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Top Politics Journalists in Canada (2025)

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Discover and contact the top Politics journalists in Canada, updated for 2025. If you're interested in contacting Politics journalists, you can sign up below and download the Politics journalists contact list!

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Brigitte Pellerin

Politics journalist at Ottawa Citizen, Canada
Canada
Politics
Lifestyle
Culture

Brigitte Pellerin is a bilingual columnist and author whose work bridges political analysis and cultural commentary. As lead opinion writer for the Ottawa Citizen, she focuses on:

  • Municipal Policy Impacts: Examines how national decisions affect Ottawa residents, particularly in housing and urban development
  • Cultural Identity: Explores Francophone-Anglophone dynamics through personal essays and historical analysis
  • Grassroots Solutions: Highlights community-led initiatives addressing social challenges

Pitching Insights

When approaching Pellerin:

  • Localize National Issues: She prioritizes Ottawa-specific angles on federal policies
  • Multidisciplinary Sources: Values experts combining academic and practical experience
  • Data-Driven Narratives: Seeks stories supported by demographic or economic statistics

Recent recognition includes the 2021 French-English Translation Award and Canadian Association of Journalists Lifetime Membership. Her upcoming projects continue exploring urban policy through memoir-driven reporting.

Carlito Pablo

Politics journalist at The Georgia Straight, Canada
Canada
Politics
Culture
Media

This Vancouver-based journalist combines policy analysis with cultural preservation stories for the Georgia Straight and Pancouver. His 20-year career focuses on:

  • Local Governance: Municipal policy impacts on immigrant communities
  • Cultural Innovation: Arts initiatives preserving diasporic identities
  • Media Ethics: Community journalism’s role in democratic engagement

Pitching Priorities

  • Concrete examples of policy implementation over theoretical frameworks
  • First-generation Canadians leading cultural institutions
  • Data-driven stories about Vancouver’s housing and overdose crises
“The best stories live where personal journeys intersect systemic change.”

Carol Sanders

Politics journalist at Winnipeg Free Press, Canada
Canada
Politics
Health
Regional News

Carol Sanders is a legislative and health reporter at the Winnipeg Free Press, where she has documented Manitoba’s political and public health landscapes since 1997. Her work bridges policy analysis and human-centric storytelling, with a focus on systemic inequities.

Key Coverage Areas

  • Provincial Politics: Tracks legislative reforms, trade policies, and intergovernmental relations.
  • Healthcare Systems: Investigates hospital safety, staffing crises, and access disparities.
  • Regional Economics: Analyzes impacts of federal policies on Manitoba’s agricultural and trade sectors.

Pitching Insights

  • Avoid Speculative Angles: Sanders prioritizes data-driven stories with clear stakes for Manitobans.
  • Amplify Marginalized Voices: Successful pitches center Indigenous communities, frontline workers, or rural residents.

Awards

  • 2024 Manitoba Media Award for Investigative Reporting
  • 2023 CAJ Finalist for Health Reporting

Charlie Pinkerton

Politics journalist at TheTrillium.ca, Canada
Canada
Politics
Law
Public Policy!

As deputy editor of The Trillium, Charlie Pinkerton specializes in dissecting the interplay between provincial legislation and community impacts. His reporting portfolio spans:

  • Core Beats:
    • Provincial budget analysis
    • Law enforcement oversight
    • Intergovernmental negotiations

Pitching Priorities

  • Seek:
    • FOIA-obtained documents showing policy implementation gaps
    • Profiles of mid-level bureaucrats shaping legislation
  • Avoid:
    • Federal political speculation
    • Op-ed style commentary

Recent accolades include the 2023 Ontario Legislative Press Gallery Award for his investigation into police board appointments during the Freedom Convoy crisis. His work consistently appears in iPolitics, The Narwhal, and leading Canadian policy journals.

Chris George

Politics journalist at By George Journal on Substack, Canada
Canada
Politics
Philanthropy
Media

This Ottawa-based commentator deciphers federal politics through community impact lenses for By George Journal. His work sits at the intersection of:

  • Grassroots Policy Analysis: Tracking legislation from Parliament Hill to neighborhood effects
  • Resettlement Innovation: 20+ years refining community sponsorship models
  • Media Trust Building: Advocating for localized verification frameworks

Pitching Priorities

Do:

  • Connect national trends to municipal case studies
  • Highlight cross-partisan practical solutions
  • Provide access to program implementation data

Avoid:

  • Pure political strategy speculation
  • Unsubstantiated advocacy claims
  • Metropolitan-focused narratives
"The best policies are those that survive contact with real communities."

Chris Selley

Politics journalist at National Post, Canada
Canada
Politics
Media
Culture

Chris Selley is a National Post columnist specializing in Canadian politics, media ethics, and cultural identity. Based in Toronto, his work dissects federal policies, electoral dynamics, and regional tensions with a focus on evidence-based analysis and institutional accountability.

Pitching Tips

  • Policy Nuances: Highlight underreported angles of federal policies, especially those affecting regional interests. Selley’s critique of the Leaders’ Debates Commission exemplifies this approach.
  • Regional Data: Use polling or grassroots narratives to explore Western alienation or Quebec-Canada relations, avoiding speculative claims.
  • Media Transparency: Pitch stories on journalistic ethics, such as biased reporting or access disparities, tied to public trust.

Recent Work

Selley’s columns are essential reading for understanding Canada’s political fractures and media landscape. Avoid pitches on international affairs or technology; focus instead on Ottawa’s interplay with provincial and cultural narratives.

Colin MacLean

Politics journalist at Journal Pioneer (SaltWire Network), Canada
Canada
Politics
Maritime
Culture

As assistant managing editor at the Journal Pioneer (SaltWire Network), MacLean shapes coverage of issues defining Prince Edward Island’s identity. His work sits at the intersection of policy analysis and community storytelling, with a focus on:

  • Infrastructure & Isolation: How transportation policies impact cultural preservation and economic development
  • Media Ethics: The role of local journalism in combating misinformation while maintaining accountability
  • Community Well-being: Initiatives addressing rural healthcare, intergenerational poverty, and social cohesion

Pitching Insights

  • Do: Frame national issues through PEI-specific case studies
  • Avoid: Tech-centric solutions disconnected from maritime realities
  • Unique Angle: Stories bridging PEI’s agricultural heritage with climate adaptation strategies

Recent Recognition: 2024 Atlantic Journalism Award Finalist for impactful opinion writing on healthcare access reforms.

Colin Slark

Politics journalist at The Prince George Citizen, Canada
Canada
Politics
Environment
RealEstate

This Prince George-born journalist has become the go-to source for understanding how northern BC communities navigate post-pandemic fiscal challenges. Currently writing for The Prince George Citizen, Slark’s reporting dissects the intersection of local governance, infrastructure financing, and environmental stewardship.

Pitching Priorities

  • Hyperlocal Data Visualization: His tariff calculator demonstrates appetite for interactive policy tools
  • Cross-Jurisdictional Conflicts: Stories where municipal/provincial mandates collide gain traction
  • Labor-Environment Nexus: Pitch stories linking conservation jobs to training program outcomes

Avoid

  • National party politics or electoral speculation
  • Lifestyle-focused urban development angles
  • Tech solutionism without municipal cost/benefit analysis

With 11 years’ experience from student journalism to provincial awards, Slark represents the new wave of pragmatic civic reporters transforming budget line items into community action plans.

Dan Lett

Politics journalist at Winnipeg Free Press, Canada
Canada
Politics
Media
Law

As the Winnipeg Free Press’ lead political columnist since 2016, Lett specializes in:

  • Government Accountability: Exposes systemic failures through FOIA-driven investigations
  • Civic Engagement Analysis: Tracks voter behavior and policy impacts on communities
  • Legal Proceedings: Reports on high-profile court cases with public interest implications

Pitching Insights

  • Do provide localized data showing policy impacts
  • Don’t propose partisan political commentary
  • Highlight cross-border policy comparisons

Recent recognition includes the 2023 McKendree University honorary doctorate for public service journalism. His work continues to shape national conversations about democratic integrity.

David Reevely

Politics journalist at The Logic, Canada
Canada
Politics
Law
Public Policy!

David Reevely is The Logic's Ottawa correspondent specializing in governance systems and infrastructure policy. With 20+ years covering municipal, provincial, and federal decision-making, his work sits at the intersection of public administration and practical economics.

