As journalism continues to evolve, so does the Ryerson Journalism Association (RJAA).
You’re going to notice some changes.
Our association used to sell memberships to grads, print (and mail) newsletters and offer weekend workshops to enhance reporting skills.
Now, with a newly-elected team, we are planning to revamp the association and provide alumni with events, information and opportunities that better-fit today’s industry.
All students who attended Ryerson’s School of Journalism are now automatically members of the RJAA. Welcome to the club!
Also, instead of a newsletter, you’ll notice that we’ll be constantly rolling out content. Check in on Facebook, Twitter and our website, where you’ll find updates including job opportunities, articles of interest and original pieces written for Ryerson journalism grads.
As for events: Two years ago, we were proud to team up with the Ryerson School of Journalism to honour “Headliners.” These are people who have attended the school and made a mark. Not just in journalism, but in their given profession. Now, the RJAA will put on an annual gala to celebrate their accomplishments and allow for grads to network and reconnect with past classmates.
In addition to the Headliners gala, the association will be organizing panels, trips and even mentorship opportunities. We hope that one (or all) of these will give you the opportunity to stay connected and continue to grow. Of course, if you ever have an idea that we can help execute, we would love to hear from you.
A final note so you can better understand the functioning of the association; The RJAA works like a non-for-profit organization. We are financially independent from the school and our executive consists of volunteers. Money raised goes to putting on future events and funding a student award that is very close to our hearts – the Bryan Cantley Memorial Award.
For those of you who never had the honour of meeting Bryan, he was one of the original founders of the RJAA back in 1989. He remained as a part of the executive for more than 20 years and passed away in 2013. Now, we offer a monetary award to a student who – like Bryan – is eager to get involved in the journalism community beyond filing stories. If you would to help support the annual award this very moment, you can do so by clicking here.
Cheers!
Amanda Cupido
President, Ryerson Journalism Alumni Association