Meet the Peer Supporters

Our CNIPS members are trusted journalists and news professionals trained to listen. They volunteer to chat confidentially with colleagues struggling with work-related stress, burnout and mental health challenges.

Michelle Allan is a general assignment reporter at the CBC in Thunder Bay. As a peer supporter, she can lend an ear to journalists dealing with stress, work-life balance, exposure to challenging content, coping with trauma, or other issues.

Laura Beeston has experienced a lot of Canadian newsroom dynamics across her 15+ years of reporting and editing in places like The Winnipeg Free Press, CJAD 800, The Montreal Gazette, The Globe and Mail, Toronto Star, Apple News and The Logic. Now in the freelance wilderness, she has the time, energy, and desire to offer support and space to her community of peers — and she is happy to listen!

Laura hopes that the empathy and understanding earned from her first-hand contact with traumatic breaking news stories — in Lac-Mégantic, the Quebec Mosque shooting, and daily conflict coverage from 2023 on — the contract hustle, bouts of professional burnout, and overall experience can be put to good use. She is keen on being of service to foster a more resilient and human industry, and is delighted to be part of the inaugural CNIPS cohort. Laura hopes you will reach out.

I’ve worked in news and current affairs, radio, web, and tv, local and national, for about 18 years, almost all of it based in Calgary at CBC. I’m a mom of two teens and part of a care team for my parent who has Alzheimer’s. My favourite ways to re-charge are making things with my hands: cooking, sewing clothes, gardening. Exercise and meditation are my go-tos for stress management. I love music, especially soul, funk and metal, and I love reading fiction and graphic novels. Se habla español.

Jacob Boon has spent nearly 15 years working in journalism, first as city editor for alt-weekly The Coast in Halifax then in Yellowknife as editor for Up Here Magazine. Currently he works as newsletter editor for The Tyee.

He began his career as a freelancer, and has spent the past few years working remotely. So he knows the challenges that come from feeling isolated in this industry. If you’re having issues navigating workplace conflicts, handling online abuse, dealing with work/life stresses, standing up for your rights, or you just need to vent, don’t hesitate to reach out to him.

Tom Cardoso is an investigative reporter at The Globe and Mail. His work has examined Canada’s broken freedom of information system, the Catholic Church’s finances and obligations to residential school survivors, and systemic racial bias in federal prisons. He gravitates toward morally complex stories, often involving people who’ve experienced trauma or had contact with the justice system. Tom believes journalists’ mental health remains often overlooked, and he’s committed to open conversations about the emotional toll reporting can take — on both journalists and their sources.

In nearly 25 years at The Canadian Press, Tim has held several positions, including correspondent, news editor, bureau chief, and now managing editor. Working at the national news service is a 24-hour job and the news never takes a break. It can be exceptionally rewarding work, but care must be taken not to burn out. Tim hopes his experience at CP will benefit anyone looking to take advantage of this wonderful program. He is based in Edmonton.

A Maritimer who landed in Ottawa through a series of fortunate events, Hannah Daley is editor of The Wire Report, which is owned by Hill Times Publishing. She covers business, regulatory and political news about the telecommunications, broadcasting, and online policy sectors. Until June 2024, Hannah was the daily breaking news editor and (sometimes) arts editor with the Ottawa Citizen (Postmedia). She otherwise has a background in business, political, regulatory and court reporting in New Brunswick and Nova Scotia (allNewBrunswick/allNovaScotia). In her free time, she enjoys reading fiction novels, paddleboarding and relaxing in the sun. She believes she can help peers feel supported as they weather career transitions, complicated news coverage, and general ennui.

Quentin Dufranne (He/Him) graduated from Concordia University in 2021 with a degree in journalism, and from Université de Montréal in 2020 with a master’s degree in psychiatric sciences. He began his career at the Métro newspaper, where he was successively weekly reporter, daily society reporter and municipal politics reporter. He then worked for La Presse and is now a reporter for The Canadian Press in Montreal. His subjects of interest are 2ELGBTQI+ community issues, HIV/AIDS and homelessness. Quentin is a queer journalist who has decided to donate his time to support other 2ELGBTQI+ journalists in need.