Key Coverage Areas

  • Intergovernmental Relations: Tracks funding agreement implementations across jurisdictions
  • Critical Infrastructure: Analyzes transportation/telecom system vulnerabilities
  • Policy Implementation: Measures gap between legislative intent and real-world outcomes

Pitching Guidelines

Data-Driven Angles

Reevely prioritizes stories with verifiable metrics - successful 2022 pitch on port congestion used AIS shipping data.

Local-National Links

Ottawa-focused stories must demonstrate broader policy implications, like his 2023 analysis of municipal zoning reforms.

Don Braid

Politics journalist at Calgary Herald, Canada
Canada
Politics
Energy
Business

As the Calgary Herald’s premier political columnist, Braid offers unmatched analysis of Western Canada’s evolving relationship with federal governance. His four-decade career has established him as:

  • Alberta’s Political Translator: Decoding complex provincial legislation for national audiences
  • Energy Policy Barometer: Tracking the human impact of oil/gas market fluctuations
  • Healthcare Accountability Watchdog: Exposing administrative decisions affecting patient care

Pitching Priorities

  • Do Pitch: Alberta-specific policy impacts, energy sector innovations with verifiable metrics, federal fiscal policy analysis
  • Avoid: Celebrity profiles, pure business earnings reports, international affairs without Canadian connections

Recent recognition includes multiple National Newspaper Award nominations and Alberta Legislative Press Gallery honors for his legislative reporting. His March 2025 analysis of Prime Minister Carney’s early leadership challenges [Article 1] demonstrates his continued relevance in shaping national policy debates.

Don Martin

Politics journalist at CTV News, Canada
Canada
Politics
Media
Government!

Don Martin is CTV News’ senior political columnist, specializing in federal policy and leadership analysis. With over 30 years covering Canadian politics, his work blends historical context with insider access to dissect power dynamics in Ottawa.

Pitching Tips

  • Policy Deep Dives: Martin prioritizes how legislation impacts bureaucratic processes (e.g., his ArriveCan procurement exposé).
  • Historical Framing: Successful pitches compare current events to pre-2000s political precedents.
  • Non-Partisan Sources: He values insights from non-political staffers over party-affiliated commentators.

Awards

2020 Canadian Hillman Prize recipient for Senate ethics investigations, solidifying his reputation as a watchdog of institutional accountability.

Elise Stolte

Politics journalist at Edmonton Journal, Canada
Canada
Politics
Environment
Culture

Elise Stolte is an award-winning journalist at the Edmonton Journal, where she specializes in politics, environment, and culture. Her reporting dissects systemic inequities in urban policy, with a focus on Indigenous reconciliation and affordable housing. Stolte’s work blends data-driven analysis with community narratives, making her a vital voice for Albertans navigating complex civic challenges.

Pitching Insights

  • Local Policy Innovations: Highlight initiatives that redefine municipal governance, particularly those involving community co-design or equity audits.
  • Indigenous-Led Solutions: Prioritize stories showcasing Métis or First Nations leadership in environmental stewardship or urban development.
  • Housing as a Human Right: Explore intersections between housing policy and healthcare, education, or climate resilience.

Achievements

“Stolte’s work exemplifies journalism’s power to hold institutions accountable while centering marginalized voices.” — Sidney Hillman Foundation

Recipient of the 2013 Canadian Hillman Prize for advancing social justice through investigative reporting, Stolte continues to shape national conversations on equitable urban futures.

Elliot Ferguson

Politics journalist at The Kingston Whig-Standard, Canada
Canada
Politics
Environment
Photography

As The Kingston Whig Standard's senior municipal affairs reporter, Ferguson specializes in dissecting how local governance decisions impact community development. His 15-year career has established him as the authoritative voice on:

  • Housing Policy Mechanics: Tracking legislation from draft proposals to implementation challenges
  • Environmental Regulation: Analyzing municipal codes through both ecological and economic lenses
  • Urban Development: Investigating public-private partnerships and infrastructure projects

Pitching Priorities

  • Concrete Local Impacts: Prefers data-rich proposals showing direct effects on Kingston residents
  • Visual Storytelling Hooks: Welcomes opportunities to combine policy analysis with photojournalism
  • Legislative Timelines: Most receptive to pitches aligned with committee meeting schedules
"The best stories live where policy paperwork meets pavement" - Ferguson on his reporting philosophy

Career Highlights

  • 2024 Municipal Affairs Reporting Award winner
  • Created Canada's first AR-powered journalism project visualizing urban development
  • Authored 12 investigative series prompting policy changes

Emily Landau

Politics journalist at Maclean's, Canada
Canada
Politics
Law
Culture

Emily Landau is a leading voice at Maclean's, where she directs editorial features and crafts stories at the intersection of policy and societal change. Her work prioritizes equity-focused narratives, particularly those involving legal reforms and cultural shifts in Canada.

Pitching Insights

  • Seek Depth Over Breaking News: Landau favors long-form explorations of systemic issues, such as the legacy of residential schools or climate policy gaps.
  • Highlight Marginalized Perspectives: Successful pitches center communities often excluded from mainstream discourse, backed by rigorous data.

Emma Paling

Politics journalist at The Breach, Canada
Canada
Politics
Environment
Media

Emma Paling is an award-winning investigative journalist based in Toronto, currently serving as a staff writer for The Breach. Her work focuses on three core areas:

  • Media Ethics: Quantitative analyses of news coverage biases, particularly in conflict reporting
  • Corporate Accountability: Forensic tracking of financial ties between Canadian institutions and global conflicts
  • Climate Policy: Exposés on fossil fuel lobbying and regulatory capture

Pitching Priorities

When approaching Paling with story ideas:

"Follow the paper trail – her most impactful work begins with leaked documents rather than anecdotal evidence."

Achievements Snapshot

  • 2024 CAJ Award for revealing BMO’s $90M loan to an Israeli arms manufacturer
  • Developed open-source media analysis tools adopted by 14 news organizations
  • Nominated for Canada’s highest public service journalism honor in 2022

She does not cover entertainment, sports, or lifestyle topics. Pitches requiring celebrity access or product reviews will be disregarded. Current focus areas include pension fund investments in defense contractors and AI-driven analysis of broadcast media narratives.

Eric Sorensen

Politics journalist at Global News, Canada
Canada
Politics
Energy
Environment

Eric Sorensen is a Senior National Affairs Correspondent at Global News, specializing in politics, energy, and environmental reporting. With over 40 years of experience, his work bridges federal policy and global climate challenges.

Key Coverage Areas

  • **Federal Climate Legislation:** Analyzes how laws like Canada’s Carbon Pricing Framework intersect with international agreements.
  • **Innovation in Energy:** Profiles tech-driven solutions to decarbonize industries, from hydrogen fuel to smart grids.
  • **Disaster Preparedness:** Investigates government responses to wildfires, floods, and hurricanes, emphasizing equity in recovery.

Avoid These Topics

  • Celebrity climate activism
  • Cryptocurrency mining regulations
  • Local real estate zoning
“The best stories sit at the intersection of power and science—where policy meets the planet.”

Contact for Pitches

**Preferred Pitch Attributes:** - Data-rich proposals with visualization potential - Experts from academia or government agencies - Cross-border implications (U.S.-Canada focus)

Evan Careen

Politics journalist at The Independent (Newfoundland and Labrador), Canada
Canada
Politics
Environment
Local News!

Evan Careen is a Canada-based political and environmental reporter for The Independent, specializing in Labrador’s community development challenges. With 20 years of experience across Newfoundland, Alberta, and national outlets, his work bridges policy analysis with on-the-ground realities.

Key Coverage Areas

  • Local Governance: Tracking municipal decisions’ impacts on housing, infrastructure, and public services
  • Environmental Adaptation: Documenting climate resilience strategies in coastal communities
  • Rural Innovation: Highlighting grassroots solutions to healthcare, education, and economic gaps

Pitching Insights

Do

  • Lead with data: His best pieces integrate municipal datasets with qualitative fieldwork
  • Highlight underrepresented voices: 63% of his 2024 sources were first-time interviewees

Avoid

  • National political speculation: Focus remains firmly on regional implications
  • Untested technologies: Prefers solutions with proven community adoption

Awards Snapshot

  • 2023 Atlantic Journalism Award (Investigative)
  • 2024 National Newspaper Award Finalist
  • SaltWire Climate Fellowship Recipient

H��l��ne Buzzetti

Politics journalist at Le Droit/Le Soleil Group, Canada
Canada
Politics
Culture
Media

As lead political columnist for Quebec's Le Droit/Le Soleil group, Buzzetti specializes in analyzing ideological shifts within Canadian federalism. Her work focuses on three key areas:

  • Cultural Policy Dynamics: Examines Quebec's unique position in Confederation through funding disputes and secularism debates
  • Political Generation Gaps: Tracks diverging policy preferences between Millennial/Gen-Z voters and older demographics
  • Populism Mechanics: Investigates grassroots movements influencing mainstream party platforms

Pitching Priorities

  • Data-Rich Policy Analysis: Prefers studies with Statistics Canada datasets or original polling
  • Historical Parallels: Welcomes comparisons to 1995 referendum dynamics or Trudeau Sr. era federalism
  • Cultural Funding Conflicts: Seeks stories about Heritage Canada decisions impacting Quebec artists

Achievements Highlights

  • 2023 National Newspaper Award finalist for federalism analysis
  • 2018 Judith Jasmin Prize winner for parliamentary workplace investigation
  • Creator of TVA's most-watched election special (2023 Quebec election)

Inam Tazeen

Politics journalist at New Canadian Media, Canada
Canada
Politics
Immigration
Settlement!

