

In this episode, the Community Podcast Initiative (CPI) presents a panel discussion  Where four diverse voices from the media and podcasting landscape consider the impacts of Artificial Intelligence (AI). Ranging from repercussions in the classroom to its sometimes invaluable benefit in the journalistic field, this episode explores how AI is changing standards and practices across fields.  CPI’s Meg Wilcox, is joined by Amanda Cupido, Anis Heydari, Mia Lindgren, and Tim Magee. Meg helps moderate this panel of professionals through thought-provoking prompts and questions that help guide understanding towards the ever-evolving topic of A.I. This series is a collaboration between the Community Podcast Initiative at Mount Royal University and J-Source. To learn more about the Community Podcast Initiative, you can visit the website at thepodcaststudio.ca or on socials at @communitypodyyc  To learn more about the J-Source, you can visit the website at j-source.ca or on socials at @jsource

This month, we're sharing the first episode of our newest podcast series, Re-engaging: Exploring new ways of doing journalism. The series draws on interviews from an Enagaged Journalism conference at Concordia University last summer, and looks at the various successes and challenges of community-centred journalism. This first episode is all about ethical considerations. Community-centred journalism can sometimes seem at odds with traditional media practices. Sources rarely see an article before publication and even then newsrooms have complete control over a story. Engaged journalism flips this on its head, but there are a number of ethical factors newsrooms must first consider.  In this episode, host Jessica Botelho-Urbanski, sits down with Toronto Metropolitan University professors April Lindgren and Nicole Blanchett to explore how news outlets can maintain editorial independence while fostering relationships with communities.   This series is a collaboration between the Community Podcast Initiative at Mount Royal University and J-Source. You can find all the episodes at thepodcaststudio.ca or wherever you get your podcasts.

Podcasting is often thought of as a vessel for storytelling. It can also work to amplify the voices of communities that have historically been suppressed.  This past September, the CPI was a sponsor for the first-ever PodSummit YYC. The two-day event brought podcasters from across the country to downtown Calgary. They shared stories of innovation and inspiration, while exploring the future of Canadian podcasting. The CPI’s Brad Clark hosted a panel discussion bringing together Alberta-based podcasters who share the stories of marginalized communities mainstream media often overlooks. By sharing their experiences and insights, they explored their challenges and successes, and how podcasting can be a force for change. To learn more about the CPI, visit our website at thepodcaststudio.ca or find us on social media at @communitypodyyc.

It feels like politics and the media have become increasingly divisive in recent years. On top of that, the words we use to describe our values — like democracy, truth and freedom — are loaded with dual meanings, leaving many of us wondering: Can we reclaim our political language? Award-winning author and journalist Carol Off joins host Gabriela Perdomo to discuss her newest book, At a Loss for Words: Conversation in the Age of Rage, and how journalists can continue to seek the truth in an age of misinformation.  This episode is a collaboration with J-Source. You can read the full article here. To learn more about the CPI, visit our website at thepodcaststudio.ca or find us on social media at @communitypodyyc.  

There are more than 16,000 Canadian podcasts out on the Internet — but how many can you name? In the last episode of the season, Meg Wilcox talks to Kattie Laur, a podcast producer, writer and consultant. She also writes Pod the North, a bi-weekly newsletter on all things about podcasting north of the 49th parrallel. Hear why Kattie started Pod the North, what she sees as the biggest challenges for Canadian podcasters, and how starting her new series, Canardian, helped her rekindle her podcasting joy. You can find Kattie at kattielaur.com, and subscribe to Pod the North at podthenorth.com.   To learn more about the Community Podcast Initiative, you can visit the website at thepodcaststudio.ca or on social media at @communitypodyyc. We'll see you in September for season 3!

