Journalists for Human Rights (JHR) and The Walrus are proud to announce the launch of the JHR and The Walrus Contributing Writers Program. This new program will provide journalists, particularly those displaced due to crisis or persecution, with the opportunity to conduct in-depth reporting for The Walrus.
Building on JHR’s successful Journalist in Residence Project (2022–2024), which offered year-long fellowships at major newsrooms in Canada to ten international journalists, this initiative provides direct support to journalists now based in Canada who were displaced by crises in their home countries or persecuted for their work. The program aims to expand international coverage in the country’s media while highlighting the importance of freedom of expression.
“The number of silenced, displaced, detained, arrested, killed, or disappeared international journalists grows each year,” said Jordan MacInnis, Domestic Programs Director at JHR. “This program ensures journalists have a platform to continue their work and contribute to civic spaces in Canada.”
The Walrus has selected Soraya Amiri, an Afghan journalist based in Toronto, as the first recipient. In 2022, she was awarded a JHR Afghan Journalists-in-Residence Fellowship at The Walrus. Before coming to Canada, Amiri worked as a journalist for TOLOnews, Afghanistan’s largest news network. Her first story under this new Contributing Writers Program is out now on thewalrus.ca.
Participants in the Contributing Writers Program will receive mentorship and support to produce long-form, fact-checked journalism in collaboration with The Walrus editorial team. This partnership represents a significant step in fostering meaningful integration and career development for journalists who might otherwise face barriers in Canada’s media landscape.
“The program leverages the journalists’ unique access to people, events, and ideas and ensures an ever-wider range of stories are available in the country’s media,” added MacInnis.
The Walrus, known for its commitment to fostering emerging talent, is enthusiastic about the collaboration.
“My colleagues and I have made a concerted effort in recent years to publish more international stories that affect people in Canada, and particularly diaspora communities,” said Samia Madwar, Senior Editor at The Walrus. “I’m looking forward to building on this work through our latest collaboration with JHR, and I am especially excited to welcome fresh voices and perspectives into our fold.”
This initiative reflects JHR’s ongoing mission to empower journalists and strengthen press freedom globally, while The Walrus continues its mandate of fostering fact-checked, long-form reporting that informs and inspires readers in Canada.
About Journalists for Human Rights (JHR):
Journalists for Human Rights is Canada’s leading media development organization. JHR trains journalists to report on human rights and governance issues in their communities and has been at the forefront of supporting displaced and at-risk journalists globally.
About The Walrus:
The Walrus provokes new thinking and sparks conversation on matters vital to Canadians. As a registered charity, we publish independent, fact-based journalism in The Walrus and at thewalrus.ca; we produce national, ideas-focused events, including our flagship series The Walrus Talks; and we train emerging professionals in publishing and nonprofit management. The Walrus is invested in the idea that a healthy society relies on informed citizens.