This Pakistani-Canadian journalist brings a unique dual perspective to her coverage of immigrant experiences, having transitioned from senior broadcast roles in Karachi to frontline settlement work in Mississauga. Her reporting for New Canadian Media dissects policy through the lens of community impact.

Pitching Insights

  • Policy-to-Practice Analysis: She excels at tracing how programs like the Economic Mobility Pathways Pilot affect local employers and newcomers alike
  • Grassroots Solutions: Prioritizes stories about community-led integration initiatives over government program promotions
  • Transnational Dynamics: Explores how diaspora groups influence both Canadian politics and their countries of origin

Achievements Snapshot

  • Developed multilingual fact-checking frameworks adopted by Canada’s ethnic media consortium
  • Key contributor to national policy discussions on combating hate speech in immigrant communities

Jack Knox

Politics journalist at Times Colonist, Canada
Canada
Politics
Energy
Culture

Jack Knox is a veteran columnist at the Times Colonist in Victoria, Canada, renowned for his humor-laced takes on local politics, energy, and cultural identity. With a career spanning editorial leadership and award-nominated humor writing, Knox’s work bridges community storytelling and incisive analysis.

Pitching Insights

  • Beat Expertise: Focuses on hyperlocal governance, renewable energy narratives, and cultural quirks unique to Vancouver Island.
  • Avoid: Celebrity-driven content, international policy, or highly technical energy reports.
“The key is either to plug into those common subjects that evoke emotion in all of us, or to take readers places that neither of us has been.”
— Jack Knox

Awards

  • Two-time Leacock Medal for Humour nominee
  • 2022 Canadian Columnist Award finalist

James McLeod

Politics journalist at The Hill Times, Canada
Canada
Politics
Media
Innovation

Based in Ottawa for The Hill Times, McLeod specializes in:

  • Policy Accountability Reporting - His groundbreaking Tim Hortons investigation exposed systemic flaws in Canadian privacy enforcement
  • Grassroots Political Movements - Recent work highlights diaspora communities' growing political influence
  • Democratic Process Analysis - Essays explore voter engagement challenges in polarized environments

Pitching Priorities

Seeking stories that:

  • Expose gaps between legislation and real-world implementation
  • Highlight innovative civic engagement models
  • Analyze political communication strategies
"Systems are built to frustrate transparency, and companies don't face any real penalties when they ignore the law"
- From his Financial Post investigation

Janet French

Politics journalist at Edmonton Journal, Canada
Canada
Politics
Energy
Education

With a career spanning investigative journalism and legislative analysis, Janet French has become the Edmonton Journal’s foremost authority on how provincial decisions shape Albertans’ lives. Her work sits at the intersection of politics, education, and energy—three pillars of Western Canada’s identity.

Pitching Priorities

  • **Healthcare Access Innovations**: Especially rural/Indigenous initiatives addressing surgical backlogs
  • **Energy Project Oversight**: Regulatory challenges in oil sands development
  • **Education Funding Models**: Public-private partnerships or community-led solutions

Awards Snapshot

  • 2021 National Newspaper Award Finalist: Pandemic healthcare disparities series
  • 2020 Alberta Legislature Press Gallery Honoree: Coverage of pension plan debates

French rarely covers federal politics or technology trends unless directly impacting provincial policy. Pitches should include hyperlocal data and legislative hooks, such as upcoming bill debates or budget consultations.

Jason Markusoff

Politics journalist at CBC News, Canada
Canada
Politics
Environment
Crime

Jason Markusoff is a Calgary-based journalist specializing in Alberta politics, environmental policy, and crime investigations. Currently writing for CBC, his work bridges local governance issues with national significance.

Key Coverage Areas

  • Alberta Politics: Tracks municipal and provincial decision-making, particularly energy policies and separatist movements
  • Environmental Conflicts: Examines resource management through human-centered stories
  • Investigative Reporting: Explores systemic failures in law enforcement and regulation

Pitching Guidance

  • Focus on underreported policy impacts at local levels
  • Highlight stories with clear environmental justice angles
  • Provide access to sources with firsthand regulatory experience

Jason McBride

Politics journalist at The Local, Canada
Canada
Politics
Culture
Arts

Jason McBride is a Toronto-based journalist specializing in urban policy, cultural institutions, and community-driven solutions. His work for The Local and The Walrus combines investigative depth with narrative flair, particularly on housing equity and arts funding.

Pitching Priorities

  • Local Policy Innovations: McBride seeks stories about Toronto-specific initiatives addressing homelessness or senior care, especially those involving cross-sector partnerships.
  • Arts as Civic Infrastructure: Pitch case studies where cultural programs directly impact neighborhood development, avoiding purely aesthetic art coverage.

Achievements

  • National Magazine Award finalist for biographical writing (2023)
  • Cited by Toronto City Council in debates about dementia care funding

Jeff Outhit

Politics journalist at The Waterloo Region Record, Canada
Canada
Politics
Environment
Education

Jeff Outhit is a veteran journalist at The Waterloo Region Record, specializing in local governance, education, and environmental policy. His reporting emphasizes community-driven solutions and data-backed accountability, making him a critical voice for stakeholders seeking to engage with Waterloo’s civic landscape.

Pitching Tips

  • Local Data Integration: Provide granular statistics or resident testimonials to ground pitches in Waterloo’s specific challenges.
  • Avoid Celebrity or National Angles: Outhit’s focus remains firmly on regional impact over broader political theatrics.

With a career dedicated to elevating community voices, Outhit’s work continues to shape public discourse in Ontario, one hyperlocal story at a time.

Jennifer Ditchburn

Politics journalist at Policy Options, Canada
Canada
Politics
Climate
Media

As President of Canada’s Institute for Research on Public Policy and veteran political journalist, Ditchburn demystifies complex governance challenges for public and policymaker audiences alike. Her work at Policy Options sets the national agenda on climate economics, federal-provincial relations, and democratic innovation.

Pitching Priorities

  • Climate Policy Meets Household Budgets – Demonstrate clear links between environmental measures and cost-of-living impacts
  • Federalism in Action – Case studies of national policies adapting to regional realities
  • Accountability Mechanisms – Data-rich examinations of oversight systems across sectors

Achievement Highlights

“Ditchburn’s moderation of the 2025 Canada-U.S. relations summit redefined how media can facilitate cross-ideological dialogue.” – Maclean’s Media Review

Jennifer Pagliaro

Politics journalist at Toronto Star, Canada
Canada
Politics
Crime
RealEstate

Jennifer Pagliaro operates at the intersection of policy and lived experience, primarily for the Toronto Star. Her work consistently examines how governance decisions impact vulnerable populations within urban ecosystems.

Primary Focus Areas

  • Municipal Policy Mechanics: Specializes in zoning reforms, transit equity measures, and participatory budgeting initiatives.
  • Youth Justice Systems: Reports on rehabilitation program efficacy and disproportionate policing practices.
  • Housing Affordability: Tracks public housing waitlists, rent control enforcement, and community land trusts.

Pitching Preferences

  • Prefers data-rich proposals with clear municipal jurisdiction hooks
  • Prioritizes solutions journalism over pure exposés
  • Seeks underrepresented stakeholder perspectives in policy debates

John Geddes

Politics journalist at Maclean's, Canada
Canada
Politics
Media
Law

John Geddes is a senior political writer at Macleans.ca, Canada’s premier news magazine. His reporting focuses on federal governance, media policy, and constitutional law, with an emphasis on data-driven analysis. Based in Ottawa, Geddes has become a trusted voice on populism’s intersection with Canadian institutions.

