Travers Fellowship goes to Wendy Gillis of the Toronto Star

By Jena Lynde-Smith

Being a fundamentally good person and never losing the passion or drive to seek what’s right.

These are qualities possessed by the late Jim Travers that Wendy Gillis, crime reporter for the Toronto Star, said she hopes to exemplify as this year’s R. James Travers fellow.

Gillis was announced as the winner of the 2020 Travers Fellowship at an event on Jan. 9. Joan Travers, spouse of Jim Travers, shared insights into what made him a great journalist.

“Never taking his talents for granted, Jim imposed very high standards on his work. Honesty, balance, and integrity were a must,” she said. “These qualities still define first-class journalism and today are more important than ever.

“I think it’s clear to everyone who has been following Wendy’s work at the Toronto Star that she embodies all of this, too. Few people have covered crime and policing with as much insight and commitment.”

Jim Travers spent nearly 40 of his 62 years as a journalist. A reputable reporter and foreign correspondent, he was a national columnist at the Toronto Star at the time of his death. The fellowship was established to commemorate his career and ideals. He believed Canadians deserve first-hand, in-depth coverage of important stories outside their borders.

“There is no finer way to honor Jim’s career,” said Joan Travers. “He would be so proud of the opportunity this fellowship provides for journalist to do vital work they might not be able to do otherwise.”

Gillis will use the $25,000 fellowship to explore the innovative ways cities in the United Kingdom and the United States are tackling violent crime. No stranger to reporting abroad, she has travelled many places in her career as a journalist including Tunisia and Brussels. But this time is different. She said she feels extremely fortunate to have the resources she needs to dive deeply into an issue close to her heart.

“I have been in journalism for 10 years,” she said. “I’ve never worked in the golden days of journalism. So it’s kind of hard for me to even conceive of the potential that I now have… with resources to go and do the kind of project I’ve dreamed of doing for several years now.

“I think I will look back on this year 30 years from now, 50 years from now, as ‘what an incredible golden ticket I was given.’”

Gillis said she was drawn to issues surrounding justice early in her career and realized that Canadians aren’t looking at the real causes of violent crime in this country. She said that violence has risen in Canada over the last decade and millions of dollars have been poured into policing. This has resulted in short term fixes, but has failed to address the reasons people commit crime in the first place.

“Other cities have tackled this problem differently. They’ve not only relied on police, but they have taken a public health approach by treating crime as an illness that can be intercepted and prevented, not just treated after the fact,” she said.

Gillis said she is eager to now not only look at causes but to explore solutions as well.

“I have a vision of a series that really exposes exciting work that’s being done in other places and makes it very clear would apply here,” she said. “What’s clear in Jim Travers’ work is that he had an incredible knack for covering international events and making them relevant to Canadians. He had a strong sense of fairness and a belief in democratic institutions. I hope my work will touch on all these aspects by highlighting solutions to violent crime from abroad, and showcasing ways our crime policy – and government institutions – might become more just.”

Intending to let her initial investigative research largely dictate her stories, Gillis will map out her reporting plan after attending the fourteenth United Nations Crime Congress in Kyoto, Japan, in April.

See work from Wendy Gillis here.

Wednesday, January 15, 2020 in Journalism News
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