It's no secret weekly reading assignments are a core component of most university courses. But could listening to podcasts act as another option? In this episode, we're exploring how listening to podcasts could become an alternative to weekly reading assignments in university classrooms.  CPI co-director Meg Wilcox and associate producer Kelsea Arnett sit down with Mount Royal University Journalism and Digital Media students, Emma Miller, Sean Gillanders and Ava Free to discuss whether they feel assigned listenings influence their learning.  Meg also breaks down her current research on the potential effectiveness of listening versus reading assignments. To learn more about the Community Podcast Initiative, you can visit the website at thepodcaststudio.ca or on social media at @communitypodyyc. 

In this episode, we’re exploring how we can make Canadian legacy media more diverse and equitable. In December, CPI associate producer Kelsea Arnett participated in an event called Bridging Research and Experience: Exploring EDI Practices in Canadian Broadcasting and Journalism. She was one of several undergraduate students from Mount Royal University and the University of Calgary who presented their research. The panel also heard from working journalists about their experiences turning research into practice. Moderated by CPI co-director Brad Clark, the panel also considered the overrepresentation of certain groups in the media and how journalists from diverse backgrounds navigate an industry which hasn’t always been very inclusive. Special thanks to Dr. Victoria Guglietti and Dr. Amanda Williams for organizing this event and their support in making this episode. To learn more about the Community Podcast Initiative, you can visit the website at thepodcaststudio.ca or on social media at @communitypodyyc.

In this episode, we're bringing you a look at decolonizing media with the Canadian Mountain Podcast.  CPI co-director, Meg Wilcox, is also a senior producer on the Canadian Mountain Podcast. The show focuses on knowledge mobilization, highlighting research and important discussions from Canada’s Rocky Mountains and around the world. This year the show is wrapping its fifth and final season. In Part One, Meg and co-senior producer Kyle Napier, along with student producers Sherry Woods, Julie Patton and Catalina Berguno, sat down to reflect on the show’s evolution and commitment to decolonizing media practices. To learn more about the Community Podcast Initiative, you can visit the website at thepodcaststudio.ca or on social media at @communitypodyyc.

In this episode, we look at the sometimes-blurry ethical boundaries in podcasting. Earlier this year, CPI co-director Brad Clark was part of a panel discussion with media instructors from across North America at the annual Broadcast Education Association conference in Las Vegas. The educators considered a range of issues, everything from the responsibility of podcast hosts to provide truthful information, to using “red herrings” in true crime stories, to incorporating other people’s work in your show. Ben Bogardus, from Quinnipiac University, chaired the panel, which included Lindsey Sherrill, from the University of North Alabama, Francisco Suarez from State University of New York/Oswego, Dennis Conway of Valdosta State University, and Brad. To learn more about the Community Podcast Initiative, you can visit the website at thepodcaststudio.ca or on social media at @communitypodyyc.

About 70 TV Ontario workers have been on strike since August 21st. Wage increases and contract employment were the key sticking points in finding an agreement, which broke down after months of negotiation. Six weeks into the strike, on Sept. 28th, the public broadcaster brought the membership what they called their “final offer” – which maintained the existing contract protections in the current collective agreement, but came in lower than the union’s ask for wage increases. The union voted against the deal – and are back to the picket lines. Meredith Martin is the President of the TVO chapter of the Canadian Media Guild, and she joined CPI co-director on October 4th to talk about the strike, where the members go from here, and what this means for Canadian journalism in the bigger picture. This episode is a collaboration with J-Source; you can find the full article here: https://j-source.ca/why-precarious-work-endangers-the-future-of-public-broadcasting-and-journalism-in-canada/ To learn more about the CPI, visit our website at thepodcaststudio.ca or find us on social media at @communitypodyyc.

In this episode, kicking off our second season, Sam Jolin sits down with the Co-Directors of the Community Podcast Initiative, Brad Clark and Meg Wilcox. This spring, they co-hosted the Planning Your Podcast event that took place in the Riddell Library at Mount Royal University.  Podcasting has become incredibly popular over the years, and both of our guests have extensive experience in making them. Whether you're a seasoned podcaster or just starting out, Brad and Meg have invaluable insights to share about the planning process that goes into creating a successful podcast. We discuss everything from finding your niche and developing your content to selecting the right equipment and promoting your show. They provide you with the tools and strategies you need to get started in this exciting and quickly changing space. To learn more about the Community Podcast Initiative, you can visit the website at thepodcaststudio.ca or on social media at @communitypodyyc.