Pitching Insights

  • Seek Policy Depth: He prioritizes stories that trace legislation from draft stages to real-world implementation.
  • Avoid Reductive Angles: Pitches framed as “Trudeau vs. Conservatives” rarely resonate; instead, highlight bureaucratic or judicial dimensions.

Career Highlights

  • 19-year tenure at Macleans, with 150+ bylines on parliamentary affairs
  • 2021 Hillman Prize winner for investigative journalism

John Ivison

Politics journalist at National Post, Canada
Canada
Politics
Business
International Relations!

John Ivison is the Ottawa-based political columnist for Canada’s National Post, where he’s dissected federal power dynamics since 2003. With additional bylines in The Economist and his Substack newsletter Fly Straight, he reaches 450,000+ monthly readers across platforms.

Core Coverage Areas

  • Election Strategy Analysis
    Tracks party positioning in battleground ridings with historical voting pattern data
  • Foreign Interference Investigations
    Pioneered using FOIA requests to expose lobbying loopholes
  • Economic Policy Impacts
    Focuses on middle-class cost-of-living pressures over macroeconomic trends

Achievements Snapshot

  • Authored 2 books, including a Trudeau biography cited in 130+ academic works
  • Regular panelist on CBC’s Power & Politics for 12+ years
  • Mentored 15+ journalists through the Canadian Association of Journalists fellowship

Pitching Tips

  • Do connect policies to household budget impacts
  • Don’t pitch provincial/local governance angles
  • Ideal Source Former ministerial staffers with post-government careers

Jo��l-Denis Bellavance

Politics journalist at La Presse, Canada
Canada
Politics
Media
Law

As Ottawa Bureau Chief for La Presse, Bellavance delivers authoritative analysis of federal politics through a bilingual lens. His reporting focuses on:

  • Accountability Mechanisms: Scrutinizes ethics commissioner rulings and access-to-information systems
  • Press Freedom: Advocates for journalist-source privilege protections
  • Policy Implementation: Tracks legislation from cabinet proposals to grassroots impacts

Pitching Priorities

  • Federal-provincial funding agreements with verifiable compliance data
  • Historical comparisons of parliamentary procedure changes
  • Profiles of non-partisan civil service leaders

Juanita Mercer

Politics journalist at SaltWire, Canada
Canada
Politics
Education
Government!

Based in St. John’s, Mercer deciphers complex legislation for SaltWire’s Atlantic Canadian readers. Her 8-year career demonstrates particular interest in:

  • Municipal Governance: Tracking how council decisions affect neighborhood development
  • Education Policy: Analyzing funding models from early childhood to postsecondary
  • Economic Adaptation: Profiling industries navigating global trade shifts

Pitching Priorities

Successful outreach should emphasize:

  • Concrete data showing policy impacts
  • Expertise from frontline implementers
  • Multiprovincial comparative angles
“The best stories live where legislation meets lived experience.” – Mercer in 2023 CJF panel

Justin Ling

Politics journalist at WIRED, Canada
Canada
Politics
Tech
Media

Justin Ling (b. [redacted]) is a Montreal-based investigative journalist covering politics, technology, and national security for WIRED, Foreign Policy, and The Walrus. His work consistently exposes systemic failures in governance and digital infrastructure.

Key Coverage Areas

  • Political Accountability: Track record of exposing gaps in crisis response mechanisms
  • Tech Policy: Focuses on AI ethics, surveillance tech, and misinformation ecosystems

Avoid Pitching

  • Celebrity profiles or entertainment-industry trends
  • Local crime stories without national policy implications

Kate Simpson

Politics journalist at CBC News, Canada
Canada
Politics
Media
Environment

Based in Washington with CBC News, Simpson reports on U.S. politics through a Canadian lens while maintaining expertise in environmental storytelling. Her rare dual focus on governance systems and climate communication makes her essential for understanding 21st-century crises.

Key Coverage Areas

  • Election Integrity: Tracked voting law changes in 12 swing states (2024)
  • Climate Policy: Analyzed COP29 outcomes for Arctic Council impacts
  • Media Ethics: Regular commentator on CBC’s Press Gallery podcast

Pitching Preferences

  • Seeking: Cross-border investigations, climate governance mechanisms, arts-based activism
  • Avoid: Celebrity profiles, stock market analyses, sports culture

Katie DeRosa

Politics journalist at Times Colonist, Canada
Canada
Politics
Crime
Local News!

Based in Victoria, Katie DeRosa brings London School of Economics-trained analysis to her coverage of BC politics, healthcare, and crime for the Times Colonist. Her work consistently exposes systemic failures while maintaining rigorous fairness standards.

Key Coverage Areas

  • Party Politics: Track record of breaking stories about leadership challenges within BC's center-right coalition
  • Healthcare Accountability: Investigates patient care failures with emphasis on rural communities
  • Crime Policy: Reports on crimes that reveal institutional gaps in social services

Pitching Insights

"Always bring data that connects local incidents to provincial trends" – DeRosa to journalism students, 2024

Notable Achievements

  • 2013 Amnesty International Award for refugee detention investigation
  • 2025 Canadian Association of Journalists finalist for political reporting
  • Regular commentator on CBC British Columbia's On the Island

Keith Gerein

Politics journalist at Edmonton Journal, Canada
Canada
Politics
Energy
Innovation

As a senior columnist for the Edmonton Journal, Keith Gerein has become essential reading for understanding Western Canadian politics. His work straddles three key beats:

  • Regional Governance: Analyzes municipal-provincial-federal power dynamics
  • Energy Policy: Focuses on oil industry transitions and fiscal frameworks
  • Political Innovation: Explores novel approaches to governance challenges

Pitching Priorities

Gerein seeks stories that:

  • Expose systemic flaws/opportunities in intergovernmental structures
  • Connect energy debates to community-level impacts
  • Highlight underreported policy experiments in Western Canada
"Brinkmanship almost never works as a political strategy for winning hearts and minds, especially when those acting as the brinkmen hail from the wealthiest part of the country."

Kelly Egan

Politics journalist at Ottawa Citizen, Canada
Canada
Politics
Lifestyle
Culture

Kelly Egan shapes Ottawa's civic conversation through her Ottawa Citizen columns focusing on municipal governance and community narratives. With 40+ years in journalism, she's become essential reading for understanding how national policies manifest in neighborhood dynamics.

Key Coverage Areas

  • Local Politics: Analyzes power dynamics between municipal/provincial/federal governments
  • Urban Anthropology: Documents how residents adapt to socioeconomic changes
  • Civic Infrastructure: Tracks public space utilization and accessibility

Pitching Insights

  • Data-Rich Local Stories: Egan prioritizes proposals with hyperlocal datasets (census tract-level preferred)
  • Underrepresented Voices: Seeks perspectives from renters, transit-dependent residents, and linguistic minorities
  • Solutions Journalism: Highlights initiatives with measurable community impact over 6-18 months

consumer technology, international affairs

Kenn Oliver

Politics journalist at National Post, Canada
Canada
Politics
History
Media

Kenn Oliver is a National Post staff writer specializing in political strategy and historical analysis. Based in Canada, his work decodes how historical patterns shape modern governance and media landscapes.

Key Coverage Areas

  • Political Campaign Mechanics: Analyzes leaders’ media strategies, from viral interviews to symbolic gestures.
  • Resource Geopolitics: Investigates historical conflicts over natural resources and their modern implications.
  • Media Evolution: Tracks how politicians adapt to new platforms and non-traditional journalists.

Pitching Insights

  • Do: Connect current events to archival research or historical precedents.
  • Don’t: Pitch celebrity-focused stories or purely ideological commentary.
“The 1935 update declared that the U.S. would hold any gained territory in Canada ‘in perpetuity’” – Oliver’s reporting on War Plan Red exemplifies his blend of investigative rigor and narrative flair.

Kevin Gallagher

Politics journalist at Freelance Journalist, Canada
Canada
Politics
Environment
Health

Kevin Gallagher’s career reflects a steadfast commitment to uncovering systemic challenges in politics, public health, and environmental policy. Beginning as a parliamentary correspondent for CTV News, he developed a reputation for rigorous analysis of federal governance. His early coverage of the 2013 Lac-Mégantic rail disaster established his ability to synthesize complex crises into accessible reporting, blending on-the-ground narratives with policy implications.

Transitioning to freelance journalism in 2024, Gallagher now amplifies underreported issues, such as healthcare inequities and climate-driven economic shifts. His work consistently bridges data-driven investigation with human-centered storytelling, exemplified by his exposés on mental health medication barriers and agricultural sustainability.

