Animals Journalists - Canada

Ann Brightman (Redstone Media Group) stands among Canada's foremost authorities on integrative animal care journalism. Based in Peterborough, her 20-year career spans investigative reporting on breed legislation to practical guides on holistic pet wellness.

Core Coverage Areas

• Animal Advocacy Policy: Legislative changes impacting pet owners, with recent focus on Ontario's Breed Specific Legislation reform efforts
• Holistic Veterinary Care: Evidence-based reporting on acupuncture, herbal remedies, and stress-reduction techniques for pets
• Pet-Safe Living Solutions: Expert-vetted guides to non-toxic household products and indoor environmental enrichment

Pitching Insights

"The most compelling stories show how animal wellness intersects with human compassion - it's never just about pets, but about building kinder communities."

• Do: Lead with Canadian case studies featuring measurable welfare improvements
• Don't: Pitch commercial product launches without third-party efficacy studies

Career Highlights

• Authored 150+ articles with 85% maintaining top Google rankings 3+ years post-publication
• Grew Feline Wellness' readership by 40% through SEO-optimized care guides (2022-2024)
• Frequent speaker at veterinary conferences on narrative-driven science communication

Katherine Wilton is the Montreal Gazette's foremost journalist covering animal welfare and environmental policy, with particular expertise in conservation storytelling. Her decade of reporting has shaped public understanding of wildlife management challenges across Canada.

Pitching Priorities

• Community-Driven Solutions: Prefers stories demonstrating successful local interventions in habitat preservation
• Policy Impact Analysis: Seeks clear connections between legislative changes and ecosystem health metrics

Recent recognitions include the Canadian Journalism Foundation's Environmental Reporting Fellowship (2022) and inclusion in PressContact's Top 50 Animal Welfare Journalists list (2023-2024).

"Effective conservation reporting requires equal parts scientific rigor and narrative compassion" - Wilton, 2024

As a staff reporter at The Hamilton Spectator, Moro specializes in environmental policy, animal welfare, and municipal governance intersections. His work consistently highlights how local decisions impact regional ecosystems, with recent emphasis on climate resilience budgeting and community-led conservation efforts.

Pitching Priorities

• Policy Implementation: Seeks stories showing tangible effects of legislation on habitats
• Urban Ecology: Interested in infrastructure projects with biodiversity angles
• Citizen Science: Prioritizes data-driven pitches involving community participation

Achievements

• 2024 CAJ Award Finalist for industrial pollution investigation
• 2023 GreenScape Leadership Award for environmental reporting
• Cited in 3 provincial policy reviews on species protection

“Effective environmental journalism requires equal parts data literacy and community empathy.”

This Red Deer-born journalist has become essential reading for understanding how caregiving roles evolve under pressure. Her current focus areas for Business Insider and specialty publications demand pitches that bridge personal and systemic narratives.

Core Beats

• Conflict Zone Healthcare: Particularly maternal health innovations in crisis areas
• Pet Care Systems: Focused on institutional applications of animal-assisted therapies
• Alternative Kinship Models: How care networks form outside traditional structures

Pitching Preferences

"The best stories show how individual resilience informs systemic change." - Marcoux, 2023 CSWA panel

• Do: Lead with unexpected data intersections (e.g., veterinary costs vs. economic downturns)
• Don't: Pitch celebrity pet stories without community impact angles

Recent Recognition

• 2023 National Magazine Award finalist for immersive conflict reporting
• Cited by WHO for humanizing maternal health statistics

With 35+ years at the Ottawa Citizen, Laucius has become essential reading for understanding how policy decisions ripple through neighborhoods. Her dual focus on education systems and animal welfare creates unique opportunities for impactful storytelling.

Key Coverage Areas

• School Board Dynamics: Tracks multi-year implementation of provincial policies at local levels
• Urban Wildlife Management: Explores human-animal coexistence in growing cities
• Special Education Resources: Advocates for equitable access through investigative reporting

Pitching Preferences

• Data-Rich Local Angles: Seeks hyperlocal stories with provincial/national implications
• Longitudinal Studies: Values updates on past coverage topics with new developments
• Cross-Sector Impacts: Interested in education policy effects on public health or urban planning

Melanie Epp stands among North America’s foremost agricultural journalists, currently writing for The Poultry Site and The Pig Site. Her work consistently addresses three core areas:

Primary Focus Areas

• Livestock Innovation: Tracking welfare technologies from in-ovo sexing to precision feeding systems
• Supply Chain Analysis: Investigating transportation, storage, and distribution challenges
• Disease Management: Documenting prevention strategies for ASF, HPAI, and other zoonotic threats

Pitching Recommendations

• Lead with data: Epp prioritizes sources with verifiable production metrics or peer-reviewed research
• Highlight scalability: Successful pitches often demonstrate practical applications for small and large operations
• Emphasize sustainability: Solutions must balance economic viability with environmental responsibility

Recent recognitions include the 2023 Global Ag Media Contributor Award, cementing her status as a trusted voice in agricultural journalism.

Rebecca Joseph combines sports journalism with cultural analysis for Global News Canada. Her work bridges athletic achievements and social progress, particularly through:

Key Coverage Areas

• Championship Narratives: Contextualizes major wins within community impact
• Identity Reporting: Explores evolving LGBTQ+ terminology and representation

Pitching Insights

• Avoid: Routine game summaries or individual athlete profiles lacking social context
• Seek: Initiatives blending sports participation with cultural education programs

Sheri Monk is an award-winning journalist specializing in agriculture, environmental conservation, and wildlife biology. Based in Alberta, Canada, she currently writes for Canadian Hog Journal, where she investigates sustainable livestock practices and ecological stewardship. Her work bridges scientific rigor and narrative storytelling, making complex topics like invasive species management and methane reduction accessible to diverse audiences.

Pitching Insights

• Seeking:
  • Data-Driven Conservation Stories: Prefers pitches with verifiable metrics, e.g., a 15% increase in pollinator diversity after adopting no-till farming.
  • Indigenous Land Management: Highlights initiatives like the Îyârhe Nakoda First Nation’s rattlesnake habitat program.
• Avoid:
  • Urban-Centric Environmentalism: Rarely covers city-based climate projects unless tied to rural impacts.
  • Unsubstantiated Tech Claims: Skeptical of “miracle solutions” like unproven feed additives.

Monk’s reporting has been recognized by the Alberta Journalism Awards and Science Writers and Communicators of Canada. She holds a biology degree and advocates for science communication that respects both empirical evidence and traditional ecological knowledge.