In an era of misinformation and diminishing trust, fact-checking has become more than a routine newsroom task.

In the second episode of our 2026 season, host Emma Miller sits down with experienced Journalist and MRU Journalism Professor, Brooks DeCillia.

They discuss the state of journalism today, how mistrust in the media is impacting newsrooms, and how fact-checking should be viewed as an act of moral and professional courage.

Through exploring the evolving social pressures and technological challenges that journalists face, this conversation explores what it means to commit to seeking the truth when the stakes are at their highest.

Their conversation is based on an article DeCillia wrote for J-Source back in March of 2025, titled Fact-checking as an act of courage.

For more information on spotting fake-news and misinformation, check out MRUnderstanding Misinformation.

To learn more about the Community Podcast Initiative, you can visit the website at thepodcaststudio.ca or on socials at @communitypodyyc

Welcome back for the fourth season of the Community Podcast Initiative (CPI) series.

In this episode, we are taking a look back to a keynote lecture presented at Mount Royal University in April of 2025.

Visiting from RMIT University and the University of Tasmania, Mia Lindgren hosted a discussion relating to her work and research on the ethics of intimacy and parasocial relationship building in podcasting.

Lindgren explores the advantages and disadvantages that the audio medium contributes to the journalistic landscape - as well as growing public mistrust in the media.

You can find more on Mia Lindgren’s research on podcasting here.

To learn more about the Community Podcast Initiative, you can visit the website at thepodcaststudio.ca or on socials at @communitypodyyc

In this episode, the Community Podcast Initiative (CPI) presents a panel discussion

Where four diverse voices from the media and podcasting landscape consider the impacts of Artificial Intelligence (AI). Ranging from repercussions in the classroom to its sometimes invaluable benefit in the journalistic field, this episode explores how AI is changing standards and practices across fields.

CPI’s Meg Wilcox, is joined by Amanda Cupido, Anis Heydari, Mia Lindgren, and Tim Magee. Meg helps moderate this panel of professionals through thought-provoking prompts and questions that help guide understanding towards the ever-evolving topic of A.I.

This series is a collaboration between the Community Podcast Initiative at Mount Royal University and J-Source.

To learn more about the Community Podcast Initiative, you can visit the website at thepodcaststudio.ca or on socials at @communitypodyyc

To learn more about the J-Source, you can visit the website at j-source.ca or on socials at @jsource

This month, we're sharing the first episode of our newest podcast series, Re-engaging: Exploring new ways of doing journalism.

The series draws on interviews from an Enagaged Journalism conference at Concordia University last summer, and looks at the various successes and challenges of community-centred journalism. This first episode is all about ethical considerations.

Community-centred journalism can sometimes seem at odds with traditional media practices. Sources rarely see an article before publication and even then newsrooms have complete control over a story. Engaged journalism flips this on its head, but there are a number of ethical factors newsrooms must first consider.

In this episode, host Jessica Botelho-Urbanski, sits down with Toronto Metropolitan University professors April Lindgren and Nicole Blanchett to explore how news outlets can maintain editorial independence while fostering relationships with communities.

This series is a collaboration between the Community Podcast Initiative at Mount Royal University and J-Source. You can find all the episodes at thepodcaststudio.ca or wherever you get your podcasts.

Podcasting is often thought of as a vessel for storytelling. It can also work to amplify the voices of communities that have historically been suppressed.

This past September, the CPI was a sponsor for the first-ever PodSummit YYC. The two-day event brought podcasters from across the country to downtown Calgary. They shared stories of innovation and inspiration, while exploring the future of Canadian podcasting.

The CPI’s Brad Clark hosted a panel discussion bringing together Alberta-based podcasters who share the stories of marginalized communities mainstream media often overlooks.

By sharing their experiences and insights, they explored their challenges and successes, and how podcasting can be a force for change.

To learn more about the CPI, visit our website at thepodcaststudio.ca or find us on social media at @communitypodyyc.

It feels like politics and the media have become increasingly divisive in recent years.

On top of that, the words we use to describe our values — like democracy, truth and freedom — are loaded with dual meanings, leaving many of us wondering: Can we reclaim our political language?

Award-winning author and journalist Carol Off joins host Gabriela Perdomo to discuss her newest book, At a Loss for Words: Conversation in the Age of Rage, and how journalists can continue to seek the truth in an age of misinformation.

This episode is a collaboration with J-Source. You can read the full article here.

To learn more about the CPI, visit our website at thepodcaststudio.ca or find us on social media at @communitypodyyc.

There are more than 16,000 Canadian podcasts out on the Internet — but how many can you name?

In the last episode of the season, Meg Wilcox talks to Kattie Laur, a podcast producer, writer and consultant. She also writes Pod the North, a bi-weekly newsletter on all things about podcasting north of the 49th parrallel. Hear why Kattie started Pod the North, what she sees as the biggest challenges for Canadian podcasters, and how starting her new series, Canardian, helped her rekindle her podcasting joy.

You can find Kattie at kattielaur.com, and subscribe to Pod the North at podthenorth.com.

To learn more about the Community Podcast Initiative, you can visit the website at thepodcaststudio.ca or on social media at @communitypodyyc.

We'll see you in September for season 3!

It's no secret weekly reading assignments are a core component of most university courses. But could listening to podcasts act as another option?

In this episode, we're exploring how listening to podcasts could become an alternative to weekly reading assignments in university classrooms.

CPI co-director Meg Wilcox and associate producer Kelsea Arnett sit down with Mount Royal University Journalism and Digital Media students, Emma Miller, Sean Gillanders and Ava Free to discuss whether they feel assigned listenings influence their learning.

Meg also breaks down her current research on the potential effectiveness of listening versus reading assignments.

To learn more about the Community Podcast Initiative, you can visit the website at thepodcaststudio.ca or on social media at @communitypodyyc.