Matt Frehner has been an editor at The Globe and Mail for nearly two decades, working primarily on the intersection of journalism and new technologies. He is currently the Managing Editor for Products and Platforms, which includes oversight of digital storytelling, podcasts, newsletters and AI, as well as the overall reader experience of The Globe’s apps and website. Previously he was Head of Visuals, where he managed teams covering breaking news, investigations and long-term projects – during some of the most intense news cycles of the last decade. He has experience managing staff operating in conflict zones, dealing with graphic and sensitive imagery, and the long-term challenges facing visual journalism in Canada. Matt is a father of two under four, and is based in Toronto. He grew up and went to school in Alberta.

Julia Peterson is a journalist with Postmedia and journalism instructor at the University of Regina School of Journalism based in Saskatoon, Saskatchewan. As a peer supporter, Julia is eager to have conversations with colleagues across the country – particularly with fellow queer journalists, as well as early-career journalists beginning to chart their course in the industry. Outside of work, Julia can usually be found knitting, baking, cuddling their big goofy dog, or running on the gorgeous trails near their home.

Christy Somos is a journalist, editor, and producer that has covered high-profile stories in newsrooms both at home and abroad. She’s known for reporting on global affairs, extremism, mis/dis-information, OSINT, modern conflict, social justice and geopolitics. As a queer child of immigrants who has been targeted for their work, Somos understands the frustration, tension and isolation that it comes with. As a seasoned freelancer, she’s used to mentoring journalists navigating tough stories, coping with online abuse or processing the sometimes fraught situations that occur in newsrooms.

Déborah St-Victor, of Haitian descent, is a multiplatform journalist and reporter for Radio-Canada in Northern Ontario. Before journalism, she spent over 13 years in the healthcare and academic sectors, including in communications at the Université de Montréal’s Faculty of Medicine. These roles strengthened her skills in active listening and empathy. A former running coach for seven years, she champions the mental and physical benefits of sport. From 1994 to 2001, she worked in literacy with Oxfam-Québec in Haiti—a life-changing experience that led her to write her first book after the 2010 earthquake. Today, she is a co-leader of the Collectif Afro and a wellness champion at Radio-Canada. Currently completing a certificate in international cooperation, she values community, support, and shared growth. Deborah brings a calm and caring presence, aiming to uplift others navigating transitions. For her, peer support is not just guidance—it’s a shared commitment to listening, healing, and moving forward together.

Nasuna is an independent photojournalist who shoots regularly for Canadian and international outlets, though her heart lies with the solutions stories she occasionally gets to dive into with her little sister, Chloe, a freelance investigative reporter. Nasuna is a member of Women Photograph and United Photojournalists of Canada, which advocates for equitable contracts, fair rates, and transparent hiring practices. Throughout her career, she’s become intimately familiar with the unique challenges facing freelance photojournalists, but has also seen that community support can make the difference between persevering and giving up. In her experience, opening up to colleagues can turn a scarcity mentality into one of abundance, and she’s happy to share a part in that.

Alissa is a multi-award winning television journalist with Global BC with more than 15 years experience in the industry. She started her career in her home country of Australia before moving to Vancouver in 2017. As a peer supporter she hopes to help journalists find exciting opportunities, thrive in a changing industry and develop ways to protect mental health and wellbeing along the way.

David Topping has heard the word “headwinds” more in his career than most pilots, and he’s faced a few himself: he’s been laid off from a dream job, burned out and quit what he thought would be a dream job, and worked up and down the masthead at magazines, newspapers and startups. He lives in west-end Toronto with his partner.

Madeleine White is a producer for The Globe and Mail’s daily news podcast, The Decibel. She is also the co-chair of The Globe’s academic internship program. As a peer supporter, she is looking to help people get through the grind of having to be plugged into the news cycle all the time, as well as talk about how to balance passion for journalism with the burnout that comes from working in a shrinking industry. Outside of the newsroom, you can find Maddie walking with her dog, Charlotte, cycling around the city, and spoiling her nieces.