Two talented journalists are joining the Investigative Journalism Bureau this summer as part of an annual internship to develop the next generation of investigative reporters in Canada.
Stacey Kuznetsova and Jenna Olsen will spend four months working on public-interest investigations with the guidance of IJB staff. The pair shone as top contenders for this year’s fiercely competitive IJB/Unifor Investigative Summer Internship program. The initiative is funded by Unifor, Canada’s largest private-sector union.
Kuznetsova, a fourth-year documentary student at York University, has already interned part-time with the IJB as part of an independent study.
“I came to Canada to become a journalist and documentary filmmaker that could unearth truths and bring them to the public, so that we can make informed decisions about our future,” says Kuznetsova. “At the Investigative Journalism Bureau, I finally have the tools and the support to tell complex, layered stories for the public interest.”
Kuznetsova has gained considerable experience serving as news editor at Excalibur Publications, York University’s community newspaper. There, she held the university administration accountable, digging deeper to bring to light the dangerous maintenance underspending, the urgent need for better gender-affirming care facilities, and the broken name change system, which continues to put 2SLGBTQIA+ students through the wringer despite being deemed obsolete in 2019.
“I am excited to learn from award winning reporters who have challenged some of the most powerful Canadian bodies and created legislative change with their in-depth reporting,” she says.
Olsen, whose enthusiasm and drive made her stand out, says she is “honoured to be a part of such a rare and important organization.”
She is completing her third year as a journalism major at the University of King’s College in Halifax, Nova Scotia, while working as news editor for the Dalhousie Gazette. Olsen previously reported on funding cuts to Halifax Public Libraries, the local March for murdered and missing Indigenous women, and more.
“I am excited to work with a team of journalists and experts to ask the hard-hitting questions today to shape the policies of tomorrow,” she says.
A history of supporting Canadian journalism
This is the fifth year that Unifor has sponsored the IJB’s summer internship program.
The program has already helped eight early-career journalists hone their investigative reporting skills. It is among the best-paid summer journalism internships in the country, with each intern receiving a $13,000 compensation.
“Unifor is proud to support the summer internship program at the Investigative Journalism Bureau at University of Toronto to pump new talent into the news industry, which desperately needs the resources and investment it deserves,” said Unifor National President Lana Payne.
“Since 2020, our union has been pleased to support, grow and nurture the next generation of reporters, committed to quality, fact-based journalism, delivered to communities – big or small. And given today’s climate – this and truth have never been more important than they are today!”
Unifor’s dedication to Canadian investigative journalism and the IJB’s unique model extends beyond the internships. The union also co-sponsors the CJF/IJB Black Investigative Journalism Fellowship program, which brings an early-career Black reporter to the IJB for six months.
Together, the two programs establish Unifor and the IJB as leaders in fostering top journalism talent in Canada. Robert Cribb, founder and director of the IJB says he’s committed to supporting the future of Canadian media through meaningful mentorship and the newsroom’s collaborative impact-driven model—something the internship program helps to carry forward.
“These internships and fellowships are not only empowering young journalists who want to make a real difference in the world. They are building a foundation for a new generation of investigative diggers who will be the truth finders and tellers for decades to come.”
About the 2025 interns:
