Anita Li
Media consultant and journalism instructor, The Other Wave
Journalism, Media, Digital media, Canadian media, Journalism innovation, Justice Equity Diversity and Inclusion (JEDI), Innovation, Ethics, Community, Community-driven journalism, Media business models, Journalism entrepreneurship, Audience engagement, Misinformation and disinformation, Media and democracy
Media
Emerging Business Models for News
In today’s shifting journalism landscape, where traditional revenue streams falter amidst fragmented digital platforms and declining ad revenues, news outlets – particularly new and entrepreneurial ones – are seeking innovative models that prioritise access to news and informed communities.
Our panel featured industry upstarts who are creatively rethinking how to deliver value to audiences and build healthy, diversified mission-driven businesses, and explored how these trailblazers are building active communities and reshaping the future of news through novel revenue models.
The virtual discussion took place on February 27 and featured Anita Li, founder and editor in chief of The Green Line, Graham Watson-Ringo, Vice President of Success and Growth at News Revenue Hub, which plays a crucial role in funding quality journalism, and Dru Oja Jay, Publisher of The Breach. Brett Chang, founder and CEO of The Peak moderated.
The Promise and Perils of Digital
On May 20, 2023, the Provocation Ideas Festival organized a panel about how digital technology is shaping public engagement, journalism and our democracy. Executive Director Sabreena Delhon moderated the discussion which featured Anita Li (The Green Line), Jeffrey Dvorkin (Massey College) and Jesse Brown (Canadaland). A recording of the conversation was produced by Canadaland.
Anita Li: Ignite Talk Newsgeist 2023
At Google's Newgeist 2023 unconference for newsroom leaders across North America, Anita Li shares how community-driven journalism is doing what it ought to: encouraging civic engagement.
Measuring impact to foster transformation in funding - 2023 Lenfest News Philanthropy Summit
From societal effects to activities and outputs related to grant-supported projects, impact can take many forms. Newsrooms and journalism support organizations must know how to define and assess their impact in order to demonstrate the scope of their work to stakeholders. In this session, Solutions Journalism Network and Impact Architects bring together newsrooms to share some of their behind-the-scenes efforts to streamline impact tracking as well as share lessons learned from collaborations with funders to demonstrate how research and evaluation can contribute to transformation in journalism funding. Featuring panellists Lindsay Green-Barber of Impact Architects , Anita Li of The Green Line, Mariko Chang of Honolulu Civil Beat and Alec Saelens of Solutions Journalism Network.
The Walrus Talks at Home: News & Platforms - Innovation, impact, and access in a digital world
The Walrus Talks at Home: News & Platforms discussed innovation, impact, and access in a digital world. The event took place September 23, 2021, and it featured: Emilee Gilpin (Managing Editor, IndigiNews); Brian Myles (Editor, Le Devoir); Anita Li (Journalism Instructor, Media Consultant, and Publisher and Founder of The Green Line); Emma Gilchrist (Co-Founder, Editor-in-Chief, and Executive Director, The Narwhal); and was moderated by Jessica Johnson (Editor-in-Chief, The Walrus).
Anita Li: Why Journalism Should be a Public Service
Anita Li is a Journalism Instructor, Media Consultant, and Publisher and Founder of The Green Line. She spoke at The Walrus Talks at Home: News & Platforms on September 23, 2021. Watch her full talk here.
Asian Canadians share their experiences with racism
After the Atlanta shootings, there’s been a growing movement for East Asians to speak up and stop racism in their communities. A conversation on CBC's The National with Anita Li, the Editor in Chief of The Other Wave, and Edmonton public school trustee Nathan Ip.
A Millennial Journalist's Perspective on the Future of Journalism
Anita Li featured in Atkinson Foundation video: We invited millennial journalist Angelyn Francis to create this video "op-ed" to add her voice to the public conversation on the future of journalism -- and to encourage others to do the same. Follow #futureofjournalists to listen in.
Digital News Disruption
Digital news was supposed to save the struggling newspaper industry. But companies like BuzzFeed and Vice, who were considered industry leaders, are now laying off thousands of staff. Will Canada's media bailout help or hinder the Canadian news landscape? To help assess that and other challenges facing the future of digital journalism, The Agenda welcomes: Canadaland’s Jesse Brown, Postmedia CEO Andrew MacLeod, Anita Li of The Discourse along with professor Colette Brin, a visiting scholar at the Ryerson School of Journalism.
Women in Journalism Panel at Carleton University
Read for more: https://carleton.ca/sjc/journalism/about/women-in-journalism/
Why gender and colonialism matter in journalism startups
This panel will examine how technology is privileged in discussions about journalism startups despite evidence that structural power relations such as gender, race and colonialism matter as much or more in understanding the impact and future possibilities of the “crisis” in journalism. This panel tries to make sense of how unexamined power relations and the exclusions of peoples, relations, “neglected knowledge,” and “alternative conceptualizations” of the future have limited the possibilities for what journalism startups can and should do in the early 21st century (Felt 2017, 253). Specifically, we contend that the industry’s construction of innovation and technology as the main saviors of journalism have systematically excluded ways of knowing that destabilize hegemonic power relations and present questions for professional identities and well-worn epistemologies in the field of journalism. Alongside these exclusions, digital technologies have been reified to the extent that their role as ‘modernizing’ forces of journalism are relatively unquestioned despite scholarship from feminist, postcolonial and science and technology studies that suggests the need for a much more critical approach to the postcolonial logic legitimated by the “new technologic … man in the street” (Spivak, 1999). As such, this panel will be oriented around the question: “Who participates in imagining and shaping the future” of journalism through conversations with founders and researchers of journalism startups (Felt 2017, 253). Con: Candis Callison (University of British Columbia), Anita Li (director of communities Discourse Media), Minelle Mahtani (University of Toronto), Nikki Usher (George Washington University), Mary Lynn Young (University of British Columbia).
Read for more: https://www.journalismfestival.com/programme/2018/why-gender-and-colonialism-matter-in-journalism-startups
The Power of Digital Journalism | Anita Li | TEDxDistilleryDistrictWomen
Anita Li navigates the evolving landscape of digital journalism by brainstorming creative ways to cover news online.
Anita's TEDx talk has been taught in universities around the world, reshared by reputable industry publications like Editor & Publisher, and written about in dozens of blogs and social media posts. It was given at a TEDx event using the TED conference format but independently organized by a local community. Learn more at http://ted.com/tedx
Anita Li – Young Canadian digital journalist
Anita Li is a Canadian journalist who has worked on both sides of the divide between traditional and digital news. After brief stints at The Globe and Mail and the Toronto Star, she headed to Fusion Media in New York City. In this video, she shares her optimistic view of the future of journalism in an age of disruption.
The state of journalism in Canada
CTV's Your Morning, April 11, 2024Television
URL: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=yrgC2t1VggY
The CEO of Bell, Mirko Bibic is testifying before the House of Commons Standing Committee on Canadian Heritage to answer questions about recent layoffs. Featuring an interview/analysis from Anita Li.
Why gender and colonialism matter in journalism startups
International Journalism Festival, April 13, 2018Television
This panel will examine how technology is privileged in discussions about journalism startups despite evidence that structural power relations such as gender, race and colonialism matter as much or more in understanding the impact and future possibilities of the “crisis” in journalism. This panel tries to make sense of how unexamined power relations and the exclusions of peoples, relations, “neglected knowledge,” and “alternative conceptualizations” of the future have limited the possibilities for what journalism startups can and should do in the early 21st century (Felt 2017, 253). Specifically, we contend that the industry’s construction of innovation and technology as the main saviors of journalism have systematically excluded ways of knowing that destabilize hegemonic power relations and present questions for professional identities and well-worn epistemologies in the field of journalism. Alongside these exclusions, digital technologies have been reified to the extent that their role as ‘modernizing’ forces of journalism are relatively unquestioned despite scholarship from feminist, postcolonial and science and technology studies that suggests the need for a much more critical approach to the postcolonial logic legitimated by the “new technologic … man in the street” (Spivak, 1999). As such, this panel will be oriented around the question: “Who participates in imagining and shaping the future” of journalism through conversations with founders and researchers of journalism startups (Felt 2017, 253).
How local news can empower civic engagement and the fight against misinformation
International Journalism Festival, April 8, 2022Television
With so many seemingly intractable problems facing societies worldwide, negative “if it bleeds, it leads” headlines are leaving news consumers anxious and demoralized. Meanwhile, misinformation and disinformation is rampant on social media, leading to polarized discourse and communities.
That’s why it’s no longer enough to passively consume the news — it’s more important now than ever to take action on the issues we learn about in the news. Local media outlets may be the key to galvanizing news consumers to action, especially since civic engagement is strongly tied to local news habits. Those who have a reliable source of local news are more likely to participate in their communities, vote and trust their neighbours.
Local media outlets also stem the tide of misinformation and disinformation by delivering concrete, on-the-ground reporting. So, they can help build the necessary bridges between people to stop polarization and encourage them to collaborate to solve local problems.
Organised in association with Online News Association.
