{"id":199580,"date":"2021-04-27T14:49:03","date_gmt":"2021-04-27T18:49:03","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/xtramagazine.com\/?page_id=199580"},"modified":"2025-11-20T10:15:02","modified_gmt":"2025-11-20T15:15:02","slug":"ken-popert-media-fellowship","status":"publish","type":"page","link":"https:\/\/xtramagazine.com\/ken-popert-media-fellowship","title":{"rendered":"Ken Popert Media Fellowship"},"content":{"rendered":"\n

The Ken Popert Media Fellowship program was developed to fund innovative journalism projects that bring new voices to Xtra <\/em>and provide an opportunity for journalists to learn about LGBTQ2S+ media and audience engagement.<\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n\n

The Ken Popert Fellowship was established in 2021 by Pink Triangle Press, which publishes Xtra Magazine<\/em>, on the eve of its 50th anniversary. The fellowship honours the legacy of former executive director Ken Popert, who retired in 2017. The fellowship provides resources and support for journalists to create and publish unique and powerful LGBTQ2S+ stories.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

The fellowship is open to people at any stage in their journalism career. \u201cWe established the fellowship as a commitment to making space for new voices and groundbreaking projects,\u201d said Pink Triangle Press executive director David Walberg. \u201cThe fellowship helps ensure that Xtra <\/em>continues to broaden our audiences and connect our diverse communities.\u201d <\/p>\n\n\n\n

The journalism projects funded by this fellowship can take many different shapes\u2014from single features to investigative series; from visual documentaries to audio stories.  <\/p>\n\n\n\n

To view all content produced under the Ken Popert Fellowship, click here<\/a><\/p>\n\n\n\n

2025 fellowship<\/h2>\n\n\n\n

This year, <\/strong>we\u2019ve brought five early-career BIPOC journalists <\/a>on board as part of a paid mentorship program that will include producing a series about LGBTQ2S+ people at work. <\/p>\n\n\n\n

Candidates were selected in October and November. Each person will be paid $1,000: That’s $500 for participation and another $500 for published work. <\/p>\n\n\n\n

About this year’s project <\/h3>\n\n\n\n

The world of work feels broken. Young people are struggling with poverty, precarious work, poor working conditions and burnout. For LGBTQ2S+ people, these issues have a particularly sharp flavour: nearly half<\/a> of trans people report workplace harassment, bisexual women face an enormous wage gap<\/a> and workplace policies often don\u2019t recognize queer identities or families.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

But there\u2019s a long history of queer and trans people taking fights for fairness and equality into our workplaces\u2013and winning. Work is where we make ends meet; where we spend the majority of our waking weekday hours; the avenue through which many of us try to improve the world.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

The five mentees chosen for the program will work as a team to plan an editorial package, pitch story ideas and produce content. Each mentee will write one article that will be published on Xtra\u2019s <\/em>website as well as contribute to multimedia content associated with the chosen topic.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Xtra<\/em> is a non-profit online magazine and community platform covering LGBTQ2S+ culture, politics, relationships and health. For more info about our mission, read our principles<\/a>.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

About the mentorship<\/strong><\/h3>\n\n\n\n

Mentees will work with guest editor Saima Desai<\/a>. They will also have opportunities for training and networking with Xtra<\/em>\u2019s editorial staff and other journalists and journalism organizations. <\/p>\n\n\n\n

Mentees can expect to spend roughly five hours per week on the program from late October to late December 2025. This will include meetings with the group of mentees, with Saima, and with other Xtra<\/em> staff; researching, pitching, and writing your article; collaborating with Xtra<\/em>\u2019s multimedia team on other content to accompany your article; and other potential training and networking opportunities.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Saima is an editor, writer and indie media diehard. She’s written for The Breach, THIS Magazine, NOW Toronto, <\/em>and The Tyee<\/em>. She’s a senior editor at The Grind<\/em><\/a> <\/em>and The Breach<\/em><\/a>;<\/em> sits on the editorial collective of Between The Lines Books<\/a>; and was previously the editor of Briarpatch Magazine<\/em><\/a>, where she won Issue Grand Prix at the 2022 National Magazine Awards for Briarpatch<\/em>‘s Land Back issue<\/a>. At Briarpatch<\/em>, she edited the magazine\u2019s annual Labour Issue and mentored young BIPOC writers and editors. <\/p>\n\n\n\n

How to apply<\/h3>\n\n\n\n

Send the following to saima.desai@xtramagazine.com<\/a> by October 27:<\/p>\n\n\n\n