In a first-of-its-kind textbook for journalism students, Duncan McCue sets out to demonstrate how integral reciprocity is raising the standards of coverage of Indigenous communities. This episode features a conversation with McCue, Anishinaabe journalist and a member of the Chippewas of Georgina Island First Nation, and host Gabriela Perdomo, Editor-in-Chief of J-Source. Tune in to hear them discuss McCue's latest book, Decolonizing Journalism: A Guide to Reporting in Indigenous Communities (2023), and what kinds of changes need to be made to improve reporting on and relationships with Indigneous communities. This episode is a collaboration with J-Source; you can find the full article here: https://j-source.ca/how-reciprocity-solutions-and-rethinking-objectivity-can-help-decolonize-journalism/ To learn more about the CPI, visit our website at thepodcaststudio.ca or find us on social media at @communitypodyyc.

In this episode, we take a look back on The Second Gen series produced by Karina Zapata, the CPI’s first Podcaster-in-Residence.  The Second Gen offers a glimpse into the experiences faced by the children of immigrants. The episodes explore different topics that affect first-generation Canadians — like discussions on being the eldest child to the sometimes polarizing experiences in the LGBTQ2S+ community. As a daughter of immigrants herself, Karina brings her background and experience to each part of the series. Host Sam Jolin talks to Karina about the series, what inspired it, and how it all came together. To learn more about the Community Podcast Initiative, you can visit the website at thepodcaststudio.ca or on social media at @communitypodyyc.  

This episode explores the behind-the-scenes work that goes into producing a CPI series: the Canadian Mountain Podcast. As the Canadian Mountain Podcast completed its fourth season in Spring 2022, the series had officially spent half of its time recording remotely in a pandemic. What the team hoped would be a temporary means of production became a well-oiled machine over the past two years, with the podcasting team producing at least a dozen podcast episodes over the past two years that have reached thousands of listeners in more than 100 countries worldwide. For the podcast team’s outgoing senior students, the vast majority of their work was remote since joining the team in Summer 2020. In this podcast episode, they reflect on the technical and editorial skills learned in developing and producing a podcast in a pandemic, the role of podcasting in knowledge mobilization, and the unexpected ways they’re using their remote skills outside of making podcasts. To learn more about the Community Podcast Initiative, you can visit the website at thepodcaststudio.ca or on social media at @communitypodyyc. Panelists Meg Wilcox (senior producer, roundtable host) Meg Wilcox is an assistant professor in the School of Communication Studies at Mount Royal University and co-director of the Community Podcast Initiative. Kyle Napier (senior producer) Kyle Napier is a Dene/nêhiyaw Métis university instructor, media-maker, researcher and PhD student from Tthebacha, Denendeh beyé (Fort Smith, Northwest Territories). Gabrielle Pyska (research assistant & podcast producer) Gabrielle Pyska is a graduate of MRU’s Journalism and Digital Media program and is currently working as MRU Library’s Podcasting and Media Support Specialist. Eric Tanner (research assistant & podcast producer) Eric Tanner is a graduate of MRU’s Journalism and Digital Media program, currently freelancing in journalism and audio production. Ethan Ward (research assistant & podcast producer) Ethan Ward is a graduate of Mount Royal University’s Journalism and Digital Media program and currently working as a research assistant at MRU, investigating COVID-19’s influence on Canada’s park systems.

