We Are What We Eat: How A Campus-newsroom Partnership Fed An Investigation Into Lax Inspection Standards At Edmonton Restaurants
This session will feature the findings and results from a community-based partnership between the Edmonton Journal and MacEwan University. Over a six-month period, a team of reporters, editors, faculty, and students came together to complete a landmark investigation, “Risky Restaurants,” examining food safety and inspections in city food establishments. Attendees will gain insight into how this first-ever partnership supported high-impact journalism education practices while, at the same time, was grounded in addressing a widening gap in local news coverage. Our results, as outlined in this session, show how collaborative, community-minded investigative work delivers real value to students, industry, and the public alike. By providing exemplary public service journalism, this partnership not only enhanced student learning, but directly influenced government policy, resulting in improved standards in the restaurant industry.