After interviewing a former high school student who was quoted in a 2015 article on the Truth and Reconciliation Commission’s Calls to Action, three non-Indigenous journalism students set out to produce this episode with care but nothing went as planned. In this episode, these student producers share the mistakes they made and lessons they learned in hopes of helping other journalists recognize how some journalistic practices can cause harm.
As a DJ – and a competitive athlete – George Quarcoo, aka GQ Soundz, has been interviewed by multiple journalists. Many of them make the same mistake. We Met U When… producer Ariel Tozman set out to break that pattern. She introduces us to George and connects with another artist experiencing the same frustration, while also confronting her own assumptions.
In 2015 many women journalists suddenly became part of the story while simply trying to do their jobs. Around the world, strangers were interrupting live news reports, shouting a vulgar and sexist phrase. As one We Met U When… producer started learning about this gender-based harassment, past and present, she too found herself becoming part of the story.
This story about graffiti artist Moises Frank, aka Luvsumone or Luvs, took a turn our producers didn’t see coming. While learning about Moises mentoring young people, they realized he was teaching them something too. A deep dive into this artist’s life revealed a journey through grief and healing that was transformative for him – and the three guys producing this episode.
Attending Toronto’s first Africentric Alternative School was a powerful experience for Sekou, who was quoted in a 2015 news story when he was in grade 7. As an adult, he remembers a lot of coverage that missed the mark. His mom doesn’t remember providing informed consent. This episode explores their experiences with journalists, consent and how Black stories are told.
In this We Met U When…bonus episode, we reflect on some of the hardest moments during production of Season 3, some fears we faced, and how we stepped out of our comfort zones and discovered new passions. We also bring you into our visit from Pulitzer Prize and Peabody award-winning investigative journalist, Connie Walker.
Four students from Professor Shari Okeke’s Advanced Podcasting and Radio Documentary course attended the first Student Podcast Day at RESONATE 2024, a podcast festival in Richmond, Virginia. They had no idea it would be such a pivotal moment – meeting so many pros and gaining new perspectives on the journalism industry and their place in it.
When a We Met U When…producer was wrapping up a phone interview for this season, she didn’t expect to suddenly be on the receiving end of a microaggression – and get it all on tape. This episode explores that long awkward exchange and why it makes sense to report on it.
Carmine Posteraro tested positive for COVID in 2020. He wound up on a ventilator and was in a coma for 12 days. But that wasn’t the first time he had to fight for his life. There were at least five close calls before that. It was no joke. But now, his story actually gets a lot of laughs.
Jelena Vermilion (she/her) is a trans woman who is also a sex worker. She fights stigma and demands respect for her community in news interviews, at protests, at church. In 2020 she talked about the financial hit when in-person work wasn’t possible. Now Jelena’s not just explaining the realities of sex work, she’s preserving them – at the library!