Karyn Pugliese (Pabàmàdiz) is a Canadian broadcast journalist and communications specialist, of
Algonquin
Algonquin or Algonquian—and the variation Algonki(a)n—may refer to:
Languages and peoples
*Algonquian languages, a large subfamily of Native American languages in a wide swath of eastern North America from Canada to Virginia
**Algonquin la ...
and Italian descent. She is member of the
Algonquins of Pikwàkanagàn First Nation in Ontario. She is a
Nieman Fellow
The Nieman Foundation for Journalism at Harvard University awards multiple types of fellowships.
Nieman Fellowships for journalists
A Nieman Fellowship is an award given to journalists by the Nieman Foundation for Journalism at Harvard University. ...
, Class of 2020, Harvard University and has been recognized by the
Canadian Association of Journalists
The Canadian Association of Journalists (CAJ; french: Association Canadienne des Journalistes) is an independent, not-for-profit organization that offers advocacy and professional development to journalists across Canada. The CAJ was created to pro ...
with a Charles Bury Award for her leadership supporting journalists and fighting for media rights. In 2018 the
Academy of Canadian Cinema and Television
The Academy of Canadian Cinema & Television is a Canadian non-profit organization created in 1979 to recognize the achievements of the over 4,000 Canadian film industry and television industry professionals, most notably through the Canadian Scre ...
presented Pugliese with the organization's annual
Gordon Sinclair Award The Gordon Sinclair Award is a Canadian journalism award, presented by the Academy of Canadian Cinema and Television for excellence in broadcast journalism. Originally presented as part of the ACTRA Awards, it was transferred to the new Gemini Awar ...
for distinguished achievement in journalism at the
6th Canadian Screen Awards. In 2019 Pugliese received the Hyman Solomon Award for Public Policy Journalism and was the co-recipient with journalist Justin Brake for the
Native American Journalists Association
The Native American Journalists Association, based in Norman, Oklahoma, on the campus of the University of Oklahoma, is an organization dedicated to supporting Native Americans in journalism. The organization hosts the annual National Native Media ...
(NAJA) 2019
Elias Boudinot
Elias Boudinot ( ; May 2, 1740 – October 24, 1821) was a lawyer and statesman from Elizabeth, New Jersey who was a delegate to the Continental Congress (more accurately referred to as the Congress of the Confederation) and served as Presiden ...
Free Press Award. She was chosen for the twenty-fifth Martin Wise Goodman Canadian
Nieman Fellowship
The Nieman Foundation for Journalism at Harvard University awards multiple types of fellowships.
Nieman Fellowships for journalists
A Nieman Fellowship is an award given to journalists by the Nieman Foundation for Journalism at Harvard University ...
at
Harvard University
Harvard University is a private Ivy League research university in Cambridge, Massachusetts. Founded in 1636 as Harvard College and named for its first benefactor, the Puritan clergyman John Harvard, it is the oldest institution of higher le ...
. She won a National Newspaper Award for a series of columns written for the National Observer in 2021, where she is now editor-in-chief. She is a frequent commentator o
CBC's Rosie Barton Liveand the podcast
Canadaland
Canadaland is a Canadian company that operates a news site and a network of podcasts. It was founded by Jesse Brown in 2013. Canadaland has produced podcasts on Canadian media, art and culture, cooking, medicine, and politics. Podcasts include ...
. Pugliese recently replaced the former host of th
canadaLANDBACKseries. The former host
Ryan McMahon, left after some personal controversy an
conflict with his producer
Pugliese is best known for her work as a journalist/Executive Director of news and current affairs at the
Aboriginal Peoples Television Network
The Aboriginal Peoples Television Network (APTN, stylized aptn) is a Canadian specialty channel. Established in 1992 and maintained by governmental funding to broadcast in Canada's northern territories, APTN acquired a national broadcast lice ...
