In an era of remote work, particularly for writers and journalists, Laura Ieraci says the "newsroom experience" is markedly beneficial for those learning how to report.
At this year's Canadian Catholic News' "God in the City: Catholic Journalism Summer Seminar," taking place Aug. 9–15 in Toronto, the students are given just that opportunity.
A newsroom lets students learn "how we really learn from each other and build off each other's ideas and resourcefulness and creativity to help each other along and really get the best stories that we can," Ieraci said.
A veteran Catholic journalist with more than two decades of experience, Ieraci serves as the founding coordinator of the intensive one-week seminar, which launched in 2025.
The program grew out of online classes starting in 2023. A group of students and instructors in that program met at a bar one night where one student remarked: "Wouldn't it be great if we could have classes like this in person?"
"That's where we decided we would try to do that," Ieraci said.
The weeklong course is held in the largest city in Canada. "The reason we call it 'God in the City' is because the participants have to go out in the city and find stories on the Church, or a Church organization, or a Church apostolate, or some issue of importance to the Church, and bring those stories back and report on them," Ieraci said.
Most of the students in the program are "not local to Toronto," she said, and "some of them are a little nervous about being in a foreign city." Facilitators in the program help students navigate both the city and the newswriting process.
"The instructors will accompany the students in finding sources," she said. "If they run into any snags with their stories, we'll help them adjust, pivot, course-correct, find other sources, and work alongside them."
Some of the students in the course are just starting out in journalism, but others "aren't necessarily novices," Ieraci said.
"Some just want that extra formation, that extra knowledge," she said. "Perhaps they've come into journalism from another discipline and they have to navigate it by themselves. Perhaps they've studied it but haven't worked in journalism for a long time and just want to freshen up their skills."
'A dream I've had for a long time'
Among past participants in the program is Charlotte Taillon, an Edmonton, Alberta, resident who previously took a webinar with Canadian Catholic News.
"When I first saw the flyer for the summer intensive I was about 20 weeks pregnant with my sixth daughter and thought there was no way," she told EWTN News.
"But about a month and half before the summer intensive, Laura reached out to me to see if I was interested," she continued. "I kept trying to talk myself out of it, but the opportunity just wouldn't leave me alone. I was surprised how supportive my husband had been as well."
Currently a communications professional, Taillon said the seminar was her "first experience in the world of journalism," a vocation she said she's always aspired to pursue.
She described the experience as "very informative" and one that gave her "the confidence to pursue a dream I've had for a long time."
Upon arriving in Toronto, "they immediately put us to work finding a story, and it was intimidating at first but there was always someone ready to answer a question or encourage us," she said.
"That support made all the difference. Even at 34 weeks pregnant I was able to get a story on the streets of Toronto" even in near-90-degree heat, she said.
She described the group of journalists as "very supportive and encouraging" and has remained in touch with them via a group chat. "We came from different backgrounds, but we all shared a passion for telling stories that matter," she said.
Taillon said she will pursue journalism further after returning from maternity leave. Reflecting on how she happened to join the seminar, she said: "Looking back, I think God was gently reminding me that he has bigger plans for me."
'The basics'
Ieraci said part of the course involves teaching "a sense of the basics" to those considering journalism.
"We teach them the mental skills for journalism — making sure they have a basic skill set, how to write a news story, how to do interviews, along with the ethics of journalism," she said.
The seminar does not include an explicit faith formation component, she said, but "we encourage people to be formed in their faith and practice it. We have daily Mass, daily prayer, reflection, a chapel on-site."
Students have reported that they "get a lot out of it," Ieraci said.
"One of them said, 'Now I know I don't want to be a journalist,'" she said with a laugh. "Another said it was instrumental in helping him get his current job."
The program does not function as a "job-placement agency," she noted, but "we're happy to help our students navigate possible job opportunities."
Above all, the program helps prospective journalists to consider the craft "from a Catholic point of view."
"How will you interview someone as a Catholic journalist?" she said. "What kind of questions might you ask in that context of a faith-based reporter?"
"Because that's what we're doing," she said. "We're doing faith-based reporting, and our particular faith is Catholic."
Application deadline for this year's summer seminar is July 10. For more information visit here.
