Sharing their stories and photos with the power of journalism
Richard Young
Photos and Story By Paula Carlson
Originally published in Megaphone Magazine, an INSP member publication
Two Megaphone vendors — Eva Takakenew and Richard Young — are taking a journalism course at Langara College this autumn as part of an ongoing scholarship program.
The initiative provides basic journalism training to people marginalized by poverty and other life circumstances so they can become more empowered to tell their own stories, as well as report on their communities more effectively.
Partnering with the journalism department at Langara College, Megaphone launched a pilot project in 2021, which saw two initial peers, Nicolas Crier, and Julie Chapman, attend the Fundamentals of Reporting course at Langara.
The project was a huge success; Langara and Megaphone now fund an annual scholarship called the Megaphone and Read Mercer Entrance Award, which helps those on low incomes with barriers to education to receive this training.
In 2022, Yvonne Mark and Mike McNeeley attended. In 2023, Priscillia Mays Tait and Richard Young won the scholarship, though Richard had to postpone his attendance until this year. Priscillia also went on to take the Radio Storytelling and Podcasting course at Langara following her completion of Fundamentals of Reporting.
Throughout the three-month class that starts each September, Megaphone provides wrap-around support for scholarship winners. The opportunity includes access to all on-campus resources; one-on-one time with the instructor; access to a mentor-editor; and a generous stipend.
Once trained, the vendor-reporters become a part of the Megaphone pool of freelance journalists and photographers taking on paid reporting assignments. They also act as mentors to the next up-and-coming reporters.
Eve Takakenew
“I am an Indigenous woman who has many life experiences around drug and alcohol addiction and surviving the streets of Vancouver,” says Eva Takakenew.
“I’ve been affected by the Sixties Scoop legacy, although my experience being adopted by a non-Indigenous family isn’t a bad story. My mom and I are best friends and have gone through so much together and we always manage to come out the other side stronger.
“I am more than my traumatic beginning. I am a strong, independent, and creative woman. I enjoy painting, drawing, photography, and writing as ways to express myself.
“I have drafted numerous articles for Megaphone. I did a painting for the Heart of the City Festival and was involved with First Nations Health Authority’s harm reduction campaign in 2021.
“This past year, I won the month of June in Megaphone’s [2024] Hope in Shadows calendar with my picture of a beautiful sunset, and then worked as a peer photographer for Megaphone’s literary anthology book, Voices of the Street: Bread Roses and Safe Supply.
“I have been involved with an Indigenous Women’s Speaker’s Bureau, speaking to healthcare professionals at Vancouver General Hospital and St. Paul’s Hospital about the stigma placed on Indigenous Peoples.
“I have a passion for changing the way that Indigenous Peoples are treated by society – only thought of as alcoholics or addicts – and the stigmatization that goes with it.
“I wanted to be a part of this course as I believe it will take me to the next level of journalism and help me to overcome my shyness about interviewing people or pitching story ideas that I believe are meaningful.
“I believe that this course will teach me how to properly go about reporting stories and gaining the trust of the storyteller while reporting with compassion empathy and understanding and not re-traumatizing them.
“I want to be able to be the best journalist I can be and taking this course will help with that, along with the staff at Megaphone, who often see something in me that I don’t. “
“I am currently a member of Megaphone’s The Shift peer newsroom,” says Young.
“I started out as a homeless vendor a few years back, and because of my lived experience with homelessness and drug use, I was asked if I would like to attend a class with the Speakers Bureau for training to speak at public events — where we could share our experiences about the stigma and misconceptions involving mental health and substance use.
“After completing this training, I spoke and shared my story at several events over the past few years, including Kwantlen Polytechnic University, the University of British Colombia, and a Simon Fraser University conference on mental health and substance use services.
“During my time with Megaphone, I soon developed an interest in writing and journalism. Although I didn’t have any formal training, I have had several stories published, including a cover story for the May 2023 magazine.
“I gained some experience in investigative journalism, conducting street interviews and research for my articles. My research is thorough, and I make sure that my facts are correct so that my story is written honestly and in an unbiased manner.
“I truly believe that some formal training in journalism will be greatly beneficial to me and to our magazine.”
Courtesy of Megaphone / INSP.ngo