“We often talk about history as something we study at school, but we are living the moments we’ll be asked about by the future generations.”
Jennifer Hollett became executive director of The Walrus in April 2020 at a pivotal moment, as the organization’s offices were shut down and all in-person events cancelled.
“I haven’t had the opportunity to meet the full team in person and from day one was navigating some of the big questions of the pandemic,” she says.
“I’m really proud of the work we're doing right now, from journalism to fact-checking to online convening. It’s a reminder of how important and essential journalism is, especially in a global crisis,” she says.
Whether as a MuchMusic VJ, as Sony Music Canada’s youngest manager ever during the digital music revolution of the late ’90s, or as head of news partnerships at Twitter Canada, Hollett has enthusiastically embraced the latest communication channels.
Concordia’s influence on her career
“I got a job straight out of school creating online content for artists like Céline Dion, Leonard Cohen and Our Lady Peace. That came from the extracurricular activities at Concordia and wouldn’t have been possible otherwise.”
Why journalism is more important than ever
“In times of great uncertainty, people look to the media for answers, and people trust The Walrus for our independent, long-form journalism.”
Adapting The Walrus Talks
“We normally bring people together for events in person. We had to move to online, but were still able to create a community through The Walrus Talks at Home, which we worked on very closely with Concordia.”
Reflections on the role of journalism
“I think it’s important that we pause and look around to capture the moment. I always remind myself that we often talk about history as something we study at school, but we are living the moments we’ll be asked about by the future generations.”
Concordia professors for the real world
“In my specialization of journalism and communications, our profs were in the field. They were working at the Montreal Gazette, they were in punk rock bands, and they worked in the advertising industry. They were the real deal.”