, and as the host of
ichannel
ichannel was a Canadian English-language Category A specialty channel owned by Stornoway Communications. Its programs focused on public, social, and current affairs. Its programming included films, documentaries, and talk shows.
History
In Nov ...
's
#FAQMP. Pugliese was also the Managing Editor of CBC's Investigative unit, overseeing television programming for the
Fifth Estate and
Marketplace
A marketplace or market place is a location where people regularly gather for the purchase and sale of provisions, livestock, and other goods. In different parts of the world, a marketplace may be described as a '' souk'' (from the Arabic), ' ...
. She also worked at
Vision TV
VisionTV is a Canadian English language Category A specialty channel that broadcasts multi-faith, multicultural, and general entertainment programming aimed at the 45 and over demographic.
VisionTV is currently owned by ZoomerMedia, a company ...
and as a Communications Director for the
Assembly of First Nations
The Assembly of First Nations (AFN) is an assembly of Canadian First Nations (Indian bands) represented by their chiefs. Established in 1982 and modelled on the United Nations General Assembly, it emerged from the National Indian Brotherhood, wh ...
. Pugliese is president of the
Canadian Association of Journalists
The Canadian Association of Journalists (CAJ; french: Association Canadienne des Journalistes) is an independent, not-for-profit organization that offers advocacy and professional development to journalists across Canada. The CAJ was created to pro ...
(2018-2020) and previously sat on the CAJ Ethics Committee. Pugliese has acted as a co-chair for the Night for Rights Gala, an event which raises approximately $140,000 annually for rights-based journalism programming, and is organized by
Journalist for Human Rights, JHR. Pugliese is an ambassador for
Journalist for Human Rights, and works with them to train young indigenous journalists. She frequently speaks in support of the organization. She is also a board member for
Canadian Journalists for Free Expression
Canadian Journalists for Free Expression (CJFE) is a Canadian non-governmental organization supported by Canadian journalists and advocates of freedom of expression. The purpose of the organization is to defend the rights of journalists and co ...
(CJFE).
Early life
Pugliese was born and raised in
Ottawa
Ottawa (, ; Canadian French: ) is the capital city of Canada. It is located at the confluence of the Ottawa River and the Rideau River in the southern portion of the province of Ontario. Ottawa borders Gatineau, Quebec, and forms the core ...
,
Ontario
Ontario ( ; ) is one of the thirteen provinces and territories of Canada.Ontario is located in the geographic eastern half of Canada, but it has historically and politically been considered to be part of Central Canada. Located in Central Ca ...
, but frequently visited Pikwàkanagàn in her youth. Most of her close family lived off-reserve in Ottawa.
Pugliese dropped out of high school three times, eventually enrolling in an alternative high school where she earned her diploma. Although she was a bright student, Pugliese had no intention of attending university, and wanted to be a bartender, until a high school teacher coaxed her into applying to
Carleton University's journalism program. She enrolled and graduated with a combined honours in Journalism and History in 1998.
Pugliese was in journalism school during the years of the
Kanehsatake resistance,
Ipperwash Crisis
The Ipperwash Crisis was a dispute over Indigenous land that took place in Ipperwash Provincial Park, Ontario, in 1995. Several members of the Stoney Point Ojibway band occupied the park to assert claim to nearby land which had been expropriated ...
and standoff at
Gustefsen Lake. She was so distressed by the way media covered these events, out of context and stereotyping Indigenous people "as angry warriors threatening an otherwise peaceful Canada," that when she attended her graduation ceremony at Pikwakanagan she was embarrassed to admit she'd studied journalism and told her people she was thinking about becoming historian instead. After graduating Pugliese worked short-term contracts at
CBC Radio
CBC Radio is the English-language radio operations of the Canadian Broadcasting Corporation. The CBC operates a number of radio networks serving different audiences and programming niches, all of which (regardless of language) are outlined below ...
Ottawa's ''Morning Show'', ''Sounds Like Canada'' and CTV television, Ottawa. As a single mother of a young child, Pugliese found it difficult to balance motherhood with the instability of a journalism career. For a time she left journalism and worked as a technical writer in the federal government. Around this time she returned to Carleton University to complete an M.A. in history. Her thesis So, where are you from?' Glimpsing the history of Ottawa-Gatineau's urban Indian communities'' is a history of the off-reserve community she grew up in.
Pugliese returned to journalism in 2000, after a professor put her in touch with the
APTN. Pugliese became the APTN's first Parliamentary Correspondent. She credits the APTN's daycare policy and flexible hours for her ability to re-enter journalism and build a career. She says APTN was a place where she could "write the truth about my people," turning her back toward a career in journalism.
Her son Zackery Liberty is now an adult and a guitarist with the indie rock group Farewell Davidson.
Career
Aboriginal Peoples Television Network (APTN)
In 2000 Pugliese heard from a professor that the APTN was about to launch a weekly news magazine show called ''InVision''. It was later rebranded into the nightly
APTN National News. From 2000 to 2006 Pugliese was a member of the Press Gallery and APTN's Parliamentary Reporter. She also travelled to many Indigenous communities, mostly in Ontario, Quebec and Nunavut. During her time at APTN Pugliese won 3
Native American Journalism Awards and was nominated for a
Canadian Association of Broadcasters
The Canadian Association of Broadcasters (CAB) is a trade association representing the interests of commercial radio and television broadcasters in Canada. It is co-located with the Canadian Broadcast Standards Council in Ottawa.
It was first e ...
Gold Ribbon Award. Pugliese left APTN in 2006.
360 Vision, Vision TV
In 2006, Pugliese joined Vision TV's investigative and current affairs show
360 Vision then led by Sadia Zaman and
John Scully. That year the series was a nominee for Best News and Information Series at the 2006 Gemini Awards. Pugliese left after one season.
Assembly of First Nations
Pugliese joined the
Assembly of First Nations
The Assembly of First Nations (AFN) is an assembly of Canadian First Nations (Indian bands) represented by their chiefs. Established in 1982 and modelled on the United Nations General Assembly, it emerged from the National Indian Brotherhood, wh ...
as a communications officer in 2007. In this role she also worked with the
World Health Organization
The World Health Organization (WHO) is a specialized agency of the United Nations responsible for international public health. The WHO Constitution states its main objective as "the attainment by all peoples of the highest possible level of h ...
, and the
United Nations
The United Nations (UN) is an intergovernmental organization whose stated purposes are to maintain international peace and international security, security, develop friendly relations among nations, achieve international cooperation, and be ...
. A year later she was promoted to Communications Director. She left the AFN in 2010.
ichannel and #FAQMP
In 2010 Pugliese returned to journalism, hosting and producing @issue, ichannel's current affairs talk show. In 2011 Pugliese hosted and produced a new flagship program
#FAQMP (Frequently Asked Questions for your Member of Parliament). The show was described as an experiment in democracy, and with its hyper-local focus it was favourably compared to a modern twist on Geoff Scott's 1968 Show ''Your Man on the Hill.'' #FAQMP invited viewers to vote on a website and choose which MP they wanted to appear on the show. Viewers were then invited to submit their own interview questions and topics via social media. Among the MPs who appeared on the show were:
Justin Trudeau
Justin Pierre James Trudeau ( , ; born December 25, 1971) is a Canadian politician who is the 23rd and current prime minister of Canada. He has served as the prime minister of Canada since 2015 and as the leader of the Liberal Party since 2 ...
,
Jason Kenney
Jason Thomas Kenney (born May 30, 1968) is a Canadian former politician who served as the 18th premier of Alberta from 2019 until 2022 and the leader of the United Conservative Party (UCP) from 2017 until 2022. He also served as the member of ...
