Northern Journalism Training Initiative
Empowering Northern people to tell northern stories
Training Outline
NJTI was created by a group of northern media professionals dedicated to consolidating the experiences and expertise of northern and Indigenous media practitioners, with the goal of sharing and expanding that knowledge.
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Our vision is that through journalism and communications, we are working towards a new normal where Indigenous and northern people play leading roles in telling their own compelling stories, holding leaders to account, and growing wider awareness of the unique and important place of northerners in the world.
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Our training is built around the following ideas:
This will be accomplished through in-class learning from our two skilled training instructors, as well as from guest speakers with experience in media and storytelling in the North. You will also have the opportunity to use your learnings though hands-on work with audio and visual equipment, and with members of the public, as you hone your craft by conducting interviews, researching stories, recording footage, and more.
Sample Schedule
Since the training balances in-class learning and in-the-field experience, and we try to work with community partners around their schedules, we cannot provide at this time a daily plan for the Spring 2025 session. However, the following sample is representative of what a few different types of training days could look like. After being accepted to the program, participants will receive a detailed daily schedule. Please note, NJTI provides a cold breakfast and a hot lunch every day we have training, which does not include weekends.
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The training runs Monday to Friday from approximately 8:30 a.m. to 4 p.m. each day.
Training Assignments
During the training you will be asked to complete assignments. Some of these will be simple daily tasks that we do as a group to explore what we’re learning about, like story-pitching, and comparing AI images with real photographs.
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You will also be asked to complete four larger assignments outside of the classroom. These will contribute to your development of a portfolio, a useful resource for pitching your work and reporting skills to newsrooms. These assignments might include recording three interviews with members of the public, writing a 30-second script for radio, and creating a photo essay.
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We don’t expect every participant to master every skill during the training – instead, we want you to have experienced a variety of options so that you can, after the training, pursue the aspects of journalism that interest you most.
Participant Assessment
Throughout the training you will be asked to complete self-assessments of your skills so that we can see how you feel about certain aspects of media; this gives us the chance to review anything you’re not confident in, or really dive deep into topics that really interest you. We also provide constructive one-on-one feedback so that our instructors really get to know you, and know what you want out of the training. NJTI does not use tests or provide grades.
Group Agreement
To keep us on track and learning safely for everyone involved, we ask our participants to commit to a group agreement at the start of the training. An example of what we might agree to do includes:
We will be intentional
Listen with intention to understand
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Ask questions
be patient and give space without interrupting
We will be honest and respectful
Be accepting of the thoughts and ideas of others, not rude or dismissive
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Respect each other’s time and differing priorities
We will be bold and creative
We all bring our wisdom
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Be open to new ideas
We will be collaborative and build on ideas
Be open to change
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Accept feedback
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Contribute thoughtfully
NJTI’s Values
NJTI’s values guide us as we work to deliver training in every region in the NWT.
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Reconciliation
Reconciliation is at the heart of why NJTI exists. We believe that by working together as Indigenous and non-Indigenous people from an authentic place, we are modelling reconciliation and helping to decolonize our own work, our profession and its institutions. We recognize that we are all at a different place in our process of understanding what decolonization means and requires. We believe that journalism is an important way to share stories and ideas that help advance understanding and action that is critical to meaningful change. We prioritize Indigenous participation in our programs and create positive mixed learning spaces where all northerners can share and grow.
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Northern-Made & Journalist-Led
NJTI is a unique organization made up of professionals who are as passionate about the North as they are about journalism and storytelling. We value and prioritize northern knowledge and wisdom in everything we do, from our program curriculum and trainers to our logistical arrangements. We are community-centered in developing and delivering our programs. We are working professionals who love our craft, but also recognize that journalism and the media industry must change to survive.
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Integrity
We believe journalists have the power and duty to seek truth and hold those in power to account in a way that is both courageous and ethical. As an organization, we also strive to be honest and accountable to each other, to the land, and to the public.
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Open-Minded
We believe that learning is a lifelong process for each of us. We engage in our work with respect, humility and a desire to learn from each other, from experts in our field, and from the Indigenous and northern Peoples and communities we serve.
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Love
We choose to embed and model a loving intention and approach in everything we do. This includes meeting people where they are at and creating positive and welcoming spaces.