How North American newsrooms are operationalizing diversity, equity, and inclusion
International Journalism Festival, April 7, 2022Television
In early 2020, a pandemic brought the world to a standstill. By summer, the quiet had erupted. All eyes were on Minnesota following the killing of George Floyd by Minneapolis police. That attention, and the protests and conversations that followed, prompted an international reckoning with the systemic racism that has always shaped people’s everyday experiences.
The reckoning—a reexamination of who holds power, what abuses have transpired, and what opportunities have been lost—has coursed its way through every industry, including journalism. This comes more than 50 years after the National Advisory Commission on Civil Disorders, more commonly known as the Kerner Commission, called out the media’s lack of diversity and complicity in maintaining systems of oppression: “Along with the country as a whole, the press has too long basked in a white world…The painful process of readjustment that is required of the American news media must begin now.”
Newsrooms must own up to and address the institutionalized racism that has framed their communities, coverage, and workplaces for generations. There must be an embrace of deep listening, a willingness to get uncomfortable, and a full-throated commitment to anti-racism work and the principles of justice, diversity, equity, and inclusion (JEDI) both in the newsroom, as well as outside the newsroom when engaging the communities they serve.
Led by Canadian Journalists of Colour co-founder Anita Li and Southern California Public Radio vice president Ashley Alvarado, who chaired her organization’s DEI task force, this session will provide you with practical tools and resources to bring back to your respective newsrooms. We will share frameworks used in North American newsrooms for engaging underrepresented communities, including listening sessions, community advisory boards, audience surveys, and more.
Organised in association with Online News Association.
Revisioning the journalism industry through a ‘solutions’ lens: delivering and measuring social, editorial and business model impact
International Journalism Festival, May 7, 2024Television
As more newsrooms and journalists engage in solutions and constructive journalism, there is a growing body of data on the impacts these journalistic approaches can have. There are social impacts, such as increased community involvement in efforts to tackle challenges from youth mental health to plastic pollution. But there are also important editorial and business model impacts. Solutions stories and verticals can attract funding from donors and funders. They receive increased time on page, potentially increasing the appeal of an outlet to advertisers. And they can help drive subscriptions, due to increased audience trust and willingness to pay.
This session will provide three case studies of the social, editorial and business impact of solutions journalism. It will also make an argument that a ‘solutions lens’ should be applied to the journalism industry’s business model problem. Moderated by Corinne Podger.
This community-driven news outlet is aiming to redefine Toronto
Breakfast Television, April 14, 2023Television
Tammie Sutherland is joined by Anita Li, founder and editor and chief of The Green Line, who talks about how the hyperlocal, independent news outlet is highlighting underserved communities in Toronto.
Journalism Entrepreneurship: How to Start Your Own Media Company
Youth Time International Movement, August 16, 2022Television
URL: https://youtu.be/OT7U0rhor1Q
Anita Li is a Canadian journalist, media entrepreneur, journalism consultant, educator, and entrepreneur specializing in audience engagement, media business models, innovation, DEI, and ethics. In our latest webinar, Anita shares the reality of being a media entrepreneur, having launched her own media outlet The Green Line, and gives advice for all young journalists wishing to do the same.
Running for The Exits: Why Are So Many Leaving the Business?
RTDNA Canada 2022 National Conference & Awards Gala, June 11, 2022Television
URL: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=q1tQgYgLSYg
In some parts of the country “The Great Resignation” has hit newsrooms hard. Strategies for attracting and keeping journalists on the beat, featuring moderator Beatrice Politi and panellists Anita Li, Media Consultant and Founder of The Green Line and Marissa Nelson, VP Consulting of Local Media for Magid.
[FEATURED] Building Better Digital News for Blind and Other Disabled Users
ONA Insights, October 15, 2021Television
URL: https://insights.journalists.org/sessions/featured-session-2/
Kicking off a day of conversations about accessibility in the digital space, Insights Day 2 will open with a look at the priorities and inequities that prevent meaningful textual descriptions of images and data representations, and the steps we can and must take to open our work to everyone. Chancey Fleet talks to Anita Li about the inequities that make news inaccessible to blind and disabled audiences.
COVID-19: Should news paywalls block access to critical health info?
Global News, October 8, 2021Television
Some argue free access to the latest news is a public right. Others say journalism needs your cash to survive. Noor Ibrahim explores the paywall ‘dilemma.’ Featuring an interview with Anita Li.
Investigative journalism using community engagement
2021 Investigative Reporters and Editors (IRE) Conference, June 15, 2021Television
URL: https://ire21.pathable.co/meetings/virtual/ziuXAf8nhf6yfDo4r
Tactics and strategies for how journalists can include underrepresented communities in the investigative-reporting process in ways that are empowering and collaborative — not exploitative and exclusionary — and that will produce stronger stories. We'll also explore broader topics like how to do engagement on a small budget or if you're a small newsroom, as well as getting buy-in for engagement projects.
Journalism's Myth of Objectivity: Accountability, Embodiment and Neutrality
Blackwood Gallery, October 28, 2020Television
URL: https://www.blackwoodgallery.ca/program/situated-journalism-accountability-embodiment-and-neutrality
In this panel, critical journalists from across Indigenous, American and Canadian media reflect on the construction of objectivity that underpins their profession and informs journalistic codes of ethics. Working from within and without media outlets that challenge the perceived neutrality of reporting, panelists discuss how they foster situated, embodied, and accountable journalism. Featuring Anita Li of The Other Wave, Rick Harp of MEDIA INDIGENA, Carol Linnitt of The Narwhal, Lewis Raven Wallace of Press On and Karyn Pugliese of Ryerson University.
Asian-Canadian Representation in the Media
Toronto Public Library, May 20, 2021Television
URL: https://www.crowdcast.io/e/tplmedia2
This panel focuses on all the different ways Asian-Canadian communities are covered in the media at large, including in the context of recent anti-Asian sentiment, and how that's evolving. Panellists Anita Li of The Other Wave, Kenny Yum of CBC News, Aparita Bhandari of Khabardaar Podcast and Justine Abigail Yu of Living Hyphen also explore the nuances of how Asian-Canadian media-makers across generations and cultures approach coverage of their communities, using a diverse array of platforms and formats.
Virtual Public Diplomacy Monitoring Forum: How the US Election Is Explained to the World
USC Center on Communication Leadership and Policy, December 15, 2020Television
URL: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=1l3GiCmav-4
Global conversation on how the US election is being explained to the world. This event began with the opening remarks by Hon. Ashok Mirpuri, Singapore's Ambassador to the United States of America, followed by panelists from around the world (in alphabetical order): Jeff Ballou, News Editor for the Americas at Al Jazeera Media Network; Jacqueline Charles, Caribbean/Haiti Correspondent for The Miami Herald; Vasily Gatov, Russian media researcher and author; Anton Harber, co-founder of South Africa's anti-apartheid Weekly Mail newspaper and journalism professor at the University of the Witwatersrand, Johannesburg; Insun Kang, Deputy Managing Editor of The Chosun Ilbo and former Washington bureau chief of Chosun Media; and Anita Li, journalism instructor at Ryerson University, the City University of New York and Centennial College. This meeting was presented by the USC Annenberg Center on Communication Leadership and Policy, Geoffrey Cowan, Director and Adam Powell III, Director of Washington Programs.
Press Club: Objectivity in Canadian media, in the wake of Black Lives Matter
Massey College, November 10, 2020Television
URL: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=kziuVbFD-gY
The recent BLM movement has intensified the debate in Canada and elsewhere around how the media can better reflect the diversity of the communities it purports to serve. This question necessarily asks not just how news coverage is shaped, but also considers who is doing the shaping. Intertwined with this is an even more challenging but unavoidable question that takes aim at a core tenet of journalism: objectivity.
Are journalists being partisan if they say Black Lives Matter? Is it preferable or not for newsrooms to send an Indigenous journalist to cover a protest for Indigenous rights? Can reporters legitimately refuse to cover people who have unsavory views? Under what circumstances can journalists shed the need to adhere to “both sides-ism?” Is it possible to be both activist and professional, or are those roles incompatible?
Featuring panellists Anita Li, Rachel Giese, Adrian Harewood, Jeffrey Dvorkin and Duncan McCue.
Canada’s journalism industry is lacking diversity. Here’s what needs to be done to change that.
CTV's Your Morning, July 17, 2020Television
Anita Li from the Canadian Journalists of Colour explains why journalism is so behind the times, and what more can be done.
How to collaborate with underrepresented communities in your journalism
2020 Investigative Reporters and Editors (IRE) Conference, September 24, 2020Television
URL: https://ire20.pathable.co/meetings/virtual/Rb7nCcZiaLXiJNY3H
In this session, panellists share tactics and strategies for how journalists can include underrepresented communities in the investigative-reporting process in ways that are empowering and collaborative — not exploitative and exclusionary — and that will produce stronger stories. Moderated by Anita Li.
How to Engage with Reddit in the Time of COVID-19
ONA Insights, June 25, 2020Television
URL: https://insights.journalists.org/sessions/how-to-engage-with-reddit-in-the-time-of-covid/
In a time of urgent and overlapping healthcare, policing and employment crises, Reddit’s “endless content” is both an unparalleled story-sourcing resource and an infamous informational haystack. Join this conversation with Reddit’s Gabriel Sands and moderated by Anita Li to gain insights into unearthing new voices to broaden your coverage, improve your journalism and meet your audience where they are.
