Rodrigues realized that the editors were “clueless” about Times of India being among the top 10 English newspapers in the world. He said coming from a country where English is not the first language, “they just assume I don’t have fluency in English”
“I pitched stories to many newspapers in mainstream media, but they never got back to me,” said Pradip Rodrigues, who worked as a journalist for over a decade with the English newspaper Times of India before he arrived in Canada in 2000. But questions about his English writing abilities came up when he shared work samples with editors. “They asked me if I have translated these stories,” he said, reported canadianimmigrant.
It was then that Rodrigues realized that the editors were “clueless” about Times of India being among the top 10 English newspapers in the world. He said that coming from a country where English is not the first language, “they just assume I don’t have fluency in English”.
Rodrigues took a job in the insurance sector, but his love for journalism never died. He found a job with an ethnic newspaper in 2012 and continues to take on other freelance opportunities. However, despite all his efforts, Rodrigues said he experienced the “imposter syndrome”, a feeling that he’s not fit for the industry.
As the diversity of Canada grows, these studies are a wakeup call for mainstream media to incorporate the unique perspectives and experiences of new Canadian media professionals
Rodgrigues’ story is not new. In fact, a study released in 2022 by the New Canadian Media (NCM) Collective on the socioeconomic conditions of first-generation immigrant and refugee journalists found that while many immigrants come with years of experience in the media from their home countries, and quite a few have gained international recognition, most have struggled to break into the Canadian media industry.
The report, “Breaking into the Canadian media industry: economic and social barriers for first-generation immigrant and refugee journalists,” said that less than one-third of immigrant and refugee journalists work in the Canadian media industry. And over one-half of these journalists make less than $40,000 a year. The study also found that only two out of five immigrant and refugee journalists work as freelancers in the media industry or other “gig” economy sectors.
Another survey released in 2021 by the Canadian Association of Journalists (CAJ) found that white journalists tend to hold more senior positions – with 82 per cent in supervisor roles and 80 percent in top three leadership positions. In addition, 90 per cent of outlets that participated in the study have no Latin, Middle Eastern or Mixed-Race journalists on staff.
As the diversity of Canada grows, these studies are a wakeup call for mainstream media to incorporate the unique perspectives and experiences of new Canadian media professionals.
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