Northern Journalism Training Initiative
Empowering northern people to tell northern stories
The Northern Journalism Training Initiative (NJTI) provided journalism training opportunities to Indigenous and northern people. NJTI existed to amplify the voices of the North and prepare Indigenous and northern participants for futures engaging in media and communication, and to provide media training that genuinely represents Indigenous and northern perspectives.
The Northern Journalism Training Initiative was dissolved on February 28, 2026.
Although NJTI operated for only a few years, we are profoundly proud of the impact it made. At its heart was a hands‑on made-in-the-North curriculum designed to support aspiring journalists and storytellers across the Northwest Territories. Our alumni have gone on to work in newsrooms, publish books and podcasts, and even win an Arctic Inspiration Prize. They represent NJTI’s true legacy, and we could not be more proud of their accomplishments.
We are equally proud of how this work was carried out: with care and grounded in Indigenous and Northern perspectives. NJTI brought together communities, Elders, and journalists from across the territory and the country, helping to nurture confident, capable storytellers.
Despite this success, changes in the national funding landscape have made it impossible to continue our mission. As funders and foundations shift their priorities, securing support for journalism education has become increasingly difficult. Over the past year, NJTI lost two major funders that provided most of our operational revenue. After exploring every possible partnership and funding opportunity, our steering committee and staff made the difficult decision to dissolve the organization.
While NJTI’s operations are ending, our mission remains vital. Empowering Northerners, especially Indigenous Northerners, to tell their own stories with honesty and authority is more important now than ever. The North is increasingly in the global spotlight, yet the voices of those who live here are too often overshadowed by outside observers, parachute reporting, and misinformation. Ensuring that authentic Northern perspectives are heard requires intention and collective effort.
We would like to thank everyone involved with NJTI from inception: members of our steering, Elders, and curriculum committees, our miracle-working staff, guest speakers, and mentors, funders that kept us going as long as we could, those who provided guidance and insight, and the communities and families who supported our participants. Our successes are all of yours; the community developed around NJTI is a key part of our legacy.
We encourage Northerners to stay curious, stay proud, and continue telling their own stories. Challenge misinformation when you see it. Lift one another up. Your voices matter—and they carry the power to shape how the world understands the North.