RIIC transcends the typical university experience. It propels Carleton University’s School of Journalism and Communications students beyond classroom walls, immersing them in local Indigenous communities for months of relationship-building and connection-making. During this time, students create multimedia stories that highlight these communities, but the partnerships endure long after the final edits. Some of these stories are also part of the ‘Indigenous Enterprises’ series published by our mainstream media partner, the Globe and Mail.

There have been too many instances where journalists report on an Indigenous community and vanish once their story is finished. This hinders the potential for ongoing collaboration, trust-building, and a deeper understanding of the community’s complexities. RIIC shows students that sustainable relationships are crucial for ethical journalism that respects the dignity and autonomy of Indigenous communities. RIIC is led by Duncan McCue, an award-winning journalist and a frontrunner for developing curriculum on Indigenous issues in universities.