We teach ethical story interviewing for lasting impact
Our mission is to strengthen Canadian storytellers with a rigorous, values‑driven method. This page shares our mission, history, and the people behind our school — in text, for full accessibility.
Accessibility commitments
- Text-first content and keyboard-friendly navigation
- High contrast, dark/light theme, and motion-sensitive design
- No photos to minimize bias and cognitive load; words matter most
We welcome feedback. You can mention us when you sign the pledge.
Mission
We help Canadians master story interviewing that centres consent, context, and community benefit. Our framework balances curiosity with duty of care, elevating interviews beyond extraction into co-created narratives.
What “ethical interviewing” means to us
- Informed, ongoing consent — before, during, and after an interview
- Contextual accuracy that reflects lived experience, not stereotypes
- Repair pathways: we document harms and outline remedies
- Audience respect: we avoid sensationalism and protect dignity
History
Founded in 2017 by a mix of journalists, social workers, and community advocates, the school began as a weekly workshop in Vancouver. By 2019, our method shaped university seminars and newsroom trainings nationwide.
2017 — Foundation
We launched a pilot series with local newsrooms and community radio, collecting feedback on consent-first interviews.
2019 — Method formalized
We released our 6-step method and an open ethics checklist used by classrooms and nonprofit media teams across Canada.
2022 — National partnerships
Our syllabus supported training for rural correspondents and community-led podcasts, focusing on care in crisis reporting.
2024 — Public pledge
We introduced the public Ethics Pledge — a living promise backed by reflection time, a micro‑quiz, and transparent commitments.
Milestones and lessons learned
We’ve learned that ethical interviewing scales when it is simple to remember and culturally adaptable. Our pledge is deliberately brief but exacting: it rewards care, not speed.
Team
We are a cross-disciplinary team. No photos — we keep attention on practice, not personalities.
- Lead Instructor — Jordan Kean: newsroom editor turned educator; pushes for consent checkpoints
- Research Director — Amara N.: maps harms and repairs across case studies
- Community Partnerships — Dev Shah: builds equitable agreements with local storytellers
- Operations — R. Clarke: ensures learner safety and accessibility compliance
Our operating values
- Transparency — we publish our method and revisions
- Care — we prioritize participant well-being over speed
- Accountability — we document mistakes and update guidance
Ethics Pledge
Our pledge is a practice, not a badge. You will take a short reflection pause, complete a three-statement micro‑quiz, and sign with your name and email to receive a private confirmation. You can revoke at any time.