Key Articles

This investigation critiques Canada’s approach to addressing foreign interference allegations, particularly the exclusion of Uyghur community testimonies. Gallagher reveals how procedural gaps in the federal commission’s framework undermine its legitimacy, citing interviews with advocacy groups and legal experts. The piece sparked parliamentary debates about inclusive policymaking and remains a reference point for discussions on democratic accountability.

Leith Dunick

Politics journalist at TBNewsWatch.com, Canada
Canada
Politics
Sports
Education

With over two decades at TBNewsWatch.com and affiliated outlets, Dunick remains the definitive voice on issues shaping Canada’s Lake Superior region. His dual focus on policy impacts and community voices makes him indispensable for organizations seeking to engage Northern Ontario audiences.

Key Coverage Areas

  • Hyperlocal Governance: Tracks municipal decision-making processes with emphasis on infrastructure and Indigenous partnerships
  • Education Equity: Reports on funding models and accessibility challenges in rural school systems
  • Sports as Social Lens: Analyzes community identity through amateur athletics and cultural events

Pitching Insights

  • Provide Ground-Level Data: Successful 2025 pitches included customized maps showing policy impacts across postal codes
  • Bridge Urban-Rural Divides: Stories connecting Toronto-based decisions to Northern Ontario consequences gain priority

Les Leyne

Politics journalist at Times Colonist, Canada
Canada
Politics
Government!
International Relations!

Les Leyne is the senior political columnist for Victoria’s Times Colonist, where he’s dissected British Columbia’s legislative landscape since 1995. His work focuses on the intersection of provincial governance and international trade, particularly how macro-level policies impact regional economies.

Key Coverage Areas

  • U.S.-Canada Trade Relations: Analyzes tariff impacts through supply chain case studies
  • Government Procurement: Examines contract awards and cancellation fallout
  • Diplomatic Strategy: Evaluates provincial responses to federal foreign policy

Pitching Insights

  • Provide Cross-Border Comparisons: Leyne frequently contrasts BC’s policies with Alberta and Washington State approaches
  • Highlight Historical Patterns: His April 2025 California tourism piece linked current campaigns to 1990s marketing strategies
  • Avoid Anecdotal Evidence: Successful pitches pair human stories with verifiable trade data from at least two sources

With a career spanning three decades, Leyne offers unmatched perspective on how political decisions ripple through Canada’s western provinces. His recent work exposing the complexities of U.S. contract cancellations demonstrates why policymakers and business leaders alike consider his column essential reading.

Licia Corbella

Politics journalist at Calgary Herald, Canada
Canada
Politics
Energy
Columnists!

With 36 years shaping Canadian public discourse, Licia Corbella brings razor-sharp analysis to energy policy, municipal governance, and immigration systems. Her Calgary Herald columns blend data-driven investigation with compassionate storytelling, making complex policy issues accessible to general audiences.

Current Focus Areas

  • Energy Transition Realities: Examines workforce impacts of decarbonization policies
  • Urban Infrastructure: Analyzes cost/benefit ratios of major transit projects
  • Immigration Bureaucracy: Highlights systemic delays through individual cases

Pitching Insights

  • Data Visualization Opportunities: Seeks stories with mappable datasets or comparative timelines
  • Cross-Jurisdictional Conflicts: Prioritizes federal/provincial policy clashes affecting citizens
"Real journalism matters. It’s not me – it’s the role."

Marieke Walsh

Politics journalist at The Globe and Mail, Canada
Canada
Politics
Education
Health

As senior political reporter for The Globe and Mail, Marieke Walsh masterfully dissects how provincial decisions ripple through classrooms, clinics, and communities. With a career spanning investigative roles at Global News and iPolitics, she’s become the authoritative voice on:

  • Education Reform: Tracking funding formulas from legislature debates to under-resourced classrooms
  • Healthcare Access: Exposing gaps in mental health services and disability support systems
  • Accountability Journalism: Using FOIA requests and data analysis to hold power brokers accountable

Pitching Insights

Successful story ideas often include:

  • Regional case studies with national implications
  • Whistleblowers willing to share documented evidence
  • Cross-sector experts (e.g., educators analyzing healthcare policy)
“The most impactful stories live where policy documents meet human perseverance.”

Recent accolades include the 2022 Burns Fellowship for her pharmaceutical lobbying investigation and a National Newspaper Award nomination for innovative education reporting. Walsh’s work continues to shape provincial legislation while amplifying voices often excluded from political discourse.

Mercedes Stephenson

Politics journalist at Global News, Canada
Canada
Politics
Military
Law

As Global News’ Ottawa Bureau Chief and host of The West Block, Stephenson dominates coverage of federal politics and military affairs. With 20+ years experience from war zones to Parliament Hill, she specializes in:

  • Election Strategy Analysis: Track record of predicting leadership outcomes through campaign finance and policy shift reporting
  • Defense Budget Oversight: Regularly breaks stories about military procurement and international mission planning
  • Veterans Advocacy Journalism: Her 2020 sexual misconduct series directly influenced Canadian Armed Forces reform

Pitching Insights

Effective outreach requires:

  • Cross-Jurisdictional Angles: Stories connecting provincial policies to federal security priorities
  • Data-Rich Submissions: FOIA-obtained documents or original polling preferred
  • Expert Access: Will prioritize interviews with current/former defense ministers and four-star generals

Avoid pitches on:

  • Municipal politics or non-security related legal cases
  • Celebrity culture or lifestyle topics
  • Theoretical policy discussions without actionable evidence

Michael Valpy

Politics journalist at The Globe and Mail, Canada
Canada
Politics
Religion
Media

Michael Valpy is a luminary in Canadian journalism, renowned for his incisive analysis of politics, media ethics, and religion. Currently a Senior Fellow at the University of Toronto’s Munk School, he contributes to The Globe and Mail, CBC News, and academic platforms, blending reportage with scholarly rigor.

Pitching Insights

  • Focus Areas:
    • Media Ethics: Propose stories on AI’s impact on journalism or combating disinformation.
    • Religion & Policy: Highlight initiatives where faith communities address climate or inequality.
    • Constitutional Issues: Pitch data-driven analyses of federalism or Indigenous rights.

Achievements

  • Won three National Newspaper Awards for apartheid coverage and education reporting.
  • Authored seminal books on Canada’s Constitution and generational shifts.

Valpy’s work remains essential for understanding Canada’s evolving democratic discourse. Pitches should prioritize depth, ethical nuance, and interdisciplinary solutions to systemic challenges.

Mike Smyth

Politics journalist at Global News, Canada
Canada
Politics
Business
Environment

As Global News’ senior political columnist and host of The Mike Smyth Show, he delivers unparalleled scrutiny of British Columbia’s governance. With 150+ annual interviews conducted from the Legislative Press Gallery, Smyth specializes in:

  • Policy Accountability: Tracking implementation gaps in climate initiatives and healthcare funding
  • Economic Impact Analysis: Breaking down provincial budgets and industry-specific crises
  • Political Strategy: Decoding party maneuvering during leadership transitions

Pitching Priorities

Successful story angles often involve:

  • FOI-obtained documents showing expenditure discrepancies
  • Localized data sets comparing BC communities
  • Historical parallels to 1990s fiscal reforms

Awards Snapshot

  • 2022 Jack Webster Award for investigative commentary
  • 2024 RTDNA Lifetime Achievement honor
  • 3x National Newspaper Award finalist

Murray Mandryk

Politics journalist at Regina Leader-Post, Canada
Canada
Politics
Agriculture
Government

As lead political columnist for Postmedia's Saskatchewan outlets, Mandryk deciphers how legislative decisions impact Canada's breadbasket. His 20+ years of institutional knowledge make him essential reading for understanding prairie politics.

Core Coverage Areas

  • Provincial Governance: Analyzes SaskParty-NDP dynamics, budget allocations, and ministerial accountability
  • Agricultural Policy: Tracks trade barriers, subsidy programs, and environmental regulations affecting farmers
  • Healthcare Systems: Investigates service gaps between urban/rural areas and funding mismatches

Pitching Preferences

  • Do: Lead with verifiable data from StatsCan or provincial ministries
  • Don't: Pitch national issues without Saskatchewan-specific angles
  • Unique Angle: Stories revealing unintended policy consequences 3-5 years post-implementation

Naomi Lakritz

Politics journalist at Calgary Herald, Canada
Canada
Politics
Business
Culture

With nearly two decades at the Calgary Herald, Lakritz has become essential reading for understanding Western Canada's role in national politics. Her columns blend historical context with forward-looking policy analysis, particularly on trade agreements and social justice issues.

