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Alright my little french fries, time to turn your volume up, open a new tab and press play. 

That’s right — it’s been a whole year of Vocal Fridays.

And what a whirlwind it’s been! 

I want to thank you all for sticking with us. None of this could happen without Emily Latimer and Katie Jensen, and I am endlessly grateful to Ren Bangert, Kattie Laur and Max Collins for taking over the newsletter for the last few weeks. Here’s to many more!

This week, the Canadian Journalism Forum on Violence and Trauma and Carleton University released a report on mental health, well-being and trauma among Canadian media workers.

The 49-page report called Taking Care: a report on mental health, well-being and trauma among Canadian media workers is based on 1,251 survey responses from media workers across the country, and the results are pretty damning.

Carleton’s website has a brief summary; mental health symptoms are far above the Canadian average (69 per cent of respondents reported anxiety, 46 per cent reported depression, and 15 per cent reported symptoms of PTSD) and 80 per cent of respondents suffered burnout as a result of trauma coverage.

There are plenty of self-care tips for journalists out there (I’ll link a bunch — one, two, three… you get the gist), and while that’s all well and good, I would hope that a report like this would lead to tangible changes in media organizations that support wellness beyond things like mental health workshops.

I read an article in the Atlantic this week by Joe Pinsker about the value of sabbaticals. His argument is essentially that sabbaticals can be an antidote to burnout. My friend who works in the public service told me about their four-over-five option — that they can actually take an entire year off work every five years to do whatever they want. At that moment, I cursed myself for going to journalism school instead of studying public policy.

Anyway, media workers’ mental health is a many-pronged problem that will require a many-pronged solution, and if I come across interesting ideas, I’ll share them here, too. 

In podcast newsletter news (AKA very relevant news to this readership), Skye Pillsbury is launching a new newsletter, The Squeeze! Skye has done so much excellent reporting on the world of podcasts, much of which I have cited in this very newsletter. You can read more about what to expect in her Twitter thread.

We want to support more indie podcasts in our newsletter! Send us a note if you’re launching one, or if you’ve been listening to one that you think everyone needs to hear. 

The Literary Review of Canada is hiring an associate or senior level editor. They don’t include specific salary information beyond being “competitive,” but I found a few typos in the listing so they clearly need that editor… negotiate up!

Metroland Media is hiring an Indigenous summer student reporter (recent grads also welcome to apply) for an eight-week position. It’s not clear to me where this job is located, but the posting implies Mississauga. The salary isn’t posted, but the living wage for Peel region is $19.80/hour.

Apple News is hiring an editor for a one-year contract.

Bell Media is hiring a managing editor of digital and social content, primarily for the Marilyn Denis show and CTV Recipes, plus various CTV and Crave programs. This is a permanent position, and applications are due by May 31. 

Do you have a Passion for today’s “Pop Culture, Entertainment and Social Scenes”? Apply to be the new morning show producer for Marilyn Denis & Jamar on CHUM 104.5. This is one of my favourite radio stations because almost every time I turn it, on they’re playing Dua Lipa. Apply by June 3.

CBC Nova Scotia is hiring a permanent, full-time municipal affairs reporter to cover city hall in Halifax. Apply by EOD June 3. 

CBC London (the one not in England) is hiring a permanent, full-time reporter/editor assigned to Afternoon Drive. Apply by EOD June 1. 

CBC Radio is hiring a permanent, full-time senior producer for As It Happens. Apply by EOD May 31.

CBC Calgary is hiring a permanent, full-time associate producer for The Calgary Eyeopener. Apply by EOD June 15.

CBC Sports is hiring a full-time digital writer for a contract that runs until March 2023. Apply by EOD May 30. 

CBC Sports is also hiring two full-time editors for a contract that runs until March 2023. Apply by EOD May 30.

To round out the CBC Sports hiring, they’re also looking for a full-time digital associate producer for that same contract length, until March 2023. Apply by EOD May 30.

CBC Radio is hiring a permanent, part-time associate producer for The Debaters. Apply by EOD May 30.

If you or someone you know lives in London (the one not in Ontario), you can apply for the Creativity Works free 6-week podcasting training! Eligibility is limited to people between the ages of 18 and 24 who are not currently working or in school full-time.

Pandemic University has a few free lectures coming up. 

On Wednesday June 1 at 1:15 p.m. EDT, Omar Mouallem is deconstructing the pitch and demystifying how to sell any story, anywhere. 

Later that afternoon, at 4 p.m. EDT, Zahra Noorbakhsh will give a talk on comedy writing for fiction and nonfiction. 

Then, at 1 p.m. EDT on Thursday, June 2, Sadiya Ansari is doing a crash course in the art of the interview. Anyone up for a lunch and learn?

The second season of Stolen premiered earlier this month, and this time, journalist Connie Walker has turned the microphone to her own family. Stolen: Surviving St. Michael’s tells the story of Walker’s father’s experience at a residential school in Saskatchewan. Having Walker tell the story of her family brings to life the complex themes of intergenerational trauma and healing. She’s a captivating and sensitive storyteller. Three episodes have been released so far, and new ones come out on Tuesdays. 

We want to hear from you! What are you looking for in your podcast news? Let us know on Twitter, Instagram, or by email at info@vocalfrystudios.com.

Thanks to Emily Latimer for editing this newsletter, and to Katie Jensen for designing it. We’ll see you again on May 3. Until then, here’s an update from Emily's three kittens. 

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