This episode explores the behind-the-scenes work that goes into producing a CPI series: the Canadian Mountain Podcast. Since its third season, the Canadian Mountain Podcast has strived to share perspectives of both Ancestral Indigenous Knowledge Holders and settler science research conducted through the Canadian Mountain Network, all while exploring issues and topics that affect Canada's mountain ecosystems. In this roundtable discussion, you'll hear from the series' undergraduate research assistants about their two years producing the podcast, as well as how they undertook to prepare a series land acknowledgement. Around the land acknowledgement discussion, both senior producers for the podcast then discuss the roles of Indigenous intellectual property and copyright within the production of the series, and outline their goals for the show’s fifth and final season. To learn more about the Community Podcast Initiative, you can visit the website at thepodcaststudio.ca or on social media at @communitypodyyc. Panelists Meg Wilcox (senior producer, roundtable host) Meg Wilcox is an assistant professor in the School of Communication Studies at Mount Royal University and co-director of the Community Podcast Initiative. Kyle Napier (senior producer) Kyle Napier is a Dene/nêhiyaw Métis university instructor, media-maker, researcher and PhD student from Tthebacha, Denendeh beyé (Fort Smith, Northwest Territories). Gabrielle Pyska (research assistant & podcast producer) Gabrielle Pyska is a graduate of MRU’s Journalism and Digital Media program and is currently working as MRU Library’s Podcasting and Media Support Specialist. Eric Tanner (research assistant & podcast producer) Eric Tanner is a graduate of MRU’s Journalism and Digital Media program, currently freelancing in journalism and audio production. Ethan Ward (research assistant & podcast producer) Ethan Ward is a graduate of Mount Royal University’s Journalism and Digital Media program and currently working as a research assistant at MRU, investigating COVID-19’s influence on Canada’s park systems.

In an oversaturated podcast landscape, the strongest connections are made with authentic voices. In this episode, the CPI presents a workshop hosted by Media Girlfriends, an award winning podcast production company based out of Toronto. The three co-founders of Media Girlfriends— Garvia Bailey, Hannah Sung, and Nana aba Duncan — created this workshop to help podcasters gain a better understanding of their own voice as a storyteller, as well as how to feel more confident in front of a microphone.    To learn more about the Community Podcast Initiative, you can visit the website at thepodcaststudio.ca or on socials at @communitypodyyc    Panelists Garvia Bailey Garvia Bailey is an award-winning journalist and co-founder of the award winning podcast production company Media Girlfriends, which aims to amplify underrepresented voices in media. Garvia has a career in media spanning close to two-decades as a producer, host and columnist for the CBC and JazzFM.  Garvia is the recipient of the 2019 RTNDA award for opinion writing and a 2017 Silver Medalist at the New York Radio Awards. Garvia’s work is centered on inclusion, care and excellence in journalism.  Hannah Sung Hannah Sung is an award-winning journalist and co-founder of the award winning podcast production company Media Girlfriends. Previously, she worked at the Globe and Mail, MuchMusic, TVO and was the Asper Fellow in Journalism at University of Western Ontario in 2020. She is the creator of At The End Of the Day, a weekly newsletter and podcast with a people-first perspective on the news. She lives with her partner, two children and a hamster in Toronto, Canada. Nana aba Duncan Nana aba is an award-winning journalist and co-founder of the award winning podcast production company Media Girlfriends. Nana aba started Media Girlfriends as a podcast. For 15 years, was a host and producer at CBC Radio, with her last position being the host of Fresh Air, a weekend morning show. Currently, Nana aba Duncan is an associate professor and the inaugural Carty Chair in Journalism, Diversity and Inclusion at Carleton University's School of Journalism and Communications. Her research is focused on launching the Mary Ann Shadd Cary Centre for Journalism and Belonging, a centre which advocates, supports and participates in inclusive and belonging-focused journalism in Canada.