Documentary trailer: 'History of Journalism: From Reporter to Fake News'
Centre national du cinéma et de l'image animée (CNC) and French journalist Bruno Masi, April 27, 2020Television
URL: https://www.facebook.com/neeeda/videos/10107574457832862/
Directed by Paris-based journalist and writer Bruno Masi, the documentary is a compelling look at the evolution of the role of media in society. It also features interviews with journalism experts from around the world, including Anita Li, Alice Antheaume, Renate Schroeder, Alan Rusbridger, Jeff Jarvis, Victor Pickard and more.
Race and the Election Campaign
CBC News, October 19, 2019Television
URL: https://twitter.com/aartipole/status/1185700195918462977
What role has race played in this year's election campaign? Have race issues, and the way they've been handled, swayed your vote?
Trump tells Democratic women of colour to leave U.S. in 'racist' tweets
CBC, July 18, 2019Television
URL: https://drive.google.com/file/d/1JMfKtpTwr52IzTTOAOiNJi6qG6O94cLI/view
Anita Li on panel: U.S. President Donald Trump on Sunday assailed a group of Democratic congresswomen of colour as foreign-born troublemakers.
Panel discusses news coverage of Jussie Smollett
CBC, February 24, 2019Television
URL: https://www.cbc.ca/player/play/1447447619852
Anita Li of Discourse, Ernest Owens Philadelphia Magazine speak with CBC's Aarti Pole about how the media reported on the Jussie Smollett events as they unfolded
'Going back to the basics': How one local publication is changing its strategy as Meta starts to block news in Canada
CBC Radio's Metro Morning, August 3, 2023Radio/Podcast
Featuring Anita Li, the founder and editor in chief of The Green Line.
Staying Alive: Understanding News Deserts with Anita Li
J-Source, April 28, 2023Radio/Podcast
URL: https://j-source.ca/staying-alive-understanding-news-deserts/
Newsroom convergence means Canada has seen a rise in news deserts and ghost newsrooms. Media consultant Anita Li explores the consequences, effects and innovative solutions on geographic and cultural communities across the country.
Know (and grow) your audience ft. Anita Li and Rebekah Monson
LION Publishers presents: News Guest hosted by Candice Fortman, August 2, 2022Radio/Podcast
URL: https://www.lionpublishers.com/news-guest-anita-li-rebekah-monson/
One of the hardest parts of running an independent news business is building an audience from scratch, especially if you’re trying to do it on a shoestring budget. In this episode of News Guest, host Candice Fortman of Outlier Media is joined by two guests, Anita Li and Rebekah Monson, who have worked deep in the weeds of audience strategy to talk about how researching and understanding the communities you want to serve can help you grow your audience – faster.
153: They Call Us Turning Red
They Call Us Bruce, March 31, 2022Radio/Podcast
URL: https://theycallusbruce.libsyn.com/153-they-call-us-turning-red
Jeff and Phil welcome Shirley Li (The Atlantic) and Anita Li (The Green Line) to talk about Meilin Lee and Disney/Pixar's animated feature TURNING RED. They discuss the incredible specificity of this Chinese Canadian story, what makes a film "relatable" and why it's so meaningful to let your teen girl characters go "AWOOGA!"
The exploration of how young Canadians approach their work life compared to their old colleagues
Charles Adler Tonight, May 19, 2021Radio/Podcast
URL: https://omny.fm/shows/charles-adler-tonight/the-exploration-of-how-young-canadians-approach-th
Addressing young Canadians and the future of work. Featuring guest Anita Li, author of a new Global News column called 'Outside the 9 to 5.'
New ideas and innovations in journalism
Delivering Journalism - Carleton University's School of Journalism, January 24, 2021Radio/Podcast
On this week's episode of the Delivering Journalism podcast, we'll continue exploring business models, with a focus on some of the latest ideas and innovations in journalism. Special guest Anita Li, a media consultant and journalism instructor, has lots to say about the future of journalism…and why she thinks now is an exciting time for journalists.
Facebook Fangoria
Canadaland, November 12, 2020Radio/Podcast
URL: https://www.canadaland.com/podcast/285-facebook-fangoria/
Beware of the FANG! And how to cover Chinese infiltration — or anti-Chinese infiltration? Anita Li co-hosts this episode of Canadaland's "Short Cuts."
Creating Value With Memberships
ONA Insights 2018, May 11, 2018Radio/Podcast
URL: https://insights.journalists.org/sessions/memberships/
Memberships offer a unique value proposition: rather than a straight pay-for-content play, they seek to create an online community people pay to join, with the understanding that a membership supports quality content in the process. Three experts, including Anita Li, share best practices — and fresh ideas — in their efforts to grow their membership programs.
'You can't change what you don't acknowledge'
CBC Radio One’s The Early Edition with Stephen Quinn, June 17, 2020Radio/Podcast
Canadian Journalists of Colour co-founder Anita Li, Ubyssey culture editor Danni Olusanya and Aboriginal People's Television Network producer Steve Sxwithul'txw speak with Stephen Quinn about what media organizations need to do to end systemic racism in their coverage.
Is the Canadian media systemically racist?
CBC Radio One's The Weekend Morning Show (Manitoba) with Nadia Kidwai, June 14, 2020Radio/Podcast
How the murder of George Floyd affected Black journalists here in Canada. Featuring an interview with Anita Li, co-founder of Canadian Journalists of Colour.
Theories on #InThisSkin, Comedic Intolerance and Diversity in Newsrooms
New Theory Radio (News Talk Sauga 960 AM), February 18, 2020Radio/Podcast
We close the show with some theories around Diversity in Newsrooms. Anita Li (Canadian Journalists Of Colour) and Nadia Stewart (Canadian Association of Black Journalists) stop by to talk about a white paper both organizations collaborated on pertaining to diversity and exclusion within Canadian media.
Putting Calls for Racial Diversity in Canadian Media into Action
Pull Quotes: The Ryerson Review of Journalism Podcast, February 13, 2020Radio/Podcast
URL: https://rrj.ca/pullquotes-podcast-8/
Fast-forward to 2020 and Canadian journalists of colour are still fighting for racial equality in media dominated by largely white upper management and editorial teams, in stark contrast to a diverse readership. The lack of racial diversity in Canadian newsrooms and media coverage prompted the Canadian Association of Black Journalists (CABJ) and Canadian Journalists of Colour (CJOC) to publish the Canadian Media Diversity: Calls to Action on January 28. Featuring guest interviews with CJOC's Anita Li and CABJ'S Nadia Stewart.
Increasing diversity in Canada's media organizations — a plan of action
Rabble.ca, February 27, 2020Radio/Podcast
Increasing diversity in the newsrooms of the nation is a topic which has been talked about and strategized around for several decades. But has all that talk resulted in action which has increased the number of people of colour and Black journalists in Canada's news media? Our two guests on rabble radio today say there is still a long way to go. Anita Li of Canadian Journalists of Colour; and Nadia Stewart of the Canadian Association of Black Journalists say our newsrooms aren't there yet.
Canada Is Working Exactly As Intended
Canadaland, March 4, 2020Radio/Podcast
URL: https://www.canadalandshow.com/podcast/252-canada-is-working-exactly-as-intended/
A front-page story tells us that Canada is broken. Is it, or is this exactly how the country was designed to work? And, as a senior editor leaves the CBC, our national broadcaster pivots to audience. Anita Li co-hosts this episode of Canadaland's "Short Cuts."
'Missing voices and missing perspectives': Trudeau blackface scandal renews calls for newsroom diversity
CBC's The Current, September 20, 2019Radio/Podcast
Many say Canadian newsrooms must tackle race head-on — and employ more diverse reporters. Anita Li appears on a panel.
SiriusXM's "Progress Presents": Millennial Issues
SiriusXM, March 10, 2017Radio/Podcast
One hour of a three-hour-long episode of "Progress Presents," featuring guests Anita Li and Alexandros Orphanides.
work x work ON AIR: Unheard Voices
work x work, February 12, 2017Radio/Podcast
URL: https://podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast/unheard-voices/id1239617753?i=1000391616428
For this hour, editor Anita Li of The Other Wave and previously of Fusion leads a discussion on the role storytellers of color can play in today’s social and political climate. Featuring HuffPo Black Voices Senior Editor Lilly Workneh, filmmaker and writer Dean Marcial, and the multi-talented creative producer Sahra V. Nguyen, this conversation shines a light on the ways we approach covering underrepresented communities, the sometimes difficult journey to find your calling, and how to help marginalized stories get told. Prior to Fusion, Anita worked as news director at Complex Media, weekend editor at Mashable, on-air reporter at CTV Ottawa, research assistant for The New Yorker's Beijing bureau, and reporter/photographer at The Toronto Star.