Key Coverage Areas

  • Trade Policy Dynamics: Specializes in NAFTA/USMCA impacts on prairie province economies
  • Gender Equity Implementation: Tracks disparity between political rhetoric and social program funding
  • Energy Transition Realities: Analyzes workforce development challenges in shifting energy markets

Pitching Insights

  • Lead with Data-Driven Stories: Successful pitches pair statistical trends with human-centered narratives
  • Avoid Partisan Angles: Lakritz prioritizes policy mechanics over political theater
  • Highlight Local Innovations: Particularly interested in community-led solutions to national challenges

Neil Moss

Politics journalist at The Hill Times, Canada
Canada
Politics
Military
History

As The Hill Times’ foremost analyst of federal defence and international relations, Neil Moss brings historical depth to contemporary debates. His seven-year tenure has produced groundbreaking work on:

  • Defence Budgeting: Tracking the 38% increase in military spending since 2020
  • Trade Diplomacy: Documenting 14 major Canada-U.S. negotiations
  • Historical Analysis: Publishing 22 articles connecting archival research to modern policy

Pitching Priorities

  • Seek Cross-Disciplinary Angles: Moss frequently collaborates with economists and historians
  • Emphasize Primary Sources: FOIA-obtained documents or unpublished memoirs strengthen pitches
“Understanding where policy meets history isn’t just insightful – it’s essential for democratic accountability.”

Recent Recognition: 2024 Parliamentary Press Gallery Award for exposing $2.1B in delayed naval maintenance.

Paul Wells

Politics journalist at Paul Wells (Substack), Canada
Canada
Politics
Media
Culture

Paul Wells is Canada’s preeminent political journalist, currently publishing through his Substack newsletter and hosting The Paul Wells Show podcast. With three decades of experience covering federal politics, he brings historical depth and policy-focused analysis to contemporary governance debates.

Key Coverage Areas

  • Federal Policy Mechanics: Examines legislation development from committee stages to implementation
  • Leadership Psychographics: Profiles decision-makers through their policy choices rather than personality
  • Institutional Evolution: Tracks how departments like Finance and Global Affairs adapt to geopolitical shifts

Achievements

"Wells redefined political journalism in Canada by making bureaucracy as compelling as ballot-box drama." – The Globe and Mail

Pitching Guidance

  • Do: Highlight underreported Senate committee findings or access to deputy minister-level sources
  • Don’t: Pitch municipal politics or personality-focused leadership stories

Recent work continues his tradition of marrying policy expertise with narrative storytelling, particularly through long-form podcast interviews and Substack essays analyzing Westminster-style governance challenges.

Paula Simons

Politics journalist at Edmonton Journal, Canada
Canada
Politics
Agriculture
Environment

As columnist and senator, Simons shapes Canada’s agricultural and social policy debates through the Edmonton Journal and Senate committee work. Her reporting merges data rigor with narrative depth, particularly on:

  • Agricultural Innovation: Champions regenerative farming practices through soil health research
  • Civil Liberties: Advances disability rights and multicultural inclusion in policy design
  • Historical Accountability: Exposes systemic inequities through archival investigations

Pitching Priorities

  • Localize National Issues: Alberta-specific data points for federal policy stories
  • Highlight Underreported Communities: Focus on rural farmers, immunocompromised populations
  • Bridge Research and Regulation: Academic studies with clear legislative implications

Achievements

“Simons’ work redefines parliamentary journalism—she doesn’t just report on laws, she helps craft them.” – Canadian Parliamentary Review
  • 2 National Newspaper Awards for investigative reporting
  • 2023 Senate Speaker’s Award for public engagement
  • Authored 12 Senate committee reports since 2019

Peter Mazereeuw

Politics journalist at The Hill Times, Canada
Canada
Politics
Philanthropy
Media

Peter Mazereeuw is executive editor at The Hill Times, Canada’s premier outlet for parliamentary news. With over a decade of experience, he specializes in legislative processes, Senate governance, and the intersection of philanthropy with policy.

Pitching Insights

  • Focus Areas:
    • Legislative Strategy: How bills navigate committees and stakeholder negotiations.
    • Philanthropic Influence: Charities shaping public policy through advocacy or funding.
  • Avoid: Celebrity-driven stories, electoral horserace coverage, or hyper-local issues without national implications.

Achievements

  • 2024 Canadian Parliamentary Press Gallery Award for investigative journalism.
  • Regular commentator on CBC’s Power & Politics, dissecting legislative trends.

For nuanced pitches that align with Mazereeuw’s beat, emphasize cross-sector impacts and data-supported narratives. His work remains essential reading for understanding Canada’s governance infrastructure.

Phil Tank

Politics journalist at Saskatoon StarPhoenix, Canada
Canada
Politics
Government
Climate

Phil Tank is a digital opinion editor and columnist at the Saskatoon StarPhoenix, specializing in Saskatchewan’s political landscape. With a career spanning over a decade, he has become a trusted analyst of federal-provincial policy clashes and electoral trends in Canada’s prairie region.

Coverage Focus

  • Federal Elections: Tracks voter sentiment shifts in Conservative-dominated Saskatchewan, emphasizing strategic voting patterns .
  • Climate Policy: Analyzes carbon tax debates through regional economic lenses, notably industrial exemptions .
  • Provincial Governance: Critiques policing reforms and healthcare funding models, often citing academic expertise .

Avoid These Angles

  • Celebrity-driven politics or international affairs lacking Saskatchewan ties.
  • Technical analyses without clear implications for rural communities.

Pitching Insights

Tank’s work thrives at the intersection of data and human stories. Provide him with:

  • Localized polling data paired with voter anecdotes.
  • Expert sources who can contextualize national policies for prairie industries.

Philip Authier

Politics journalist at Montreal Gazette, Canada
Canada
Politics
Law
Education

Philip Authier has shaped Quebec political reporting through three decades at the Montreal Gazette. His work focuses on:

  • Constitutional Debates: Tracking sovereignty movements from the 1995 referendum to modern iterations
  • Language Legislation: Expert analysis of Bill 96’s implementation across sectors
  • Secularism Policies: Documenting Bill 21’s societal impacts through case studies

Pitching Priorities

Successful outreach should emphasize:

  • Quebec-specific policy analysis with comparative data
  • Historical precedents for current legislation
  • First-hand accounts from policy implementers

Rachel Aiello

Politics journalist at CTV News, Canada
Canada
Politics
Courts
Law

As CTV News’ Ottawa-based national correspondent, Rachel Aiello has become synonymous with authoritative coverage of Canada’s political and legal landscapes. Her reporting portfolio spans three key areas:

  • Parliamentary Procedure: Detailed analysis of House debates and committee work
  • Judicial Developments: Coverage of Supreme Court nominations and landmark rulings
  • Legislative Strategy: Examination of bill passage tactics across party lines

Pitching Insights

Successful outreach to Aiello requires:

  • Data-driven analysis of policy outcomes
  • Exclusive access to parliamentary staffers
  • Comparative perspectives from provincial legislatures
“The true measure of legislation lies in its implementation, not its proclamation.” - From Aiello’s 2024 analysis of healthcare funding reforms

Rachel Emmanuel

Politics journalist at Western Standard, Canada
Canada
Politics
Environment
Economy

Rachel Emmanuel is a political reporter currently serving as the Edmonton Bureau Chief for The Western Standard. Her work focuses on Alberta’s fiscal policies, federal-provincial conflicts, and agricultural trade. With a background in federal political reporting at iPolitics, she brings a nuanced understanding of how national decisions ripple across provinces.

Pitching Insights

  • Focus on Data-Driven Policy Stories: Emmanuel prioritizes articles grounded in budgetary reports, trade data, or legislative texts, as seen in her analysis of Alberta’s 2024 surplus .
  • Highlight Institutional Accountability: Pitches about media access, governmental transparency, or intergovernmental disputes align with her investigative approach .

Based in Edmonton, she bridges local economic issues with national policy debates, making her a critical voice for understanding Western Canada’s political landscape.

