Journalism grad Katie Pedersen contributing to award-winning segments with CBC Marketplace

Katie graduated from Humber's post-graduate journalism program in 2016 after completing her internship in the Special Investigations Unit at CBC, launching her career in investigations with the broadcaster. She worked in investigative units in Toronto and Winnipeg before being hired full-time at Marketplace, a consumer affairs investigative program with the CBC. 

Katie has been working as an Associate Producer for Marketplace since 2017, where she does data analysis and undercover work, as well as reporting for digital news. She has investigated dozens of topics, most notably a series of investigations into the long-term care system in Canada which involved several data investigations as well as working undercover at a long-term care home.

A hidden-camera investigation into abuse in long-term care won a Canadian Association of Journalists (CAJ) award for data journalism in 2019, and subsequent investigations involving data analysis and undercover work have been nominated for several other awards, including a 2021 RTDNA win for a deep dive into Ontario long-term care inspection reports. 

Other notable investigations include a look into unresolved cases of missing and murdered indigenous women which won the investigative award from Canadian Journalists for Free Expression in 2016, a documentary on the flaws in the Canadian recycling industry which won an RTDNA in 2020, and an investigation into the anti-vaccination movement which was nominated for an RTDNA in 2021.

Katie attributes the foundation of her achievements to Humber’s hands-on journalism program and its talented and accomplished instructors, who not only served impressive careers in journalism, but were often still top reporters, directors, and producers in the field — in tune with the needs of an ever-changing, cross-platform industry. 

Her advice? Never stop learning. In a very competitive industry, it helps to be the one with unique skills. Knowing how to read an annual report or calculate general statistics can be incredibly valuable. Every new experience is another window into an industry or society that could be the start of the next big story.