By Mary Giles
Matthew Pearson is an award-winning journalist and a graduate of FPA’s Master of Journalism program. Pearson has worked as a journalist with the Ottawa Citizen, the Times Colonist in Victoria, B.C., as well as CBC Radio as an associate producer for Ottawa Morning and The House.
Before joining Carleton full-time this year, Pearson developed a journalism pedagogy to teach students how to cover traumatic incidents and report on people who have experienced trauma. Through the Michener-Deacon Fellow for Journalism Education, Pearson presented and led workshops at conferences, journalism schools and newsrooms across Canada. He received an award for this work from the International Society of Traumatic Stress Studies in 2018.
Matthew on the first day of teaching from home. Photo courtesy of Matthew Pearson.
Pearson is currently teaching a graduate seminar on the role of journalism in a democratic society, as well as undergraduate courses that explore the role of innovators, activists and imposters in the social space held by traditional journalism, and nurture skills and techniques for reporting in-depth.
“My primary research interest is trauma-informed journalism, which entails a contemporary understanding of trauma, the risks of exposure faced by journalists and the importance of mental-health support and self-care resources for journalists who are affected by reporting on traumatic incidents or interacting with survivors of trauma,” he says.
“My secondary research interests include digital and media literacy and the evolution of the mainstream media’s coverage of the 2SLGBTQ+ communities in Canada.”
Beyond teaching and researching at Carleton, Pearson says he is an avid runner, cyclist, lake-swimmer and cross-country skier who enjoys exploring the incredible natural bounty of the National Capital Region.
Tuesday, October 27, 2020 in Faculty, FPA Voices
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