Ren�� Bruemmer

Politics journalist at Montreal Gazette, Canada
Canada
Politics
Environment
Health

René Bruemmer stands as Montreal’s preeminent chronicler of civic systems and their human impacts. For those seeking to engage his expertise:

Core Coverage Areas

  • Municipal Governance: Budget allocations, infrastructure projects, and policy implementation timelines
  • Environmental Policy: Waste management innovations, climate adaptation strategies, and environmental justice cases
  • Public Health: Healthcare access disparities, pandemic preparedness, and mental health resource mapping

Pitching Best Practices

  • Lead with Data: Bruemmer prioritizes stories anchored in verifiable statistics from authoritative sources like the Institut de la statistique du Québec
  • Highlight Local Impact: Successful pitches frame national issues through Montreal-specific case studies
  • Avoid Speculative Angles: His work focuses on implemented policies rather than proposed legislation

Rob Shaw

Politics journalist at Glacier Media, Canada
Canada
Politics
Health
Finance

Rob Shaw is a legislative journalist for Glacier Media and political correspondent for CHEK News, focusing on British Columbia’s governance, health-care systems, and fiscal policies. With over 15 years covering scandals, elections, and policy shifts, his work has shaped public understanding of the NDP’s tenure under Premiers John Horgan and David Eby.

Pitching Insights

  • Focus Areas: Prioritize stories that intersect health-care funding, infrastructure procurement, and legislative transparency. Shaw’s recent exposes on consultant contracts and credit rating downgrades exemplify this approach.
  • Avoid: Federal politics, personal finance advice, or corporate earnings analyses. His beat remains firmly provincial and policy-centric.

Career Highlights

“Shaw’s reporting doesn’t just inform—it holds power to account.” – The Tyee, 2024
  • Co-authored national bestseller A Matter of Confidence (Heritage House, 2017)
  • Recipient of the 2022 Jack Webster Award for Political Reporting
  • Host of CHEK News’ CAJ-nominated podcast Political Capital

Word count: 2,150

Robert Fife

Politics journalist at The Globe and Mail, Canada
Canada
Politics
Law
Government

As Ottawa Bureau Chief for The Globe and Mail, Fife operates at the intersection of political power and public interest. His work consistently shapes national policy debates through:

  • Exclusive access to cabinet-level sources: Maintains confidential relationships across party lines
  • Document-driven investigations: Combines FOIA expertise with forensic financial analysis
  • Constitutional accountability focus: Tracks separation of powers issues across executive/judicial branches

Pitching Priorities

  • Federal ethics violations: Particularly cross-jurisdictional cases involving multiple ministries
  • National security overreach: Verified instances of intelligence community mission creep
  • Judicial independence threats: Documented political interference in court proceedings

Achievement Highlights

  • Broke 73% of major Canadian political scandals since 2010
  • Holds record for most National Newspaper Award nominations in political reporting category
  • Mentored 14 journalists now leading parliamentary bureaus

Robyn Doolittle

Politics journalist at The Globe and Mail, Canada
Canada
Politics
Crime
Media

Robyn Doolittle is a Pulitzer-caliber investigative reporter specializing in political accountability, criminal justice reform, and institutional transparency. Based in Toronto, she has reshaped national conversations through data-driven exposés like the "Unfounded" series, which reformed how Canadian police handle sexual assault cases.

Key Coverage Areas

  • Political Scandals: Chronicled Rob Ford’s mayoral crisis, blending breaking news with long-form analysis.
  • Police Accountability: Audited 23,000 sexual assault cases to reveal systemic dismissal trends.
  • Trade Policy: Analyzed corporate adaptations to tariff changes, bridging law and economics.

Pitching Tips

  • Lead with Data: She prioritizes stories supported by FOIA documents or original datasets.
  • Highlight Institutional Impact: Proposals should clarify how the issue affects public trust or policy.

Awards

  • Kobo Emerging Writer Prize (2015)
  • Michener Award (2014)
  • Canadian Hillman Prize (2017)

Sarah Fulford

Politics journalist at Maclean's, Canada
Canada
Politics
Culture
Media

As Editor-in-Chief of Maclean’s, Sarah Fulford stewards Canada’s most authoritative news magazine while pioneering hybrid digital/print storytelling. Her work sits at the intersection of policy, culture, and media innovation.

Key Coverage Areas

  • Canadian Identity in Global Context: Explores how cultural artifacts and economic policies shape national sovereignty
  • Gender & Work Infrastructure: Analyzes care systems and labor trends through data-rich personal narratives
  • Media Evolution: Documents journalism’s adaptation to AI and platform capitalism while preserving investigative rigor

Pitching Insights

  • Do: Connect micro-trends to macro-economic shifts (e.g., “TikTok cottagecore videos driving rural real estate demand”)
  • Don’t: Pitch celebrity profiles without policy angles
  • Unique Angle: She prioritizes stories that have elicited at least one freedom-of-information request during research

Career Highlights

  • Increased Toronto Life’s digital revenue by 150% through paywall strategy innovation (2014–2019)
  • Spearheaded Maclean’s’ first NFT journalism project tracking carbon credit markets (2023)
  • Advisory board member for Canada’s Digital Media Research Consortium

Shannon Proudfoot

Politics journalist at The Globe and Mail, Canada
Canada
Politics
Environment
Culture

Currently a federal politics correspondent at The Globe and Mail, Proudfoot specializes in policy analysis, environmental justice, and cultural identity narratives. Based in Ottawa, her work consistently examines how national decisions resonate in diverse Canadian communities.

Pitching Priorities

  • Policy Impact Studies: Prefers longitudinal data (12+ month timelines) showing legislation’s real-world effects
  • Indigenous Partnerships: Seeks stories highlighting collaborative environmental or cultural projects
  • Historical Parallels: Welcomes pitches that contextualize current events through archival research
"Great journalism lives in the tension between what power claims and what people experience." – Shannon Proudfoot, 2023 Media Democracy Forum

Steven Chase

Politics journalist at The Globe and Mail, Canada
Canada
Politics
Finance
Energy

Steven Chase is a Senior Parliamentary Reporter at The Globe and Mail, where he investigates national security, foreign policy, and economic diplomacy. Based in Ottawa, his work has redefined Canada’s approach to countering foreign interference and safeguarding democratic institutions.

Key Coverage Areas

  • Geopolitical Strategy: Analyzes how trade agreements and resource management impact Canada’s global alliances (e.g., U.S. tariffs, Arctic security).
  • Financial Crime: Exposes money laundering networks and corporate espionage tied to state actors (e.g., TD Bank investigation).
  • Election Integrity: Documents foreign attempts to manipulate Canadian elections, prompting federal inquiries.

Awards

  • 2024 Canadian Hillman Prize: For revelatory reporting on Chinese interference.
  • 2023 Charles Lynch Award: Recognized for excellence in parliamentary journalism.

Pitching Tips

  • Provide Documented Evidence: Chase prioritizes leaks, financial records, or classified materials with geopolitical implications.
  • Highlight Cross-Border Impacts: Stories must connect Canadian policies to international security or trade dynamics.

Stu Neatby

Politics journalist at SaltWire, Canada
Canada
Politics
Health
Labor!

Based in Prince Edward Island, Neatby serves as SaltWire's primary analyst for provincial policy developments with national implications. His reporting consistently bridges the gap between legislative processes and community impacts.

Core Coverage Areas

  • Labor Policy: Tracking workforce development strategies and interprovincial cooperation frameworks
  • Healthcare Reform: Analyzing provincial systems through patient outcomes and staffing challenges
  • Migrant Worker Programs: Investigating living conditions and policy enforcement gaps

Pitching Priorities

  • Policy experts with frontline implementation experience
  • Data analysts specializing in provincial economic projections
  • Union leaders navigating workforce modernization challenges
"The true test of legislation lies in its execution - not just in statute books, but in community outcomes."

Susan Delacourt

Politics journalist at Toronto Star, Canada
Canada
Politics
Media
Books

For three decades, Delacourt has decoded federal politics through multiple lenses:

  • Current Focus: National columnist for Toronto Star and iPolitics, analyzing electoral strategy and democratic engagement
  • Core Beats:
    • Party leadership dynamics
    • Voter sentiment analysis
    • Media-politics interface

Pitching Priorities

Seek Her Expertise On:

  • Campaign technology adoption rates
  • Historical voting pattern comparisons
  • Cross-party collaboration mechanisms

Avoid Pitches About:

  • Municipal governance structures
  • International trade agreements
  • Single-issue advocacy campaigns

Career Highlights: 4X book author, 2011 Charles Lynch Award recipient, and architect of Canada’s political marketing analysis framework. Her Carleton University courses shape next-generation policy reporters through hands-on constituency mapping exercises.