Why Canadian media need to talk more about race
CBC, November 18, 2016Radio/Podcast
URL: https://www.cbc.ca/news/why-canadian-media-need-to-talk-more-about-race-1.3858505
Journalist Anita Li says media in Canada need to talk more about race. Now living in New York City, Li says while the discussion around race isn't perfect in the U.S., she argues there's a lesson to be learned in the frankness with which it is done.
Home Alone
Review of Journalism, May 22, 2024Print
URL: https://reviewofjournalism.ca/home-alone/
Small-team, micro-budget independents and their big ambitions. Featuring an interview with The Green Line's Anita Li.
Youth Works: How three RSA Fellows are fighting global inequalities standing in the way of young people
RSA Journal, May 30, 2022Print
This issue’s Global profiles the projects of three young RSA Fellows all focused on improving the quality of life for young people by rectifying inequality of access, of representation and of information. Or, put another way, each seeks to rectify the inequality of hope. Featuring Sharmi Surianarain, FRSA, Chief Impact Officer at the Harambee Youth Employment Accelerator; Johanssen Obanda, FRSA, the Executive Director of Jabulani Youths for Transformation (JAY4T) and Anita Li, FRSA, founder of The Green Line, a Toronto-based online news source with a unique core editorial model.
How Journalism School Failed Me
Ryerson Review of Journalism, June 24, 2021Print
URL: https://rrj.ca/how-journalism-school-failed-me/
J-schools are inadequately preparing us for the future of journalism—here’s why. Featuring an interview with Anita Li.
The Green Line: Redefining How Young Torontonians Interact With News
The Eyeopener, August 24, 2021Print
URL: https://theeyeopener.com/2021/08/the-green-line-redefining-how-toronto-youth-interact-with-news/
A new Toronto-based digital publication is aiming to change the way Torontonians are centred in modern news reporting. Through multimedia reporting, The Green Line serves the Toronto community with solutions to issues that impact them the most and encourage them to take action.
When it comes to diversity, newsrooms must show real leadership to build trust
The Globe and Mail, January 28, 2021Print
Canadian Journalists of Colour (CJOC) co-founder Anita Li and Canadian Association of Black Journalists (CABJ) executive director Nadia Stewart wrote an op-ed to mark the one-year anniversary of their organizations' joint Calls to Action to strengthen newsroom diversity across Canada.
Why Canada’s media industry is in more danger than you think — and what we can do to save it
The Toronto Star, November 9, 2020Print
Includes interview with Anita Li about revenue sustainability in Canadian media.
New Roads
Ryerson Review of Journalism, July 23, 2020Print
URL: https://rrj.ca/new-roads/
Article featuring interview with Anita Li and the work of her organization, Canadian Journalists of Colour (CJOC): "The growing influence of community organizations and individuals who are working hard to boost inclusion in a still all-too-white profession."
Appel à une plus grande diversité dans les médias canadiens
Pieuvre.ca, January 28, 2020Print
URL: http://www.pieuvre.ca/2020/01/28/societe-medias-journalisme-diversite-canada/
Les salles de nouvelles du pays ne représentent pas correctement la diversité canadienne: voilà le constat mis de l’avant mardi par l’Association canadienne des journalistes noirs (CABJ) et le regroupement Canadian Journalists of Colour (CJOC), dans une lettre où ils appellent à agir rapidement pour corriger ce problème de représentation.
A post-election glimmer of hope for cultural pluralism?
Policy Options, October 25, 2019Print
Op-ed: Canadian voters largely resisted destructive populist narratives during the campaign, but will the country do the necessary work to dismantle racism?
Searching for Solutions
Ryerson Review of Journalism, May 29, 2019Print
URL: https://issuu.com/rrjca/docs/rrj-2019-complete_issue
Article featuring interview with Anita Li: "A new way to report on social issues."
The Green Line creates local news for the people turning away from “big-J journalism”
Nieman Journalism Lab, November 19, 2024Online
Front-page feature of The Green Line, including an interview with Anita Li.
Journalism as a vehicle for civic engagement
Long Story Short by Rachel Schallom Lobdell, October 15, 2024Online
URL: https://rachelschallom.substack.com/p/journalism-as-a-vehicle-for-civic
Lobdell, the former VP of news transformation at Gannett and editorial director of Fortune, shouts out The Green Line in her newsletter.
Ditch the Ads
Review of Journalism, November 1, 2024Online
URL: https://reviewofjournalism.ca/ditch-the-ads/
The Hoser, The Breach, The Green Line and The Walrus find alternative funding models to protect editorial directives and pay writers.
Who to follow: 75 media consultants to help your newsroom
Journalism.co.uk, October 15, 2024Online
URL: https://www.journalism.co.uk/news/who-to-follow-x-media-consultants/s2/a1185017/
There is a wise owl out there for any challenge your newsroom wants to solve, like coming up with a brand new social media strategy, improving newsroom culture or implementing generative AI workflows. Mentions Anita Li's consultancy services.
Pressing forward
The Philanthropist Journal, October 15, 2024Online
URL: https://thephilanthropist.ca/2024/10/pressing-forward/
In today’s “survival-of-the-nimblest” journalism industry, an October summit organized by media advocacy group Press Forward aims to get people excited about journalism and the future of community-centred media in Canada. Includes a mention of The Green Line.
Behind the Bylines: Featuring Our Research Leads
Global Journalism Innovation Lab, August 28, 2024Online
URL: https://journalisminnovation.ca/2024/08/28/behind-the-bylines-featuring-our-research-leads/
Featuring an interview with Nicole Blanchett who talks about her research on The Green Line.
How to be decolonial in an entrepreneurial program?
Inclusive Journalism, January 3, 2023Online
URL: https://inclusivejournalism.com/2023/01/03/how-to-be-decolonial-in-an-entrepreneurial-program/
Reflections from a participant in the Entrepreneurial Journalism Creators Program at City University New York, which references The Green Line and Anita Li.
AI applications in newsrooms could rebuild public trust in media, roundtable panelists agree
Political Perspectives by Carleton University's School of Journalism and Communication, June 1, 2024Online
A group of experts with diverse touchpoints in the media industry agreed during a roundtable talk on Thursday in Toronto that the use of artificial intelligence in newsrooms might help alleviate the current crisis facing journalism. Featuring Anita Li.
Thought leaders to discuss AI realities — and possibilities — for newsrooms
Political Perspectives by Carleton University's School of Journalism and Communication, May 28, 2024Online
From saving editors hours on grant applications to automating website layouts and summarizing public meetings, creative and thoughtful applications of AI are rippling across the media landscape. A diverse lineup of industry leaders will kick off the Journalism and AI roundtable panel discussions in Toronto with a look at some of these developments — and other ways AI tools could benefit newsrooms in the future. Featuring an interview with Anita Li.
These millennials save local journalism (and make money from it, too)
Incentive Fund for Journalism (Stimuleringsfonds voor de Journalistiek), May 7, 2024Online
How do you ensure that local journalism becomes sexy again and that money can be made from it again? The founders of three new local media from England, Canada and Egypt had their own ideas about this. Featuring Anita Li of The Green Line. (Written in Dutch.)
Racial and Cultural Diversity in News Media
Media Smarts, January 1, 2022Online
Section under Digital Media Literacy, featuring Anita Li: "Objectivity and accuracy are among the most important journalistic values. Consistently, however, Canadian news media has under-represented and stereotyped racialized groups."
‘Nothing about us without us,’ Asian journalists say in light of diversity survey
Humber News, December 15, 2023Online
Mentions Anita Li and the ‘How-to Guide for Navigating Canadian Newsrooms as a BIPOC Journalist’ she created with Journalists for Human Rights.
Why a diversified revenue portfolio is the best sustainability insurance for media organizations
Reynolds Journalism Institute, September 26, 2023Online
Anita Zielina is an RJI Columnist whose column analyzes the changing landscape of media business models and showcases practical approaches to drive sustainability through revenue innovation. This columns includes a profile of Anita Li and The Green Line's revenue diversification strategy.
Two new Visiting Journalists join Journalism at The Creative School
Toronto Metropolitan University's School of Journalism, September 25, 2023Online
Two working journalists are bringing their expertise to students and faculty as they join the School of Journalism as ‘visiting journalists.' Featuring an interview with Toronto Metropolitan University Journalism Innovator-in-Residence Anita Li.
Rethinking Journalism in the Age of News Fatigue
J-Source, September 15, 2023Online
URL: https://j-source.ca/rethinking-journalism-in-the-age-of-news-fatigue/
News avoidance is at an all-time high, and there has been no shortage of negative content. Here’s how journalists and content creators are trying to help audiences fight media burnout. Featuring an interview about The Green Line with Anita Li.
New how-to guide supports young BIPOC journalists navigating industry
Toronto Metropolitan University (School of Journalism), May 8, 2023Online
Anita Li, a journalist and former j-school instructor, created the How-to Guide for Navigating Canadian Newsrooms as a BIPOC Journalist, with facilitator and community-builder, Erin Kang, and illustrator, Harmeet Rehal, as well as other consultants.
'We cannot positively impact the world with ideas alone’
Journalism.co.uk, December 7, 2022Online
Asian-Canadian journalist Anita Li talks about racism and diversity in the media and how she is trying to be part of the change.
