The Globe and Mail has renewed for another five years a unique mentorship program for Indigenous and Racialized journalism students at Carleton University. The program was launched in 2020 and allows two students per year to spend extended periods in the Globe and Mail’s Ottawa bureau.
With the program extended until 2030, journalism students Sarah J. Harb and Alexa MacKie have been chosen for the 2025-26 Globe and Mail Ottawa Bureau/Carleton University Mentorship Program for Indigenous and Racialized Journalism Students.
Master of Journalism student Sarah Harb
Harb and MacKie were selected by the journalism program’s Permanent Working Group for Anti-Racism & Inclusion (PWG) to join the Globe’s Ottawa bureau, where they’ll work alongside reporters and editors covering parliamentary affairs. The PWG is a faculty-led committee focused on broader commitment to equity and inclusion.
The Globe and Mail mentorship program was developed through a partnership with the School to provide students with hands-on, paid experience in one of Canada’s major newsrooms. Mentees participate in daily news meetings, cover events, and learn to navigate essential reporting tools including the access to information system, lobbyist registry, spending reports and the courts.
Harb is a Master of Journalism student who brings a diasporic lens and familiarity with Arabic-language media to her work. She focuses on political and investigative reporting that examines how power operates through language, institutions, and public policy.
Bachelor of Journalism student Alexa MacKie
MacKie is a fourth-year journalism and law student at Carleton and Arts Editor at The Charlatan. She has interned with the Ottawa Citizen, CBC Montreal, and other outlets. Raised in Ottawa as an adoptee from China, she focuses on community-based stories with intersectional perspectives.
“We are thrilled to see Sarah and Alexa join this program,” said Nana aba Duncan, Chair of the PWG and the journalism program’s Carty Chair in Journalism, Diversity and Inclusion Studies. “The mentorship is part of the School’s commitment to create pathways for Indigenous and racialized students in journalism, to help make sure Canadian newsrooms better reflect the communities they serve.”
Renewed commitment
Ottawa bureau chief Bob Fife says the mentorship program is mutually beneficial. “It’s richly rewarding, and not a one-way street,” he said. “We learn from the students as well, which helps shape our journalism. Our goal is to get the students writing and reporting so they have strong resumes for future employers. In doing so, we are changing the makeup of the country’s newsrooms to be more reflective of the country.”
The students will begin their mentorship immediately, working one day per week with the bureau. They’ll have opportunities to assist Globe journalists with reporting assignments and develop their own work for consideration and potential publication.
Harb and MacKie follow last year’s mentees, Ijeoma Ukazu and Abyssinia Abebe.
Friday, January 16, 2026 in General, Journalism News, News
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