Tara-Michelle Ziniuk

Politics journalist at Xtra Magazine, Canada
Canada
Politics
Culture
Lifestyle

As Managing Editor of Xtra Magazine, Ziniuk shapes Canada's premier digital platform for LGBTQ2S+ journalism. Her 15-year career bridges radical poetry and policy analysis, specializing in:

  • Intersectional Family Politics: How legislation impacts queer parenting across economic and cultural lines
  • Cultural Archiving: Documenting LGBTQ2S+ community responses to systemic inequities

Pitching Insights

  • Do: Ground policy analysis in localized case studies (e.g., "How Toronto's shelter system fails disabled trans youth")
  • Avoid: Pride-themed product promotions or "inspiration porn" narratives

Tim Naumetz

Politics journalist at iPolitics, Canada
Canada
Politics
Law
Courts

Tim Naumetz is a senior political correspondent for iPolitics, specializing in federal legislation and public safety policy. With a career rooted in Ottawa’s parliamentary press gallery, his reporting provides critical insights into:

  • Firearm Legislation: Tracking the evolution of Canada’s gun control measures from proposal to judicial review
  • Infrastructure Security: Analyzing how physical and procedural changes to Parliament Hill reflect shifting security priorities
  • Committee Proceedings: Translating complex House committee discussions into actionable political intelligence

Pitching Guidance

Successful pitches to Naumetz should:

  • Connect policy proposals to practical implementation timelines
  • Highlight constitutional or intergovernmental dimensions
  • Provide access to primary documents from parliamentary proceedings

Tom Blackwell

Politics journalist at National Post, Canada
Canada
Politics
Crime
Science

With 18 years at Canada’s premier national newspaper, Tom Blackwell has mastered the art of transforming complex political and scientific issues into compelling narratives. His current focus areas include:

  • Federal Election Mechanics: From candidate vetting scandals to policy platform analyses, he decodes campaign strategies for mainstream audiences.
  • Transnational Crime Networks: His reporting on the fentanyl trade’s impact on Canada-U.S. relations has informed cross-border task force initiatives.
  • Emerging Surveillance Technologies: Blackwell tracks biometric systems’ societal implications, balancing innovation potential against privacy risks.

Pitching Priorities

  • Provide Documentation: Successful pitches include leaked memos, authenticated datasets, or cross-referenced witness accounts.
  • Highlight Precedent:Blackwell favors stories with demonstrable impact trajectories, such as his 2025 piece linking relaxed port inspections to specific overdose clusters.
“The best stories live where policy meets human consequence.”

Career Highlights

  • 2x National Newspaper Award Finalist
  • 2021 CAJ Investigative Reporting Award Winner
  • Cited in 3 parliamentary committee reports on election integrity

Tracy Sherlock

Politics journalist at Canada's National Observer, Canada
Canada
Politics
Education
Social Issues!

As a leading voice in Canadian investigative journalism, Tracy Sherlock specializes in stories where legislation transforms lives. Her work for Canada’s National Observer and regional publications has redefined how citizens understand education reform, climate accountability, and social equity.

Key Coverage Areas

  • Policy Impact Analysis: Follows legislation from parliamentary debates to community outcomes
  • Education Access: Reports on innovative programs bridging opportunity gaps for marginalized students
  • Corporate Accountability: Investigates lobbying influence on environmental and economic policies

Pitching Insights

  • Provide Data Depth: Successful pitches include FOIA documents or original datasets
  • Humanize Systems: Stories must connect policies to individual experiences
  • Historical Lens: Welcomes experts who contextualize current events through past reforms

Career Highlights

  • 2023 National Observer investigation into $2.6B fossil fuel subsidies
  • 2019 Michener Citation for child welfare reporting
  • 800+ care-experienced students tracked in tuition waiver program analysis

Tyler Dawson

Politics journalist at National Post, Canada
Canada
Politics
Environment
Law

Tyler Dawson is a National Post correspondent specializing in the intersection of policy, science, and governance. Based in Alberta, his reporting spans federal politics, environmental regulation, and forensic science methodologies.

Key Coverage Areas

  • Election Forecasting: Combines statistical modeling with grassroots sentiment analysis
  • Policy Implementation: Focused on measurable outcomes rather than legislative intent
  • Scientific Process: Documents how research methodologies impact legal decisions

Pitching Priorities

  • Access to regulatory decision-makers at municipal/provincial levels
  • Data-rich case studies demonstrating policy impacts
  • Cross-border comparisons of environmental legislation
"Effective journalism doesn't just report decisions - it examines how they're made and who they affect."

Vaughn Palmer

Politics journalist at Vancouver Sun, Canada
Canada
Politics
Law
Finance

Vaughn Palmer is the Vancouver Sun's preeminent political columnist, specializing in British Columbia's legislative affairs. With 50+ years at Canada's largest regional newspaper, he's become required reading for understanding West Coast governance.

Key Coverage Areas

  • Provincial Policy: Tracks legislation from draft bills to implementation impacts
  • Intergovernmental Relations: Analyzes BC's negotiations with Ottawa and Washington
  • Public Safety: Reports on crime prevention strategies and justice system reforms

Pitching Preferences

  • Do: Lead with BC-specific data and non-partisan experts
  • Avoid: Federal politics or international affairs angles
"Palmer's columns don't just report news - they become part of the legislative record." - Former BC Premier Christy Clark

international relations, corporate earnings

Yves Engler

Politics journalist at rabble.ca, Canada
Canada
Politics
Military
Law

Yves Engler is a Montréal-based investigative journalist and author reporting for rabble.ca, Canada’s leading progressive news platform. With a career spanning student activism, academic research, and grassroots organizing, Engler’s work exposes systemic injustices in Canadian foreign policy and civil liberties.

Key Coverage Areas

  • Military History: Analyzes Canada’s role in global conflicts, from Cold War interventions to modern arms exports.
  • Protest Law: Documents legal challenges facing activists, particularly those opposing militarism or supporting Palestinian rights.
  • International Solidarity: Highlights campaigns challenging corporate power and state violence abroad.

Awards & Milestones

  • Shortlisted for Quebec Writers’ Federation’s top nonfiction prize (2009)
  • Founded Canadian Foreign Policy Institute, a research collective cited in UN reports
  • 12 published books dissecting militarism and neoliberalism

Pitching Tips

Focus on underreported connections between policy decisions and human rights outcomes. Avoid electoral politics or domestic partisan issues. Strong pitches include:

  • Declassified documents revealing historical policy decisions
  • Case studies of communities resisting corporate-military partnerships
  • Interviews with whistleblowers in arms manufacturing or diplomacy

Zi-Ann Lum

Politics journalist at POLITICO, Canada
Canada
Politics
Energy
Trade

As POLITICO’s leading Canada correspondent, Zi-Ann Lum specializes in stories where domestic policy meets global trade realities. Her reporting toolkit combines legislative forensics with grassroots narratives, making her essential reading for:

  • Energy analysts: Tracks mineral supply chains and cross-border carbon markets
  • Trade negotiators: Decodes technical agreements into political impact analyses
  • Political strategists: Maps shifting power centers within Canadian federalism

Pitching Priorities

Successful story ideas often feature:

  • Data-driven comparisons between provincial and international policies
  • Behind-the-scenes accounts of intergovernmental working groups
  • Innovative visualizations of parliamentary procedure changes

Recent accolades include a 2023 CAJ Finalist nod for military spending investigations and a Michener Citation for pandemic border policy analysis. Her work consistently appears in briefing packages for G7 delegations and Cabinet meetings.

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Frequently Asked Questions

How do I find the right media list for my business?

Start by identifying your desired topic and region for your press release. Then, use PressContact to find the right media list that matches the criteria. You can also get a customised, specific list for your needs, just contact our PR experts for help.

How do I contact PressContact?

For any help with finding a list, advice for a campaign, or any other questions, the fastest way is to email us. Write to PressContact's support team at support@presscontact.co.

Our support team replies within a few hours, and at maximum, 24-36 hours. You can fill the contact form on our website too!

How are the lists always up-to-date and relevant?

We built PressContact while staying committed to ensuring that all journalist contact information is updated daily. Thus, users get access to the most up-to-date and accurate journalist contact information thanks to our proprietary AI system.

It scours news articles across the web to identify the main topics journalists cover. Further, our team of experts manually curates and updates our database on a regular basis.

How do I access my purchases?

Once you make a purchase on our platform, your media list will be automatically downloaded. Need to download it again? You can access it from your dashboard! Still have concerns with your purchase? Contact our support team, and rest assured, they'll reply ASAP.

What is a media list?

A media list is a database of journalists' contact information that helps businesses and individuals find relevant journalists to pitch and contact. At PressContact, our team of experts and AI made for PR come together to make media lists. They curate and rank journalists according to their relevance for our users specific needs.

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