The Walrus Fellowship Program

The Walrus has an educational mandate and is invested in the idea that a healthy society relies on informed citizens. Every year, The Walrus Fellowship Program trains emerging journalists and media professionals in the art and science of fact checking, editing, and the production process as well as gaining a keen understanding of nonprofit management. This program exists to nurture and develop the next generation journalists, editors, and storytellers who have the skills to produce well-researched, trustworthy, and fact-based journalism.

The fellowship program is made possible by the generosity of individuals, foundations, and companies that are invested in training tomorrow’s reporters, editors, and storytellers. We thank the following philanthropists and companies for their investment in the future of journalism:

  • Adventure Canada
  • Birks Family Foundation
  • Canadian Race Relations Foundation
  • Cannonbury Foundation
  • CIBC Foundation
  • Chawkers Foundation
  • Justice Fund
  • Journalists for Human Rights
  • Power Corporation of Canada
  • McLean Foundation
  • TD Bank Group

Meet the Fellows

Hailey Choi

Chawkers Fellow

Hailey is a journalist and audio producer based in Toronto. She has worked on podcasts for the CBC, BBC, the Aga Khan Museum and the Canadian Race Relations Foundation, among others. Her projects span a range of genres, including the historical show Exile, the true crime series Love, Janessa and the arts and culture podcast This Being Human.

Maya ElHawary

The Walrus Editorial Fellow

Maya is a young Egyptian editor and aspiring fact-checker based in Vancouver. A recent graduate from UBC, Maya studied English Literature and Political Science. She wrote her honours thesis on the Eurocentrism of Medieval Literature classes. Maya completed an editorial internship with Greystone Books, where she helped with proofreading, copy editing, reviewing manuscript submissions and soliciting blurbs. Before The Walrus, Maya got her start in journalism with the Institute of Palestine Studies. Maya can be found cooking, tango dancing, or travelling the world when she’s not writing, researching, or obsessing over comma placements.

Amarah Hasham-Steele

Power Corporation of Canada Fellow for Emerging BIPOC Journalists

Amarah Hasham-Steele is an emerging journalist and fact checker. She holds a Bachelor of Arts & Sciences from McMaster University, and recently completed a Master of Philosophy in Modern and Contemporary Literary Studies at Trinity College Dublin. Her work has appeared in Broadview, where she previously interned.

Kayla Thompson

CIBC Digital Fellow for Emerging Black Journalists

Kayla is a Toronto-based journalist and multimedia storyteller with a Journalism degree from Toronto Metropolitan University. She is an on-air journalist for Caribbean Vibrations TV where she contributes to a documentary series highlighting Black Canadian trailblazers. She has also worked as an entertainment team member for the Toronto Blue Jays, enhancing game experiences through live performance and fan engagement, and as a communications coordinator for the Journalistic Role Performance Project, translating academic research into compelling digital content. Passionate about storytelling through multimedia, Kayla aspires to be an on-air journalist and multimedia producer.

Where Are They Now?

Many of our past fellows have gone on to work at esteemed publications in senior positions. Some have even published their first books. Since its founding in 2003, The Walrus has been privileged to have worked with over 100 emerging media professionals and has witnessed their careers flourish. Here is a selection of past fellows and their recent activity:

  • Tobin Ng, our 2023/24 Chawkers Fellow, is now the Associate Editor at Masionneuve Magazine
  • Julia-Simone Rutgers, our inaugural Justice Fund Writer in Residence (2021/22), is now the Manitoba reporter for The Narwhal
  • Lucy Uprichard, our 2020/21 Chawkers Fellow, is now Editor-in-Chief at Maisonneuve
  • Leila El Shennawy, our 2021/22 Cannonbury Fellow, is now the Digital Editor at The Public Policy Forum
  • Tajja Isen, former fellow at The Walrus (2018/19), published Some of My Best Friends: Essays on Lip Service in 2022
  • Aimee Louw, our 2020/21 TD Fellow on Disability and Inclusion, is currently CBC Montreal’s City Columnist

Tobin Ng, former Chawkers Editorial Fellow, 2023/24

“Having the opportunity to talk through editorial decisions and collaborate with seasoned editors has been a deeply valuable experience, and I’m excited to further develop my editing skills after the fellowship.”

Current Opportunities

There are currently no fellowship opportunities at The Walrus. Please check again in the future or follow us on Twitter, LinkedIn, or Facebook to be notified of new job listings.