Laurie Monsebraaten

From Beat Reporter to Social Justice Architect

We trace Laurie Monsebraaten’s three-decade journey through Canadian journalism, where she evolved from general assignment reporter to one of the Toronto Star’s most trusted voices on systemic inequality. Her career pivot in the mid-2000s marked a turning point, shifting focus to the structural roots of poverty through groundbreaking data journalism techniques.

"Instead of focusing on short-term spending that simply enables people to survive, Canada should invest in longer-term plans to permanently lift people out of poverty" - Monsebraaten analyzing the National Council of Welfare’s landmark report [4]

Defining Works: Three Pillars of Impact

• The Dollars and Sense of Solving Poverty (Toronto Star): This 2013 investigation quantified how strategic investments in social programs yield 3-10x returns through reduced healthcare and justice system costs [4]. Monsebraaten’s analysis of Quebec’s $7/day childcare program revealed a 15% poverty reduction among single-parent families over a decade.

Pitching Pathways: Aligning with a Policy Lens

1. Groundbreaking Program Evaluations

Monsebraaten prioritizes initiatives with verifiable outcomes, like the Women Moving Forward program that demonstrated $3.56 ROI within its first cohort. Successful pitches should include longitudinal data and cost-benefit analyses from reputable institutions.

2. Intersectional Policy Analysis

Her coverage of Ontario’s childcare reforms [3] exemplifies interest in policies affecting multiple social determinants. Proposals should highlight how issues connect across education, employment, and health sectors.