MRU and Shaw team up on Community Podcast Initiative to give voice to marginalized communities
May 25 2021 - 12:00PM
Mount Royal University is partnering with Shaw Communications Inc.
to introduce a new podcasting initiative that will support and
amplify community voices and stories.
Launching this fall, the Community Podcast Initiative (CPI) at
Mount Royal’s School of Communication Studies is a
first-of-its-kind program for a Canadian university that will see
students and the community develop, produce and promote
storytelling through podcasting focused on giving a voice to
marginalized and underrepresented groups.
“Our initiative is focused on amplifying voices from
underrepresented groups,” said Meg Wilcox, a journalism professor
and one of the program’s co-leads. “And to do that, we plan to
collaborate with people to find authentic and inclusive ways to
share stories you aren’t hearing in traditional media. We are
grateful to Shaw for its support of this vital project.”
Facilitated by the Journalism and Broadcast Media Studies
program and powered by Shaw through a generous $100,000
contribution to the initiative, the CPI will open doors to
innovative audio storytelling. This initiative will help establish
MRU as a national and international leader in podcasting education,
keeping with MRU’s focus on personalized learning and incubating
change-making projects.
“We live in a world where news travels fast and topics about
race, identity and diversity are frequently at the forefront of the
conversation,” said Chethan Lakshman, Vice President, External
Affairs, Shaw Communications. “The CPI will not only create an open
and educational platform for these important conversations to
happen, it will help develop students’ skills so they can better
share the stories so important to our communities.”
In an era of rapidly shifting media and an explosion of digital
storytelling, podcasting has enjoyed enormous growth with its
emphasis on conversations that matter. That popularity has
increased during the COVID-19 pandemic as people seek context and
perspective amidst a sea of information and misinformation.
Meanwhile, issues related to the Black, Indigenous and People of
Colour (BIPOC) community have led to protests and demands for
change.
To meet this demand, The Community Podcast Initiative will:
- support podcast production by providing technical space,
recording equipment and software, writing strategies and training
for students and community organizations;
- advance podcast knowledge through workshops, conferences and
awards for podcast excellence;
- use podcasting to advance reconciliation and storytelling from
Indigenous communities;
- boost marginalized voices including stories produced by and
with BIPOC communities;
- maintain a hub of podcast content produced by MRU and community
groups;
- provide research on podcasting and its role in knowledge
mobilization.
The initiative is a natural evolution from the MRU’s existing
podcast work. In 2019, for example, third-year students worked with
MRU’s Iniskim Centre to produce “Raising Reconciliation,” a podcast
series built around discussions with Indigenous community members.
Topics ranged from adjusting to campus life as first-generation
students and dealing with racism, to experiences of child
apprehension and intergenerational trauma, and — for non-Indigenous
students — what it means to be a good ally.
More information about the Community Podcasting Initiative can
be found at https://thepodcaststudio.ca/.
For further information or to arrange interviews, please
contact:
Peter Glenn, Senior Media Relations OfficerMount Royal
UniversityMedia cell: 403.463.6930E-mail:
mediarelations@mtroyal.ca
About Mount Royal
Mount Royal University is one of Canada's top destinations for
undergraduate studies. It offers small class sizes and personalized
student services within a scholarly community renowned for academic
excellence and a focus on teaching and learning. Founded in 1910,
Mount Royal remains dedicated to the success of its students.
Today, nearly 15,000 students choose from 12 bachelor degrees and
35 majors. More than 100,000 Mount Royal alumni are contributing to
their communities worldwide.
About Shaw
Shaw Communications Inc. is a leading Canadian connectivity
company. The Wireline division consists of Consumer and Business
services. Consumer serves residential customers with broadband
Internet, Shaw Go WiFi, video and digital phone. Business provides
business customers with Internet, data, WiFi, digital phone and
video services. The Wireless division provides wireless voice and
LTE data services.
Shaw is traded on the Toronto and New York stock exchanges and
is included in the S&P/TSX 60 Index (Symbol: TSX - SJR.B,
SJR.PR.A, SJR.PR.B, NYSE – SJR, and TSXV – SJR.A). For more
information, please visit www.shaw.ca
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