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
  • Cannonbury Foundation
  • CIBC Foundation
  • Chawkers Foundation
  • Justice Fund
  • Journalists for Human Rights
  • Power Corporation of Canada
  • McLean Foundation
  • TD Bank Group

Meet the Fellows

Filipa Pajevic

Power Corporation of Canada Senior Fellow

Filipa Pajevic is a journalist and fact checker based in Tkaronto/Toronto. Her work has appeared in the Toronto Star, The Guardian, CityLab, and other publications. She was a 2024 Fellow in Journalism and Health Impact at the Dalla Lana School of Public Health, University of Toronto. Previously, she spent over 12 years in academic research and teaching as an economic geographer trained in urban studies. Filipa holds a PhD from McGill University and completed a post-doctoral fellowship at the University of Toronto. She has taught urban development theory and research methods, and mentored graduate students on research design and ethics. Passionate about sharing knowledge, she strives to inform the public through well-researched, factual and engaging journalism.
X: @filipouris

Arthur Dennyson Hamdani

Canadian Race Relations Fellow

Arthur Dennyson Hamdani is an early career journalist based in Toronto. Alongside writing, copy-editing, and fact-checking, he has experience as a photographer, illustrator, and graphic designer. His works have appeared in blogTO and Ricepaper Magazine. He was a mentee at a journalism mentorship program for BIPOC called Shared Bylines. Before The Walrus, he worked as a design editor at the University of Toronto’s student paper, The Varsity. He holds an honours bachelor’s of arts in journalism, English literature, and migration studies from U of T.

Mihika Agarwal

Cannonbury Fellow

Mihika is an Indian cultural journalist who writes about mental health, South Asian diaspora, film and television, and digital culture, among other things. She has worked in newsrooms in India, U.S., and Canada and her work has appeared in The New York Times, Hyperallergic, Chatelaine, The Georgia Straight, Architectural Digest, Vice, and more.
X: @itmemihika

Dhriti Gupta

Chawkers Fellow

Dhriti is a journalist and fact-checker based in Toronto. Before joining The Walrus, she spent a year reporting on education, culture, urban affairs and business for the Toronto Star. You can find more of her work in Maclean’s, The Local, Exclaim! and This Magazine, among others.
X: @dhritigupta

Makda Mulatu

CIBC Digital Fellow for Emerging Black Journalists

Makda Mulatu is a writer and podcaster based in amiskwaciwâskahikan, or Edmonton, Alberta. Her poetry, interviews, and culture writing have appeared in publications like Contemporary Verse 2, filling Station, and This Magazine, among others. From 2020-2023, she hosted and produced Glass Bookshop Radio, a literary podcast that connected readers with some of the most exciting authors and publishers in Canada. These days, you can find her talking about her favourite books on CBC Edmonton’s Radio Active or teaching figure skating at her community rink.

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:

  • 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 an Associate Editor at Reader’s Digest Canada
  • 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.

Partner with Us to Secure the Future of Journalism

The Walrus Editorial Fellowship Fund allows philanthropists to support this annual program, and ensure the longevity of the fellowship year after year.

Donate directly to The Walrus Editorial Fellowship Fund by choosing “The Walrus Editorial Fellowship Fund” in the drop-down list.

Support The Walrus and commit to independent, fact-based journalism.

To enquire about full sponsorship for a Fellow with naming and recognition opportunities please contact email Laura Lavie, Development Director, at laura@thewalrus.ca.