,
Dean Del Mastro
Dean A. Del Mastro (born August 16, 1970) is a former Canadians, Canadian politician. He represented Peterborough (electoral district), Peterborough in the House of Commons of Canada as a member of the Conservative Party of Canada, Conservative ...
,
Elizabeth May
Elizabeth Evans May (born June 9, 1954) is a Canadian politician, environmentalist, author, activist, and lawyer who is serving as the leader of the Green Party of Canada since 2022, and previously served as the leader from 2006 to 2019. Sh ...
,
Bob Rae
Robert Keith Rae (born August 2, 1948) is a Canadian diplomat and former politician who is the current Canadian Ambassador to the United Nations since 2020. He previously served as the 21st premier of Ontario from 1990 to 1995, leader of the ...
,
Carolyn Bennett,
Joy Smith,
Pat Martin
Patrick D. "Pat" Martin (born December 13, 1955, in Winnipeg, Manitoba) is a Canadian politician. He was a member of the House of Commons of Canada from 1997 to 2015, representing the riding of Winnipeg Centre for the New Democratic Party.
Ca ...
, and Senator
Patrick Brazeau
Patrick Brazeau (born November 11, 1974) is a Canadian senator from Quebec. At the age of 34, he was and is the youngest member of the Senate during his appointment. From February 2006 until January 2009 he held the position of national chief of ...
.
Some controversial episodes included: PEI Liberal MP
Sean Casey's admission that he did not support his own party's 2012 resolution on abortion that would penalize any province that restricted women's access to abortion (by cutting federal health transfer dollars). Green Party Leader Elizabeth May's assertion that political parties should be eliminated, and all MPs elected independently also caused a stir. The clip resurfaced and caused debate on reddit in 2014.
The series garnered a nomination for
Best Cross-Platform Project, Non-Fiction at the 1st Canadian Screen Awards.
Pugliese left in 2012, returning to APTN. #FAQMP lasted for 1 more season under a new host, Kevin O'Keefe.
Aboriginal Peoples Television Network (APTN)
In 2012, Pugliese returned to the APTN to lead the news department as the executive director of News and Current Affairs. Since her arrival, new programming has been added to the News Department including: ''Nation to Nation'', a half hour political show, and the talk shows ''InFocus'' and ''The Laughing Drum''. During the 2015 federal election, for the first time, APTN National News secured interviews with 3 out of 4 of the national party leaders.
In 2017, Pugliese was awarded the Canadian Association of Journalists Charles Bury Award, by then CAJ President Nick Taylor-Vaisey. In particular Taylor-Vaisey noted Pugliese's contributions to fighting for press freedom.
"When it comes to supporting journalists and fighting for journalism, APTN punches above its weight," said Taylor-Vaisey. "They fight for press freedom in the courts..."
In her acceptance speech Pugliese recounted some of the early struggles of setting up the "first aboriginal broadcaster in the world" adding: "Yes. We punched above our weight, how could we not with so much at stake?"
Managing Editor Investigative (CBC)
As managing editor of investigative for the CBC from 2021, Pugliese oversaw ''
The Fifth Estate'', an award-winning English-language Canadian news magazine television program airing on the national CBC Television network.
Executive Editor National Observer
Pugliese is currently the executive editor of Canada's National Observer, a daily online news service focused on climate change.
References
External links
Carleton University Theses
{{DEFAULTSORT:Pugliese, Karyn
Canadian television reporters and correspondents
First Nations journalists
Living people
Algonquin people
First Nations women writers
Journalists from Ontario
Writers from Ottawa
Carleton University alumni
Canadian women television journalists
Canadian Screen Award winning journalists
21st-century Canadian non-fiction writers
20th-century Canadian women
21st-century Canadian women writers
20th-century Canadian journalists
21st-century Canadian journalists
21st-century First Nations writers
Year of birth missing (living people)
American journalism awards
Harvard University
Journalism fellowships
Scholarships in the United States