Mount Royal University Library faculty member, Sara Sharun, has started to see a growing interest across campus in using podcasting for class assignments. The MRU Library has recently been redesigning its audio rooms to give students and faculty a space to create these podcasts, videos, and other multimedia projects. However, using these spaces can be challenging for students and faculty without the proper guidance or experience.  In this episode, Gabrielle Pyska, the CPI’s associate producer, met up with Sara to discuss what podcasting can look like in an academic setting, as well as how audio assignments can create a way for students to engage with big ideas and mobilize knowledge.

In this episode, the Community Podcast Initiative (CPI) presents a panel discussion on emerging career paths in digital audio, and how this can promote a space for more authentic storytelling. The three panelists share their experiences in different forms of audio production, how it makes space for under-represented voices, and how their work today might not have been the career path they imagined when they first started their studies. The panel is moderated by the CPI’s Brad Clark, a professor in the Broadcast Media Studies program at Mount Royal University.    The Panelists:  Kyle Napier Kyle Napier (Northwest Territory Métis Nation) is Dene/nêhiyaw Métis, with Gaelic and French connections. Kyle is a sessional instructor with the University of Victoria’s Certificate in Indigenous Language Revitalization program. He’s involved in graduate research at the University of Alberta, where he earned an MA in Communication and Technology, and supports education across Nunavut in a variety of IT roles. Kyle is a co-consultant with Tatâga, and is the Communication Manager and an audiovisual technician with Calgary Show Services. Kyle oversees the release of multiple podcasts and podcast cohorts with partnering universities. He is also co-chair with Native Land Digital maps, as well as a video game designer creating Indigenous language resources for the South Slave Divisional Education Council. Grace Heavy Runner Poksikainiaki Grace Heavy Runner is from the Kainai Nation in Treaty Seven Territory. For the last several years she has worked at CJSW as a producer and podcaster hosting Indigenization Across the Nation, and Treaty Nation Music. More recently she was the host and narrator for Survivors, a series on residential schools. Grace is also a fourth-year student in MRU’s Journalism and Digital Media program.  Hadeel Abdel-Nabi Hadeel Abdel-Nabi is an assistant producer with CBC Podcasts in Toronto. A Calgary-born journalist and poet, and a graduate of MRU’s journalism program, she has bylines in HuffPost, VICE, Avenue Magazine, The Sprawl, Muslim Girl and more. She also launched, hosted and produced Muslim Girl's podcast, which she premiered live at SXSW in Austin, TX, with an interview from congresswoman Rashida Tlaib. Hadeel's passion has always been to bring underrepresented voices to the forefront of the conversation. She is most interested in stories about social inequity, the first-generation Canadian experience and politics.

In this episode, Ginella Massa, a Canadian television journalist and news anchor on CBC’s Canada Tonight, is interviewed by the CPI’s associate producer Gabrielle Pyska, and Lexi Freehill, a student in MRU’s Journalism and Digital Media Program. Together, they discuss issues of inclusivity in the media sector including representation, allyship and self-advocacy. This interview was a part of Mount Royal University’s fourth annual International Women’s Day Event, where students and faculty spoke to a variety of female voices and leaders. GUEST: Ginella Massa Ginella Massa is a Canadian Screen Award-winner best known as Canada's first hijab-wearing television news reporter, local anchor, and national host. She is currently the host of CANADA TONIGHT WITH GINELLA MASSA airing weeknights at 8 p.m. ET / 5 p.m. PT on CBC News Network.  Massa made history in 2015, believed to be the first television news reporter in North America to wear a hijab on-air when she was hired as a Video Journalist for CTV News in Kitchener, Ontario. She made international headlines again after anchoring the evening newscast at CityNews Toronto in 2016.  With over a decade of experience in news, behind-the-scenes and on-air, Ginella has worked for both local and national news outlets, in television and radio. Her on-air credits include CTV News, CityNews, Newstalk 1010 and Rogers TV. Her writing has been published by The Globe and Mail, The National Post, Chatelaine, and Refinery29 Canada.    Raised in Toronto, Massa graduated with an Honours BA in Communication Studies from York University, and has a diploma in Broadcast Journalism from Seneca College.