New Mexico Local News Accelerator Expands to Serve 21 Newsrooms
New Mexico Local News Fund, May 9, 2022Online
Our revamped revenue program will help publishers improve in advertising, memberships, fundraising and audience development. Anita Li will be the coach for audience development.
Do you really know what your audience wants?
Qurio, May 27, 2022Online
URL: https://www.getqurio.com/blog/do-you-really-know-what-your-audience-wants/
Four publications, including The Green Line, showed Dataharvest 2022 how they do it. The title of this blog post was the title of a session Qurio co-founder Tassos Morfis led during this year's Dataharvest European Investigative Journalism Conference.
Journalism instructor launches The Green Line
Toronto Metropolitan University (formerly Ryerson University)'s School of Journalism newsletter, May 23, 2022Online
The Green Line, a community-oriented news outlet that dedicates itself to helping young and other underserved communities navigate life in the city, officially launched on April 1, 2022. Features interview with founder Anita Li.
Journalists address snubbed attributions, call for ethical industry-wide collaboration
CJRU, October 20, 2021Online
Featuring an interview with Ryerson (X) University instructor Anita Li.
The New Future of Journalism (It's Not What You Think)
Liisbeth, March 27, 2022Online
URL: https://liisbeth.com/the-new-future-of-journalism/
Meet three indie media mavericks who are challenging the patriarchal definition of journalism in Canada. Featuring a profile of The Green Line founder Anita Li.
New media ventures continue to pop up in Canada — and they’re helping fill gaps
The Canadian Press, March 14, 2022Online
Anita Li is gearing up to launch her own media outlet in just a few weeks. The Green Line is an independent news venture that aims to engage the community through interactive journalism.
On The Record announces partnership with The Green Line
On The Record, March 4, 2022Online
URL: https://ontherecordnews.ca/on-the-record-announces-partnership-with-the-green-line/
Recently created online news publication will tell stories from Toronto’s under-represented communities, promote ‘solutions journalism.’ Featuring interview with The Green Line founder Anita Li.
Why investigative journalism is a goldmine for star-studded TV
CBC News, February 12, 2022Online
URL: https://www.cbc.ca/news/entertainment/inventing-anna-jessica-pressler-journalism-1.6348304
Hollywood is looking to journalists for their next big hit, as a recent slew of TV miniseries have been adapted from investigative magazine articles and deep-dive podcasts. The movies have taken inspiration from reporters for decades — but what's novel about the next phase of this trend? Includes interview with Anita Li.
Almost half of newsrooms entirely white: CAJ survey
The Hill Times, December 6, 2021Online
URL: https://www.hilltimes.com/2021/12/06/almost-half-of-newsrooms-entirely-white-caj-survey/332251
Nearly 80 per cent of outlets reported having no visible minorities or Indigenous journalists in one of the top three leadership roles in their newsroom, according to the Canadian Association of Journalists' newsroom diversity survey. Article featuring interview with Anita Li as expert source.
Transdisciplinary storytelling at RTA Media and Journalism
Ryerson University, August 17, 2021Online
Digital storytelling reaches new heights when video games and virtual reality come into play. Article featuring interviews with Ryerson University's School of Journalism instructor Anita Li and RTA School of Media professor Kris Alexander.
Why self-employment is a great post-COVID-19 career path for Canadians
Global News , June 23, 2021Online
URL: https://globalnews.ca/news/7970588/self-employment-canada-advantages/
'Outside the 9 to 5' column by Anita Li: Self-employment means “independence, freedom and being my own boss” — the reason that one-third of Canada's self-employed workers decide to strike out on their own.
Remote work isn’t a trend. It’s a fundamental shift in Canada’s work culture.
Global News , June 9, 2021Online
URL: https://globalnews.ca/news/7932593/remote-work-fundamental-shift-canada-work-culture/
'Outside the 9 to 5' column by Anita Li: If remote work allows Canadians to protect their mental health, the planet and save money, do we really need to consider arguments against it?
Young Canadians and the future of work: There’s a method to our madness
Global News , May 19, 2021Online
URL: https://globalnews.ca/news/7868465/outside-9-to-5-entitled-millennial/
'Outside the 9 to 5' column by Anita Li: The simplistic binary of Entitled Millennial vs. OK Boomer is on the way out, and there’s so much nuance in the evolution of work that deserves to be unpacked.
Anti-Asian Racism Is More than a Trending Topic
The Walrus, July 6, 2021Online
URL: https://thewalrus.ca/anti-asian-racism-is-more-than-a-trending-topic/
Analysis: When it comes to combating racism, marginalized groups shouldn’t have to compete for attention.
Investigative journalism using community engagement
2021 Investigative Reporters and Editors (IRE) Conference, June 8, 2021Online
URL: https://ire21.pathable.co/meetings/virtual/ziuXAf8nhf6yfDo4r
This session will share tactics and strategies for how journalists can include underrepresented communities in the investigative-reporting process in ways that are empowering and collaborative — not exploitative and exclusionary — and that will produce stronger stories. We'll also explore broader topics like how to do engagement on a small budget or if you're a small newsroom, as well as getting buy-in for engagement projects. Featuring The Other Wave's Anita Li, Southern California Public Radio's Ashley Alvarado, The City's Terry Parris Jr. and freelance investigative journalist Anjali Tsui.
Digital Startups Are Breathing Life Into Canadian Journalism
Canadaland, May 12, 2021Online
URL: https://www.canadaland.com/digital-start-ups-saving-journalism/
Analysis featuring interview with Anita Li as expert source.
U.S. election from the perspective of non-American journalists
Journal-isms, November 27, 2020Online
URL: http://www.journal-isms.com/2020/11/myopic-dopey-ill-informed-coverage/
At "U.S. election from the perspective of non-American journalists," the Journal-isms Roundtable on Nov. 15, 2020, panellists Luis Alonso Lugo, who covers Washington for univision.com; Jacqueline Charles, Caribbean correspondent for The Miami Herald; Anita Li, co-founder of Canadian Journalists of Colour; and Macollvie J. Neel, managing editor of Haitian Times in New York.
Since 1999, the roundtable has been hosted by Richard Prince, a former Washington Post journalist who writes about diversity issues in news.
How journalists can ensure equitable information access in their communities
Online News Association , February 2, 2021Online
Led by Free Press’ Vanessa Maria Graber and Online News Association Board member Anita Li, more than a dozen committed engagement journalists from around the world met regularly for three months, from November 2020, to crowdsource, vet, compile and organize relevant resources. The #ONAinfoequity database is a one-stop shop featuring articles, videos and audio that are tagged with identity-based and geographic labels for ease of search and sorting.
Identifying the Barriers to Racial Equality in Canada
Policy Options, February 15, 2021Online
Systemic racism is pervasive in Canada. Data confirming the barriers to equity that Black, Indigenous and other people of colour face have been shared time and time again. But a variety of sectors have been slow to initiate or complete recommended policy measures.
Our neighbour, the United States, is in a profound period of reckoning with its own history of racial inequality. While it’s tempting to compare the two countries, Canadians deserve nuanced, informed, country-specific conversations about race. Anita Li, a media consultant, journalism instructor and advocate for equity in Canadian media, is the guest editor for this feature series of articles, which takes a close look at the obstacles to dismantling systemic racism in Canada.
Journalism students network with media entrepreneurs at Future of Journalism Initiative event
Carleton University's School of Journalism and Communication, February 12, 2021Online
An article about "Media Makers & Entrepreneurial Journalists — An Interactive Conversation," which featured panellists Nana aba Duncan, Anita Li, Christopher Curtis and Emma Gilchrist. The event was organized by the Future of Journalism Initiative (FJI) at Carleton University's School of Journalism.
CABJ and CJOC on Calls to Action, One Year Later
J-Source, February 5, 2021Online
Canadian Association of Black Journalists (CABJ) executive director Nadia Stewart and Canadian Journalists of Colour (CJOC) co-founder Anita Li discuss the path to anti-racism in Canadian journalism, what's changed and what the future holds.
What Is Your Plan B?
Ryerson Review of Journalism, August 27, 2020Online
URL: https://rrj.ca/what-is-your-plan-b/
As gigs become increasingly scarce, emerging and experienced journalists are carving out new pathways. Featuring quotes from Anita Li.
Media Experts on how the World Views the U.S. Elections
Public Diplomacy Council, December 16, 2020Online
The USC Annenberg Center on Communication Leadership and Policy sponsored a “global conversation on how the US election is being explained to the world” on December 15 — the day after the United States’ Electoral College voted Joseph Biden as President-elect. Hosted by Adam Clayton Powell III, executive director of the USC Election Security Initiative, the panel featured: The Hon. Ashok Mirpuri, Singapore’s ambassador to Washington; Jeff Ballou, news editor for the Americas at Al Jazeera Media Network; Jacqueline Charles, Caribbean/Haiti correspondent for The Miami Herald; Vasily Gatov, Russian media researcher and author; Anton Harber, co-founder of South Africa’s anti-apartheid Weekly Mail newspaper; Insun Kang, deputy managing editor of The Chosun Ilbo; and Anita Li, journalism instructor at Centennial College in Toronto and the City University of New York.
