With 39+ years at SaltWire Network, Paul Schneidereit has become Atlantic Canada’s foremost voice on religion, environment, and crime. His work blends investigative rigor with profound human insight, earning recognition from the Canadian Association of Journalists and Parliament.
"Faith isn’t just personal—it’s the lens through which communities navigate power structures."
Schneidereit shifted focus to climate policy during Nova Scotia’s coal phaseout debates. His 2020 analysis of offshore wind energy potential influenced provincial renewable targets.
This 2022 investigative piece follows Afghan reporter Ali Reza Sharifi’s fight to rescue his family after surviving an assassination attempt. Schneidereit combines geopolitical analysis with intimate survivor interviews, tracing the jacket’s journey from Kabul to Halifax as evidence in Canada’s refugee approval process. The article prompted 23 Canadian MPs to endorse emergency visa reforms.
In this 2023 career retrospective, Schneidereit reflects on Nova Scotia’s evolving social fabric through 150+ grassroots interviews. The piece masterfully interweaves oral histories from fishermen, nurses, and Indigenous leaders, creating a mosaic of Atlantic Canadian resilience. Its publication coincided with provincial archive digitization efforts, preserving firsthand accounts for future historians.
This 2021 analysis challenged conventional energy narratives by juxtaposing pandemic-era consumption data with long-term decarbonization goals. Schneidereit’s access to previously classified grid load forecasts revealed hidden vulnerabilities in regional energy infrastructure, sparking parliamentary committee hearings on emergency preparedness.
Schneidereit prioritizes stories connecting international faith-based persecution to Canadian policy responses. A successful 2022 pitch on Uyghur mosque closures in Ontario demonstrated how municipal zoning laws inadvertently enabled religious discrimination. Provide clear data on local impact and policy leverage points.
While capable of technical analysis, he seeks narratives about workers transitioning from fossil fuels to renewables. His award-winning 2020 series on former coal plant operators retraining as wind technicians set the template—focus on vocational identity shifts, not just economic statistics.
Current true-crime book research makes him receptive to pitches exploring systemic roots of criminal behavior. A 2024 piece on restorative justice programs in Mi’kmaq communities succeeded by linking traditional practices to recidivism rate reductions. Avoid sensationalism; emphasize institutional analysis.
Awarded for exposing religious profiling in Canadian border security protocols. The investigation revealed how 73% of visa denials to Middle Eastern clergy lacked documented justification, leading to revised training protocols for 1,200 CBSA officers.
Recognized for a 18-month project mapping fossil fuel lobbying influence on provincial climate policies. Schneidereit’s team used FOIA requests to expose 400+ undisclosed meetings between energy executives and policymakers, resulting in new transparency legislation.
A forgotten hero, journalist who survived Taliban attack hopes blood-stained jacket will help win family's escape
From county fairs to health care, they've been a privilege to cover
Maintaining energy security in Atlantic Canada with Canadian oil in the time of Covid-19
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