St. Thomas Journalism Department has no immediate plan to follow recommendations made by the Truth and Reconciliation Committee of Canada to better teach aboriginal issues.
“I think it’s something we need to respond to, certainly sooner rather than later,” said Philip Lee, acting chair of the department at St. Thomas.
Lee said they’ll eventually try to put those recommendations into the class room.
In June the committee made many recommendations to Canadians. In light of the history and legacy of residential schools, some of those recommendations were directed at media and journalism schools.
“We call upon Canadian journalism programs and media schools to require education for all students on the history of Aboriginal peoples, including the history and legacy of residential schools, the United Nations Declaration on the Rights of Indigenous Peoples, Treaties and Aboriginal rights, Indigenous law, and Aboriginal– Crown relations.”
Lee said general knowledge is essential for all journalists.
“When reporters don’t have the necessary background to cover stories that they tend to cover them in superficial ways,” said Lee. “And clearly if reporters are better informed about the background of aboriginal issues and understand the history they need to they’ll be able to tell more complete stories.”
For example, this week the Radio-Canada show Enquête began reporting on its investigation into the disappearance of Sindy Ruperthouse in rural Quebec. When they began speaking to some of her friends, they heard many reports of sexual abuse from police. Several women described officers driving them far away from the city and forcing them to walk back in the cold and dark.
“I think it’s something we need to address and it’s something we will address in our program,” said Lee.
He said the onus should not be entirely on the journalism schools to inform journalists of aboriginal issues. Journalists need general knowledge of so many issues.
“It’s a challenge for us in journalism schools to cover all the stuff [journalists] should know to fill in the gaps.”
He will look for ways to inform student journalists of aboriginal issues. But it isn’t necessary to have it written in the curriculum to start teaching it.
“I think professors can address this in their courses pretty quickly and I don’t think it needs some sort of curriculum design.”
Lee felt students should be informed about land claim issues, cultural differences and agrees with the recommendations. He is still planning ways to implement them.
“It’s important to emphasize general knowledge for journalists, and it’s challenging in many areas, but this is an area we need to address and we will.”