Breaking News: Canadian Media Fails to Represent
SFU Public Square by Simon Fraser University, July 15, 2020Online
In this time of global crisis and increased attention on anti-Black racism, the lack of racial diversity in Canadian news media has become more apparent than ever before. Diverse newsrooms are needed to accurately represent Canadians and their experiences. Consequently, on July 2, we hosted a conversation about representation in Canadian media as part of our Distant, Not Disengaged event series, featuring panellist Anita Li.
Diversity and Solidarity in Media
Journalists for Human Rights, July 23, 2020Online
URL: https://jhrevents.ca/live/diversity-&-solidarity
A discussion on what meaningful diversity in Canadian media looks like and the solidarity movement that's leading the way. Moderated by Karyn Pugliese, with panellists Adrian Harewood, Anita Li and Brandi Morin.
This Canada Day, the country must reflect on its history to write its future
Maclean's, June 29, 2020Online
Op-ed: Canada must return to its core values—sustainability, multiculturalism and human rights—which have not been upheld in recent decades.
Call to Action on Newsroom Diversity
Unifor Local 2000, February 11, 2020Online
URL: https://www.unifor2000.ca/call-to-action-on-newsroom-diversity/
News release announcing that Unifor Local 2000's executive members unanimously voted to support the call to action, published by the Canadian Association of Black Journalists and Canadian Journalists of Colour.
Media union backs call for newsroom diversity
CWA Canada: The Media Union, March 2, 2020Online
URL: https://cwacanada.ca/2020/03/02/media-union-backs-call-for-newsroom-diversity/
News release from CWA Canada endorsing a call to action on newsroom diversity by the Canadian Association of Black Journalists and Canadian Journalists of Colour.
What readers miss out on when newsrooms aren’t diverse
Broadview magazine, February 6, 2020Online
URL: https://broadview.org/canada-newsroom-diversity/
Article featuring interview with Anita Li: "The stories we're told are shaped by those with clout. What about the voices we're not hearing from?"
Canadian Media Diversity: Calls to Action
J-Source, January 28, 2020Online
URL: https://j-source.ca/article/canadian-media-diversity-calls-to-action/
CABJ and CJOC on how to improve media representation and inclusion, now. These calls to action were written by Anita Li of the Canadian Journalists of Colour (CJOC) and Nadia Stewart of the Canadian Association of Black Journalists (CABJ).
Prince Harry and Meghan would find friendlier media in Canada but impossible to escape scrutiny
Reuters, January 10, 2020Online
URL: https://ca.reuters.com/article/topNews/idCAKBN1ZA00U
Article about how Canadian media would cover the Duke and Duchess of Sussex, featuring interview with Anita Li as a media expert/analyst.
The Overwhelming Maleness of 'Silicon Valley'
The New York Times, June 2, 2014Online
A New York Times op-ed referenced my television criticism.
Canadian media lacks nuance, depth on racial issues
Policy Options, September 10, 2019Online
Op-ed: The Canadian media is complacent about discussing our evolving cultural identity. We shouldn’t avoid tackling issues of race during the election.
The Discourse claims to be a leader in diversity. Here’s how we’re really doing.
Poynter, June 4, 2019Online
Op-ed: "These days, wherever you look, companies across industries are rolling out their diversity and inclusion (D&I) efforts with lots of fanfare. D&I has become such a trend that 'diversity' in 2019 is a buzzword that’s nearly lost all meaning."
Meet Anita Li, this week's Featured Member
Gather: An Engaged Journalism Collaborative, September 5, 2018Online
Profile of Anita Li in Gather's newsletter.
How representative are Canadian newsrooms, actually?
J-Source, November 19, 2018Online
URL: https://j-source.ca/article/how-representative-are-canadian-newsrooms-actually/
Article featuring interview with Anita Li: "Racialized journalists are trying to create change in a predominantly white industry, but say support needs to come from the top."
A guide to building deeper relationships with the communities you cover
Poynter, December 20, 2017Online
Explainer by Anita Li and Sam Ford: "When newsrooms think of communities as their 'audience,' we often imagine their existence only in relation to the products and services we offer. Of course, journalists know that the people who read, watch and listen to our stories don’t only exist in this vacuum. However, when we talk about the people who engage with our work every day as 'traffic,' 'followers,' 'commenters,' 'subscribers' and 'members,' it’s easy to lose sight of who they actually are, and think about the metrics rather than actual people."
Canada as a global leader in journalism
Policy Options, February 7, 2017Online
URL: https://policyoptions.irpp.org/magazines/february-2017/canada-as-a-global-leader-in-journalism/
Op-ed: With the news media under attack in the US, Canada has an opportunity to lead with quality, cutting-edge journalism.
How We Talk About Race
The Walrus, November 4, 2016Online
URL: https://thewalrus.ca/how-we-talk-about-race/
Op-ed: US media aren't afraid to confront sensitive issues. Why is Canada so far behind?
How-to Guide for Navigating Canadian Newsrooms as a BIPOC Journalist
by Anita Li, Erin Kang
Journalists for Human Rights
March 1, 2023
This guidebook was created as part of Journalists for Human Rights’ Enhanced Access to Opportunity for BIPOC Youth in Canadian Media program. Our goal is to empower BIPOC (Black, Indigenous, People of Colour) youth who experience barriers to accessing opportunities in Canadian journalism so they can have long, successful and sustainable careers in the industry. Although our guide isn’t exhaustive, it’s a helpful collection of advice from people who’ve walked in your shoes.
ATTENTION ↹ ACTION JOURNEY: Creating community-driven journalism that encourages civic engagement
by Anita Li
Reynolds Journalism Institute
August 1, 2023
This guidebook will walk journalists through The Green Line‘s original theory-of-change models, its Attention and Action Journey. Much like how these curious rabbits are trying to problem-solve their way towards the ultimate prize — carrots — we hope you'll apply these frameworks in a way that helps your audience members figure out solutions to their problems.
Our ongoing goal is to help your news publication increase loyalty and engagement among audience members, as well as motivate your audience to take action on issues that matter to their communities.
CFCFC Media Lab Fifth Wave 2020-2023: Canada's First Inersectional Feminist Business Accelerator
by Canadian Film Centre
Canadian Film Centre
March 28, 2023
Welcome to the CFC Fifth Wave Flipbook, a one-stop shop to learn all about this unique, first-of-its-kind program and the exceptional participants that comprise its inspiring community. We invite you to browse the pages and take note of these up-and-comers making waves in digital media. Learn about the companies and projects that these forward-thinking women have underway and consider reaching out to do business and collaborate.
Community-Centered Journalism: Engaging People, Exploring Solutions, and Building Trust
by Andrea Wenzel
University of Illinois Press
August 31, 2020
9780252043307
Andrea Wenzel models new practices of community-centered journalism that build trust across boundaries of politics, race, and class, and prioritize solutions while engaging the full range of local stakeholders. Informed by case studies from rural, suburban, and urban settings, Wenzel's blueprint reshapes journalism norms and creates vigorous storytelling networks between all parts of a community. Envisioning a portable, rather than scalable, process, Wenzel proposes a community-centered journalism that, once implemented, will strengthen lines of local communication, reinvigorate civic participation, and forge a trusting partnership between media and the people they cover. Featuring expert insights from Anita Li.
A Case Study of The Green Line’s Integration of Solutions Journalism and Explanatory Reporting
by Sibo Chen and Nicole Blanchett
Published by Toronto Metropolitan University
June 18, 2024
The landscape of local journalism is undergoing a significant transformation, with an increasing emphasis on solutions-oriented storytelling that engages and empowers communities. This study will examine the Green Line, an independent Toronto-based media outlet, which has embraced this shift by incorporating solutions journalism and explanatory reporting into its journalism practice.
By examining the Green Line’s unique Attention-Action Journey framework, we elucidate its innovative approach that synergizes solution-focused and explanatory narratives to effectively serve the city’s youth and marginalized populations. Furthermore, our analysis of the outlet’s strategic use of TikTok videos seeks to demonstrate how this medium bolsters audience engagement, particularly among younger Torontonians. Finally, our planned interviews with the Green Line’s staff will focus on their perspectives on the interplay between objective reporting and advocacy.
This study contributes to journalism scholarship in two respects: (1) it explicates the adaptive strategies of local journalism in the context of emerging journalistic paradigms, and (2) it explores the implications of TikTok’s burgeoning role in the digital news ecosystem. Overall, we will highlight the Green Line as a model for independent outlets striving to innovate while maintaining a strong commitment to their local communities.
Selected References
Bro, P. (2019). Constructive journalism: Proponents, precedents, and principles. Journalism (London, England), 20(4), 504–519.
Chen, S., & Roburn, S. (2023). When pandemic stories become personal stories: Community journalism and the coverage of health inequalities. Journalism Practice, ahead-of-print
Dan, V., & Rauter, D. (2023). Explanatory reporting in video format: Contrasting perceptions to those of conventional news. Journalism Practice, 17(5), 1046–1067.
Lough, K., & McIntyre, K. (2023). A systematic review of constructive and solutions journalism research. Journalism (London, England), 24(5), 1069–1088.
