JHR is thrilled to welcome the 2025 cohort of the BIPOC Youth Journalism Training Fellowship! This project is funded by the Government of Canada and the RBC Foundation. Now in its third year, the program aims to promote a more inclusive news industry by providing work placements and mentorship opportunities to early-career BIPOC reporters (ages 19-29). Fellows also attend workshops led by seasoned media professionals, covering a range of journalistic skills and topics.
For 2025, a total of ten fellows will be embedded in six partner newsrooms between July and December:
- IndigiNews, an Indigenous-run online publication producing culturally rooted storytelling that centres Indigenous communities
- Cabin Radio, an online radio station and newsroom that covers stories in the Northwest Territories
- The Independent, an online news outlet offering progressive news and analysis for Newfoundland and Labrador
- Ricochet Media, a national media outlet that practices public-interest journalism
- La Converse, a French-language media platform in Montréal that amplifies marginalized voices through dialogue-driven journalism
- The Rover, a Montreal-based investigative journalism project that reports on news from Quebec and beyond
Read more about the cohort below:
Abby Francis, IndigiNews
Abby Francis is a photographer and journalist from the upper Sunshine Coast with mixed Coast Salish and French ancestry.
Jasmine Nasogaluak, Cabin Radio
Jasmine Nasogaluak is an Inuvialuit and Dene woman. She started working as an intern earlier this year. She has learned that what this fellowship entails is what she wants to pursue going forward. After years of not knowing what she wanted, she has become passionate about radio broadcasting and journalism.
Frey Blake-Pijogge, The Independent
Frey Blake-Pijogge is a recent graduate of St. Thomas University. Frey is 22 years old and reports in Labrador. Frey is Inuk from Nunatsiavut and focuses on Indigenous, environmental, and human rights stories.
Yumna Iftikhar, The Independent
Yumna Iftikhar is a Pakistani-Canadian journalist covering the impact of federal and provincial policies on marginalized communities. She also writes about climate change and Canada’s energy transition journey.
Sophia de Guzman Rivadeiro, Ricochet Media
Sophia de Guzman Rivadeiro is a reporter based in Toronto. She has a deep love for her community and strives to produce work critical of power and in service of the public. She aims to cover housing, migrant rights, and labour issues. She graduated from Toronto Metropolitan University’s journalism program.
Zahra Khozema, Ricochet Media
Zahra Khozema is a journalist and podcast producer based in Toronto. She often covers BIPOC stories, Gen Z and millennial culture, and personal finance.
Zahra Khozema is a journalist and podcast producer based in Toronto. She often covers BIPOC stories, Gen Z and millennial culture, and personal finance.
Natalia Rivero Gómez, La Converse
Natalia Rivero Gómez is a journalist from Bogotá, Colombia who writes about human rights, migration, the environment, and culture. She’s passionate about telling stories that foster connection, build empathy, and celebrate the richness of our communities. In 2025, she won the gold CWA Canada/CAJ Award for Labour Reporting.
Neha Chollangi, The Rover
Neha Chollangi is a journalist and writer based in Montreal. She writes about systemic issues that impact marginalized communities. She has previously lived in BC’s Okanagan Valley and Mississauga, Ontario. Neha’s work has been published in Maisonneuve, CBC, This Magazine, and Future of Good.
