In October, Ricochet Media was proud to help launch the Future of Independent Media Summit in Ottawa with a live taping of In Bed with the Elephant — our acclaimed podcast hosted by Adrian Harewood.

Journalists, editors, and media leaders from across the country packed into Union Local 613, a cozy downtown pub known for its delicious food and inventive cocktails, to come together for an insightful and wide-ranging conversation between Adrian and Luke Savage, journalist and author. Their conversation dove into the state of social democracy, the legacy of Ed Broadbent, and the existential challenges facing our politics and media in an era of rising far-right nationalism.

The evening set the tone for a weekend of collaboration and vision-building for the future of Canadian journalism. Among those in attendance was our managing editor, Andrea Houston, who participated in a media roundtable at the Canadian Senate with Senator Andrew Cardozo — part of an effort to ensure that the concerns of independent journalists are heard by policymakers. Andrea also serves on the board of Press Forward Canada, the national association of independent news outlets that organized the summit.

Building and finding work for journalists, both staff and freelance, was at the forefront of summit discussions. Ricochet’s co-founder and senior editor Ethan Cox moderated a panel of peers on how journalists and their employers can advocate for better jobs all across the sector.

As an independent, reader-funded outlet, Ricochet is proud to be at centre of these critical conversations about how to make our media system more sustainable, diverse, and democratic. But this work — from hosting events like this to producing fearless journalism and podcasts — is only possible with your support.

If you believe in strengthening independent media in Canada, become a Ricochet monthly donor today.

Together, we can build the future of journalism — one story, one conversation, and one supporter at a time.