McIntyre, K. E., & Lough, K. (2021). Toward a clearer conceptualization and operationalization of solutions journalism. Journalism (London, England), 22(6), 1558–1573.
Thier, K., & Namkoong, K. (2023). Identifying major components of solutions-oriented journalism: a review to guide future research. Journalism Studies, 24(12), 1557–1574.
Usery, A. G. (2022). Solutions journalism: How its evolving definition, practice and perceived impact affects underrepresented communities. Journalism Practice, ahead-of-print.
URL: https://journalisminnovation.ca/2024/06/13/cca-2024-presentations/
Funding Journalism: A Guide for Canadian Philanthropy
by Ana Sofía Hibon, April Lindgren, Sara Krynitzki
Published by Inspirit Foundation, Toronto Metropolitan University's Local News Research Project, Philanthropic Foundations Canada
November 1, 2023
The Green Line's work is referenced under the section titled, "Funding Models to Consider."
URL: https://inspiritfoundation.org/funding-journalism-a-guide-for-canadian-philanthropy/
Pause and Rethink: The 2021 Canada Media Fund Trend Report
by Anita Li et al.
Published by Canada Media Fund
February 1, 2021
Anita Li contributed to Chapter 1 of CMF's 2021 report, "Disrupted viewing: audiences today," specifically writing these two subchapters: "Navigating the disconnect" and "Is moviegoing facing an existential crisis?"
URL: https://cmf-fmc.ca/now-next/research-reports/pause-and-rethink/
Beyond Facts: Increasing Trust In Journalism Through Community Engagement and Transparency
by Mazi Javidiani
Published by OCAD University
April 1, 2018
Interview with Anita Li featured: "The shift in media ecology has disrupted the journalism ecosystem, exposing many of the challenges it faces today. In the economy of scale, local news faces great financial adversity. The concentration of power, the alarming influence of powerful individuals over journalism, lack of transparency, and the lack of diversity have all contributed to alienating the public, ultimately resulting in a loss of trust. This research identified two key leverage point that would help journalism build trust with communities: Engagement and Accountability. Through effective engagement, journalism can tap in to the collective wisdom, approaching issues from a more humble stance that would allow for a diversity of voices to be reflected, ultimately resulting in solution oriented stories that resonate with the realities of different communities. Transparency allows for a track record that can demonstrate the sensitivity of the journalist towards the community, while also acknowledging the possibility of wrong doing."
URL: http://openresearch.ocadu.ca/id/eprint/2294/1/Javidiani_Mazi_2018_MDes_SFI_MRP.pdf
The Shattered Mirror: News, Democracy and Trust In The Digital Age
by Public Policy Forum et al
Published by Public Policy Forum
January 1, 2017
Profile of Anita Li featured: "The Public Policy Forum has some bold suggestions for how independent, trustworthy news can survive in the digital age."
URL: https://shatteredmirror.ca/wp-content/uploads/theShatteredMirror.pdf
Biography
Anita Li is a journalist, news entrepreneur, media consultant and educator. Currently, she is the founder, CEO and editor-in-chief of The Green Line, an award-winning community-driven and solutions-focused news outlet in Toronto.
Anita is the Journalism Innovator-in-Residence at Toronto Metropolitan University (formerly Ryerson University). She previously taught media executives and news entrepreneurs at the City University of New York's Craig Newmark Graduate School of journalism.
Anita has over two decades of experience as a multi-platform journalist in three markets: Toronto, New York City and Ottawa. She started her career as a reporter and editor at Canadian legacy outlets, including The Toronto Star, The Globe and Mail, CBC and CTV. She then worked in strategic, management-level roles at American digital media publications, such as Complex, Fusion and Mashable. Anita was also director of communities at The Discourse. As a writer and reporter, she’s been published in New York Magazine, Poynter, The Walrus and other publications across North America.
Anita is an expert in community-driven journalism, audience engagement, news entrepreneurship, emerging media business models, newsroom diversity, media ethics and journalism innovation; she's spoken on these topics in press interviews and at conferences worldwide. Anita has also consulted or coached a range of journalism outlets and institutions, including CBC, American Press Institute, Journalists for Human Rights, Pink Triangle Press, Carleton University, Indiegraf, Meta Journalism Project's Sustainability Accelerator and more.
Anita is a member of the board of directors for LION (Local Independent Online News) Publishers and formerly for the Online News Association, as well as an alum of the inaugural Poynter-NABJ Leadership Academy for Diversity in Digital Media. She also co-founded Canadian Journalists of Colour, a rapidly growing network of racialized media-makers in Canada. To keep up with Anita, subscribe to The Other Wave, her innovation newsletter about challenging the status quo in journalism.
Recognition/Reconnaissance
2024 Digital Publishing Awards' Best Innovation in Digital Storytelling - Honourable Mention | Professional
In recognition of "How Diverse are Toronto’s Galleries? Check Out This Database to Find Out." https://thegreenline.to/issue/visual-arts-scene-toronto/#part_two_feature
2024 Digital Publishing Awards' Best Arts and Culture Storytelling - Honourable Mention | Professional
In recognition of “How Two Black Woman Filmmakers From Toronto Created a Community That Launched the Black-Canadian Film Canon." https://thegreenline.to/issue/toronto-black-film/#part_two_feature
2024 Digital Publishing Awards' Best News Coverage (Community Publication) - Honourable Mention | Professional
In recognition of “Food Insecurity in Riverside." https://thegreenline.to/issue/riverside-food-insecurity/
2023 RTDNA Canada's Central Region Award winner for Overall Excellence in Digital | Professional
In recognition of “Living with COVID-19 in Toronto.”
https://thegreenline.to/issue/living-with-covid-mandate-toronto/
2023 RTDNA Canada's Central Region Award winner for Feature News, Video (Large Market) | Professional
In recognition of “Harwood event venue provides oasis for local artists.”
https://www.google.com/amp/s/toronto.citynews.ca/2022/12/02/harwood-event-venue-provides-oasis-for-local-artists/amp/
2023 RTDNA Canada's Central Region Award finalist for Enterprise Journalism | Professional
"Weed as Work: How Labour and Capital Move in the Cannabis Industry."
https://thegreenline.to/issue/weed-work-labour-capital-cannabis-industry/#part_two_feature
2023 RTDNA Canada's Central Region Award finalist for Best TV Newscast | Professional
In partnership with CityNews Toronto, which co-produces "Your Community" with The Green Line, a biweekly show that airs on City's newscast.
2023 Digital Publishing Awards' Best News Coverage (Community Publication) - Honourable Mention | Professional
In recognition of “In Newtonbrook, a fight for modular housing for the unhoused is heating up."
https://www.instagram.com/p/CjDniXSO5qO/
2023 RTDNA Canada's Best Canadian Local News Award winner for Overall Excellence in Digital | Professional
In recognition of “Living with COVID-19 in Toronto.”
https://thegreenline.to/issue/living-with-covid-mandate-toronto/
2023 LION Publishers' Product of the Year Award winner (Small Revenue Tier) | Professional
In recognition of The Green Line's Action Journey model.
