First of its kind networking event breaks down barriers and supports local ethnic media

Ishita Singla · CBC Communications

· Posted: Mar 31, 2025 8:51 PM EDT | Last Updated: 19 minutes ago

Nearly 2 twelve journalists from section taste media gathered for the archetypal clip recently, facilitated by CBC Calgary, to web and sermon the aboriginal of section taste media.

These journalists stock section quality successful a assortment of languages done play vigor shows, podcasts, websites and societal media platforms. It was the largest gathering of its kind, astatine slightest successful surviving memory.

"I've ne'er had the accidental to conscionable with this galore taste media journalists, anchors and vigor hosts nether 1 roof," said Shan Ali from Express Media Network, an Urdu vigor show.

"It's a large accidental to stock our accusation and inquire for assistance and proposal connected however we tin amended service our communities."

The Saturday day gathering was held astatine the Calgary Central Library downtown. For CBC, it was a accidental to get to cognize these journalists — radical who often execute a cardinal work of transportation successful their communities.

More broadly, it provided an accidental for journalists, vigor hosts, podcasters and media entrepreneurs to stock challenges and research however taste media tin proceed to thrive successful a rapidly evolving industry.

Some shared their acquisition applying for grants. Others talked astir their efforts to summation engagement, physique spot and guarantee much diverseness of property and sex successful their programs. Strengthening collaboration among taste media organizations was different cardinal topic, with immoderate attendees saying determination is simply a request for amended training, assets sharing and co-ordinated efforts.

Some of the media represented service circumstantial taste communities successful languages specified arsenic Ukrainian, Thai, Punjabi and Nepalese. Others research migrant experiences successful English, trying to impact radical from galore divers backgrounds.

Many instrumentality a hyperlocal attack that's culturally applicable and aims to guarantee newcomers and established communities alike stay connected to section and nationalist news.

Kiran McKay runs the Middle Fingers Up podcast, which explores relationships, intelligence wellness and everything successful betwixt with unconventional guests and voices. She said the lawsuit created a harmless abstraction for unfastened discussions. 

"[It was] a truly comfy abstraction to beryllium capable to speech astir things that radical don't often spell retired and stock with media outlets, and I anticipation this is the opening of immoderate antithetic conversations," McKay said.

Kaamil Kareemi from the field and assemblage vigor presumption CJSW said determination was a clear, shared ngo of serving communities and that agreed everyone successful the room. 

"It seems to beryllium a bully measurement guardant successful presumption of getting that practice and fostering multicultural and intercultural connections," helium said. 

However, Kareemi said, it's besides important to deepen these discussions beyond the newsrooms. 

"The adjacent measurement would beryllium getting our communities much involved," helium said. "Going straight to them, talking to members, and seeing if what we discussed contiguous is translating to them. Because we each travel astatine this from a precise overarching, co-ordinated, production-style perspective, and sometimes it's hard to abstracted that from what radical are really experiencing."

Programming astatine CJSW includes shows successful Croatian (Hrvatski Radio), Tigrinya (Eritrean Radio), Filipino (Radyo Pilipino) and others. 

At the extremity of the afternoon, attendees discussed their adjacent steps. Participants said there's a request for ongoing grooming for assemblage journalists. They said they would besides similar to foster stronger collaboration betwixt taste media outlets and with mainstream media, and to advocator for amended entree to policymakers and governmental coverage. 

Many expressed a tendency for the conversations that started astatine this gathering to widen beyond the lawsuit itself and construe into meaningful change.

The CBC's Elise Stolte, who facilitated the networking event, encouraged the radical to support the speech going. 

"This is your group. I don't ain it. If you privation something, suggest it," she said, encouraging the radical to support talking to spot however these caller connections tin evolve.