ABOUT THE CHANGING NARRATIVES FUND – LOCAL JOURNALISM INITIATIVE STREAM

The Changing Narratives Fund (CNF) is a distinct stream under the Local Journalism Initiative (LJI) that seeks to cultivate a media landscape that authentically reflects the diversity of Canada’s peoples, experiences, and cultures.

The CNF-LJI stream will provide funding to eligible Canadian media organizations to hire Indigenous Peoples, Black, racialized, ethno-religious minorities, persons with disabilities, and members of the 2SLGBTQIA+ communities as journalists to produce civic journalism for underserved communities.

These organizations will offer mentoring, training, and professional development activities to increase their participation in the media sector at all career stages.

Find more details in the program guidelines below.

Changing Narratives Fund – Update on Application Round (March 16, 2026)
Following valuable input from applicants and sector stakeholders, an internal review, and thorough, collaborative consultation with our Strategic Advisory Committee, we have informed applying media organizations of important changes to the assessment and data collection processes as part of the 2025-2027 Changing Narratives Fund cycle. These changes were done to ensure the Changing Narratives Fund stream of the Local Journalism Initiative remains fully aligned with its program guidelines and better reflects the needs of the communities it serves.

Strategic Advisory Committee
The Strategic Advisory Committee serves as a primary consultative body for the Community Media Coalition, represented by the Community Radio Fund of Canada, in the delivery of the Local Journalism Initiative (LJI) and Changing Narratives Fund (CNF) stream. This consultation ensures that the diverse perspectives and specific needs of the target communities served by the LJI and CNF are prioritized and integrated at every stage of program delivery.

Composed of experienced media and communications professionals as well as academics, the committee provides expert consultation to align initiatives with the unique realities of Indigenous (First Nations, Métis, Inuit), Black, racialized, ethnocultural, official language minority, and ethnoreligious communities, as well as persons with disabilities and 2SLGBTQIA+ communities. The committee provides ongoing guidance on program design and industry outreach while contributing their expertise to the assessment and allocation process.

Strategic Advisory Committee Members

George Abraham (Ottawa, ON) – Founding publisher of New Canadian Media, a platform that proudly sits at the intersection of “mainstream” and “ethnic” media

Kaylen Belair (Saint Laurent, MB) – Métis producer in Indigenous radio since 2019, programmer for SiriusXM The Indigiverse, Indigenous Music Countdown, Turtle Island Talks 

Brian Daly (Halifax, NS) – Bio to come

Kwende Kefentse (Ottawa, ON) – Bio to come

Hafsa Maqsood (Calgary, AB) – PhD Candidate in Communications and Media researching diasporic anti-colonial resistance and civilian journalism on social media, freelance journalist specializing in DEI and international reporting

Ossie Michelin (Montréal, QC) – Freelance Journalist and Editor 

Dr. Sathya Rao (he/him/il) (Edmonton, AB) – Professor, Dept of Modern Languages and Cultural Studies, University of Alberta 

Julie Sobowale (Toronto, ON) – Bio to come

Ashley Wadhwani-Smith (Maple Ridge, BC) – Bio to come

Stephanie Watterson (Victoria, BC) – Published children’s book author, DEI & BIPOC specialist, communications and publishing professional specializing in neurodiverse writing

Mel Woods (Vancouver, BC) – Senior Editor, Xtra Magazine

Kim Wheeler (Winnipeg, MB) – Bio to come

PROGRAM
DOCUMENTS

CNF-LJI 2025-2027 Program Guidelines
CNF-LJI 2025-2027 Application Form
CNF-LJI 2025-2027 Media Organization Form
CNF-LJI 2025-2027 Self-Identification Form

ASSESSMENT AND
SELECTION PROCESS

CNF-LJI 2025-2027 Assessment and Selection Process

Comments? Questions?

We welcome applications from eligible media organizations, but we anticipate that demand for funding will exceed our allocation. If you have questions regarding the decision on your application, please book a meeting with Program Officer Francella Fiallos. If you are not satisfied with the decision on your application, complaints can be filed with the CRFC via the procedure outlined in the CRFC’s Appeal Policy.

If you have any feedback, questions, or comments on our news distribution portals Frequency or Fréquence, please email francella@crfc-fcrc.ca. You will receive a confirmation that the complaint has been received and we will work with you to resolve your concerns. Should you not be satisfied with the proposed resolution, you may escalate your concern to our Executive Director Alex Freedman, who can be reached at alex@crfc-fcrc.ca.