The Reporting In Indigenous Communities class of 2016. (Photo: Wawmeesh Hamilton)
A UBC Journalism project showcasing stories on Indigenous sexuality has been nominated for a regional RTDNA Award.
The Reporting In Indigenous Communities class of 2016 is a finalist in the British Columbia regional RTDNA awards for their digital reporting project All My Intimate Relations.
The project, created as part of the Reporting In Indigenous Communities class, tells the stories of Indigenous sexuality across six communities in British Columbia’s Lower Mainland.
The website includes the story of a group of women from Vancouver’s Downtown Eastside reviving Indigenous teachings about periods and the co-founder of the first LGBTQ+ group in Squamish.
A ‘taboo’ topic
“Sexuality is a complex – and sometimes taboo – topic in any culture, so this award nomination is a credit to the respect and determination displayed by students in our Reporting in Indigenous Communities class,” said CBC journalist and adjunct professor Duncan McCue. McCue created the RIIC program in 2012, the first journalism course in Canada to focus exclusively on Indigenous news stories.
The program is led by McCue and senior instructor, Kathryn Gretsinger, with Chantelle Bellrichard as the web developer. Fourteen students from UBC School of Journalism produced stories for the project.
“Talking to anyone about sex and sexuality is challenging,” said Gretsinger. “Our students built trust and developed relationships in order to produce All my Intimate relations. These stories are powerful, intimate and out of the ordinary.”
The team is nominated in the Digital Media large market category, along with CBC Vancouver and News 1130.
The RTDNA Canada Awards honour the best journalists, programs, stations and news gathering organizations in radio, television and digital.
The BC Regional winners will be announced at the regional meeting on April 22 in Vancouver, BC.