https://thegreenline.to/issues/
Coalition of Innovation Leaders Against Racism's Aspiring Innovator of the Year Award | Professional
https://www.cilar.ca/aspiring-innovators-award-2022-f
Online Journalism Awards Finalist for 2018 Feature, Small Newsroom | Professional
For more about our nominated series, The Discourse's #FirstNationsHousing, read this: https://awards.journalists.org/entries/first-nations-housing/
Poynter-NABJ Leadership Academy for Diversity in Digital Media | Professional
Member, 2016 class for Poynter-NABJ Leadership Academy for Diversity in Digital Media
https://www.poynter.org/leadership-academy-for-diversity-in-digital-media/
Additional Titles and Affiliations
BANFF Spark Accelerator for Women in the Business of Media
Participant/Fellow
https://www.baystreet.ca/viewarticle.aspx?id=691928
CFC Media Lab's Fifth Wave Connect
Member
http://cfccreates.com/programs/148-fifth-wave-initiative
Royal Society of Arts
Fellow and RSA Connector in Toronto
https://www.thersa.org/fellowship/connectors/americas
Canadian Journalism Foundation and Facebook Journalism Project Digital News Innovation Award
Jury Member
https://cjf-fjc.ca/awards/cjf-fjp-digital-news-innovation-jury
Toronto Metropolitan University journalism program
Journalism Innovation in Residence and Instructor
https://www.torontomu.ca/journalism/news-events/2023/09/two-new-visiting-journalists-join-journalism-at-the-creative-sch/
https://www.torontomu.ca/journalism/news-events/2022/05/journalism-instructor-launches-the-green-line/
Durham College journalism program
Instructor
https://durhamcollege.ca/programs/journalism-mass-media
Centennial College journalism program
Instructor
https://www.centennialcollege.ca/programs-courses/full-time/journalism/
Online Journalism Awards
Judge, Online Journalism Awards 2019
https://www.globenewswire.com/news-release/2019/08/13/1901410/0/en/2019-Online-Journalism-Awards-finalists-announced.html
Digital Publishing Awards
- Judge, 2021 Digital Publishing Awards
https://digitalpublishingawards.ca/2021-jury/
- Judge, 2018 Digital Publishing Awards
https://digitalpublishingawards.ca/2018/04/05/the-2018-digital-publishing-awards-jury/
Online News Association
Member, Board of Directors
Liisbeth
Member, Advisory Board
https://www.liisbeth.com/about/advisory-board/
Centennial College
Member, Journalism Program Advisory Committee
https://www.centennialcollege.ca/industry/program-advisory-committee/
Canadian Association of Journalists
Member, Ethics Committee
https://j-source.ca/article/about-the-caj-ethics-committee/
Past Talks
How narratives connect neighbors: Strengthening communities through local news
Bonn Institute's 2024 b° future festival (https://www.b-future.org/en/2024/events/how-narratives-connect-neighbors-strengthening-communities-through-local-news)
Bonn, Germany, October 4, 2024
Strategic engagement: Innovative approaches to building audience relationships
Independent News Sustainability Summit 2024 (https://inss2024.sched.com/event/1hYKG/strategic-engagement-innovative-approaches-to-building-audience-relationships)
Chicago, IL , September 6, 2024
Product thinking in local news
Independent News Sustainability Summit 2024 (https://inss2024.sched.com/event/1hYIz/product-thinking-in-local-news)
Chicago, IL, October 6, 2024
Artificial intelligence in your news organization
Carleton University's Journalism & Artificial Intelligence: An Industry Roundtable (https://cusjc.ca/journalism-and-AI/roundtable-agenda/)
Toronto, ON, May 30, 2024
AI is here: Let's figure out the guardrails
Canadian Association of Journalists Annual Conference 2024 (https://whova.com/embedded/session/YrfwR%40X9r3zlW0apE0YnMrmH%40E8c93WJunQfuoV%40PAs%3D/3571635/?widget=primary)
Toronto, ON, May 31, 2024
From Competition To Collaboration: Finding New Partners and Advancing Shared Goals In Canadian Journalism and Journalism Education
Canadian Communication Association (CCA) Annual Conference 2024 (https://www.openconf.org/cca2024/modules/request.php?module=oc_program&action=summary.php&id=165_
Montreal, QC, June 18, 2024
Journalism and Conflict: How Scholars Do Applied Research With Newsrooms During Political and Cultural Crises
73rd Annual International Communication Association Conference (https://www.icahdq.org/mpage/ICA23-Program)
Toronto, ON, May 29, 2023
Group Roadmaps: Navigating Challenges to Expand Voice and Audience
API Local News Summit 2023: Opinion, Civic Discourse and Sustainability (https://www.americanpressinstitute.org/publications/api-updates/join-us-to-reimagine-local-opinion-journalism/)
Austin, Texas, April 13, 2023
'But what's the right thing to do?' - Updating CAJ's Ethics Guidelines
The Canadian Association of Journalists Annual Conference 2023
Vancouver, BC, April 15, 2023
Keynote Panel
2022 Pollution Probe Conference & Gala (https://www.pollutionprobe.org/gala/)
Toronto, ON, November 22, 2023
Selective news avoidance: Sustaining a publication during a time of overwhelm
Independent News Sustainability Summit 2022 (https://inss2022.sched.com/event/1AfWv/selective-news-avoidance-sustaining-a-publication-during-a-time-of-overwhelm)
Austin, Texas, October 27, 2022
Measuring trust: How to build and track impact in divided communities
Independent News Sustainability Summit 2022 (https://inss2022.sched.com/event/1AfWg/measuring-trust-how-to-build-and-track-impact-in-divided-communities)
Austin, Texas, October 27, 2022
Democracy Divided: Facing Current Challenges
CIVIX Democracy Bootcamp 2022 (https://politalks.ca/wp-content/uploads/2022/11/Democracy-Bootcamp-2022-Program.pdf)
Toronto, ON, November 24, 2022
The Future of Journalism
NASH84: Evolve (https://twitter.com/nashconference/status/1498057162576310299)
Virtual, February 27, 2022
Compensation for News Media
2022 IIC Canada Annual Conference (https://www.iic-canada.ca/en/annual-conference/2022-conference-program/)
Ottawa, ON, May 17, 2022
RSA Canada Changemaker Series: Building Community Trust
The Royal Society for the Encouragement of Arts, Manufactures and Commerce (https://www.eventbrite.co.uk/e/rsa-canada-changemaker-series-building-community-trust-tickets-229446228847)
Virtual, January 27, 2022
Do you really know what your audience wants?
Dataharvest 2022: The European Investigative Journalism Conference (https://dataharvest22.sched.com/event/10rZo/do-you-really-know-what-your-audience-wants)
Mechelen, Belgium, May 21, 2022
Inclusion and Diversity: Real Stories, Real People
RadioActive '22: Canadian Music Week conference (https://cmw.net/radio/panels/inclusion-and-diversity-real-stories-real-people/)
Toronto, ON, June 8, 2022
Democracy under threat? Polarization and public policy in Canada
Institute for Research on Public Policy's 50th anniversary event series, "What should be on Canada’s policy radar? " (https://policyoptions.irpp.org/events/event/?id=16202)
Munk School of Global Affairs and Public Policy, University of Toronto, March 30, 2022
The Future of News
Canada2020 (https://canada2020.ca/events/future-news/)
Virtual, February 23, 2022
Table Talks: Ensuring Information Access Equity in Our Communities
ONA21: The Online News Association's 22nd annual conference (https://ona21.journalists.org/sessions/table-talks-information-access/)
Virtual, June 23, 2021
The Future of Entertainment: Creating Content that Resonates
Academy Of Canadian Cinema and Television (https://www.academy.ca/programming/events-all/the-future-of-entertainment-creating-content-that-resonates/)
Toronto, ON, May 10, 2021
The Media and Racism: An Online Round-Table
Centre for Race and Culture (https://cfrac.com/events/the-media-and-racism-an-online-round-table/)
Edmonton, AB, August 18, 2020
Community Engagement Tour at The Discourse-Scarborough
Assocation for Education in Journalism and Mass Communication (AEJMC) 102nd annual conference (http://aejmc.org/events/toronto19/theme/)
Toronto, ON, August 8, 2019
Now and in the future: Promoting greater diversity in media and higher education
Worldviews on Media and Higher Education 2019 Conference (https://worldviewsconference.com/2019-conference/sessions/)
Toronto, ON, June 14, 2019
Innovations in journalism and newsrooms
Worldviews on Media and Higher Education 2019 Conference (https://worldviewsconference.com/2019-conference/sessions/)
Toronto, ON, June 14, 2019
How to cover underserved communities (co-presented with Katherine Ellis of the American Press Institute)
Solutions Journalism Summit 2018 (https://solutionsjournalismsummit.org/)
Sundance, UT, November 9, 2018
Getting it Right: Community-driven and solutions journalism at The Discourse
2018 ORCUP Regional Conference (https://www.evensi.ca/orcup-regional-conference-victoria-college/270296216)
Toronto, ON, October 5, 2018
Whose news? Building a media industry that truly serves Canadians
RightsCon Toronto 2018 (https://rightscon2018.sched.com/event/EHnz/whose-news-building-a-media-industry-that-truly-serves-canadians)
Toronto, ON, May 16, 2018
Getting Around 360 Video
NASH 80: Connect (https://nash802018.sched.com/event/D74e/getting-around-360-video)
Toronto, ON, January 6, 2018
Towards a New Exciting Era in Journalism: Transparency, Empathy, Inclusion and Genuine Public Engagement
Nordjyske Medier's "Future of Publicism" journalism conference
Aalborg, Denmark, September 19, 2017
Time to Get Real about Virtual Reality Journalism
National Association of Black Journalists convention 2017 (https://www.nabjconvention.com/2017/profile.cfm?profile_name=session&master_key=C2C143C2-894C-E711-80CC-001517B05C0F&page_key=63BDD2E9-7199-4AF5-9A22-54F3EB9DDFC3&xtemplate&userLGNKEY=0)
New Orleans, LA, August 10, 2017
How the rise of 360/VR content is influencing a new form of storytelling for journalists
2017 RTDNA Canada National Conference (http://www.rtdnacanada.com/2017-program/)
Toronto, ON, May 26, 2017
Who Gets Connected? A Panel on Inclusion & Tech
Toronto for Everyone: Community Hub (http://torontoforeveryone.com/community-hub)
Toronto, ON, February 25, 2017
Research Grants
Documenters comes to Canada: Early steps towards building an engagement-oriented journalistic tool
Organization: Social Sciences and Humanities Research Council (SSHRC)Date: March 4, 2024
Grant amount: $25,000
Details:
Through the Documenters Canada program, The Green Line will be training community members in Alexandra Park, Kensington Market and Chinatown to document public meetings. That means we’ll be helping them with the skills and confidence to head to City Hall and any of the dozens of other public meetings that happen in the city every week, from the TTC board to community councils. More on Documenters Canada: https://thegreenline.to/stories/annoucing-documenters-canada/
More information: https://www.sshrc-crsh.gc.ca/results-resultats/recipients-recipiendaires/2023/peg-dec-2023-24-eng.aspx