Inside The Globe and Mail Foundation: Spring 2026 updates

Hi again Subscriber First Name,

Spring has sprung, and I hope you are enjoying the warmer temps. I am thrilled to share a few good news stories with you.

The Globe and Mail Foundation is well into its first year of operation. We officially became a charity in December 2024, and fall 2025 marked the beginning of our activities. We’ve been busy working with funders and service providers on programming to protect and promote excellence in journalism.

This past week, I returned from the International Journalism Festival in Perugia. The festival started in a back yard two decades ago, and has evolved into an annual gathering of hundreds of journalists from across the world. Many topics were discussed. Recurring themes included AI (which permeated almost every discussion), as well as new forms of censorship, and the physical and psychological well-being of media professionals.

For me, the through line was that to be a journalist today is to be an activist in ways previously unimagined. The safety and security issues reporters are dealing with are profound – from drones that can detect the word PRESS on vests, to the bullying and harassment of investigative reporters on the streets where they live. These threats are not only for those working or reporting in conflict zones. They are now in places that were once considered benign in terms of freedom to operate.  

I also heard about the new softer forms of censorship rife within the media sector. Think of journalists choosing to self-censor for fear of reprisal, or billionaire media owners directing editors what not to write.  I heard about a survey which revealed that the majority of respondents view journalists as traitors. All of this is now worryingly commonplace.  

Some discussions highlighted a growing awareness of mental health needs and challenges in the sector. Panelists mentioned that, if we can’t protect our reporters from burnout, the quality and availability of trusted journalism will continue to decline. Within an already shrinking media landscape, acting on this is critical to the future of quality information, and its availability to the public. 

One thing remained clear: There is an international community of newsroom leaders and journalists who are resolute in their determination to ensure that the public has access to the facts – and who know that quality journalism and public media literacy is just as critical to society as healthcare, schools, and infrastructure, and will work relentlessly to protect it.

I am proud to lead The Globe and Mail Foundation in pursuit of a strong future for journalism, and for public access to the reporting that everyone deserves. With that, below are a few updates on our work over the last few months, and a look to the future. Don’t hesitate to reach out to me at laura@globeandmailfoundation.com with any thoughts, questions, or ideas. For more frequent updates you can also follow our work on Instagram, and LinkedIn.

Enjoy the weekend ahead.

Laura Lavie
Executive Director
The Globe and Mail Foundation

Editing Democracy
March 11, 2026, Toronto

We held our first public event last month at The Globe and Mail Centre in Toronto. Media leaders and experts from The Guardian, Reuters, The Local, and Vector Institute came together to discuss the forces shaping their newsrooms, from the torrent of digital misinformation to lightning-speed advances in AI, and the many more challenges they face to retain public trust in the age of disinformation.

Our public event series is entitled Editing Democracy. The inagural event in the series was generously sponsored by the Canadian Medical Association (CMA), who saw this conversation as a critical moment to address misinformation, fuelled by AI, as one of the most immediate threats to public health and democracy at large. It is through partnerships like these that we can continue to keep such important discussions within the public realm and help spur action. A huge thanks to CMA and to all those who took part. Visit our event page to enjoy the recording, or read a snapshot of the conversation in our media release.

Safety Training for Journalists in Ukraine

Now in its fifth year, the Russian invasion of Ukraine is seen by many to be an assault on democracy at large.  In fall 2025, The Globe and Mail Foundation designed a program offering anti-drone safety, critical first-aid training, and an international conflict reporting session for Ukrainian media professionals covering the war. This past week, a one-day refresher course was held for those who had taken part in our December and January training sessions. 

Since December, The Globe and Mail Foundation has put 66 Ukrainian reporters through intensive, scenario-based safety training so that they can continue to work safely and effectively, bringing real-time information to citizens at home as well as those abroad. This program was one of the first in the region to offer dedicated anti-drone safety training for journalists, including drone recognition and personal safety tactics. You can read more in our media release here. A huge thanks to Globe senior international correspondent Mark MacKinnon, and our expert local service provider, 2402 Foundation.

Thanks to additional funding, we will be offering another round of specialized training modules for Ukrainian reporters in June 2026. This will include psychological first-aid training, OSINT (Open Source Intelligence) sessions, anti-drone safety workshops, and more. We hope to roll out additional programming beyond June, with a focus on offering continued psychological support for journalists in conflict zones, as well as safety awareness and training contextualized to today’s threats.

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Photojournalism in Canada

When The Globe and Mail Foundation launched, the board of directors agreed that photojournalism training should be an important area of focus. The reason for this was simple: There are few if not none other organizations specifically dedicated to building and nurturing a pipeline of photojournalism talent in Canada. Due to funding constraints, a number of institutions have reduced their documentary photography program offerings over recent years. And yet, photography and visual storytelling remain one of the most compelling ways of communicating important stories to the public. It’s what many of us remember best from the world’s most cutting headlines, and it often has the power to change minds, and help others - literally - see things differently.

At the beginning of May, The Globe Photojournalism Summit will bring together more than 50 documentary photographers from across Canada, at various stages of their careers, for an intensive, educational weekend of panel discussions, workshops, keynote talks, and professional networking. A number of the sessions will address reporter burnout and vicarious trauma, AI and image verification, personal safety while on assignment, and much more. 

We are also delighted to announce a new call for applications for a 12-week course for emerging photojournalists in British Columbia. The opportunity includes a modest stipend for participants as well as one-on-one mentorship for self-identifying Indigenous students. For more information visit our webpage, and feel free to share the call for applications on our Instagram and LinkedIn.

Photo E(a)st and International Day of Press Freedom

The Globe and Mail Foundation is thrilled to be able play a small part in supporting two endeavours by Canadian storytellers with incredible visions in different parts of the country: Photojournalist Chris Donovan and Catherine Arsenault, both from New Brunswick, are mounting the third annual Photo E(a)st Festival from May 29 to 31 in New Brunswick, showcasing the newest work from documentary photographers and storytellers in Atlantic Canada. Visit photoeast.ca for more information.

Soraya Amiri and Najib Asil, founders of Canada’s Free Speech Centre, are holding a special event on May 11 to commemorate World Press Freedom Day 2026, and to highlight the work of journalists in exile from around the world. Both Soraya and Najib worked for leading newsrooms in Kabul, until 2022 when they were forced to flee, subsequently arriving in Canada to rebuild their lives. For more information or for tickets, click here. You can read some of Soraya’s reporting in The Walrus, as she continues to shed light on the current situation of Afghanistan for a Canadian and international audience, including the Afghan diaspora. The Globe and Mail Foundation is happy to support this event with a modest contribution.

Help us continue this work

We have been able to accomplish our work so far thanks to generous donations from John and Nancy Kelleher, Temerty Foundation, the Sheelagh, Frank, & Helen Creaghan Fund, Dr. Eric Jackman, the City of Toronto, the Al Roadburg Foundation, and others. If you like what we are doing, please make a donation to help further our mission to protect and promote excellence in journalism. The future of trusted reporting is critical to a thriving democracy, and both are increasingly at risk. With your support, we can go one step further to help change course.

Thank you. Until next time.