I've never chased awards.
When I launched La Converse five years ago, I didn't do it for recognition or trophies.
I did it because I was fed up. Fed up with seeing the same narratives, the same voices, and observing the same silences. La Converse was born to create a space where the journeys and experiences of marginalized communities would finally be central, not as victims, but as agents of their own stories. A space where, through dialogue journalism, we build bridges, foster empathy, and cultivate a better understanding between realities that, too often, ignore each other.
And it must be said: in a media ecosystem where the dominant perspective remains too narrow, doing this work has never been easy. We've often been subjected to attempts to discredit us.
One day, a professor told me we were a "ghetto media." In Quebec, some industry leaders call us "activist media." And recently, during a panel at the Journalism Festival in Carleton-sur-Mer — the day before a discussion I was moderating myself — I heard a journalist compare us to far-right platforms that have nothing to do with journalism, much less the kind we practice.
I don't forget these remarks. They remind us that for many, a media outlet serving marginalized communities isn't considered credible. But they didn’t stop us; they've made us stronger. So today, receiving two national journalism awards is a huge deal, and I'm proud to say we're now an award-winning media, and I'm an award-winning journalist. Not because I'm chasing trophies, but because it's a sign of recognition and credibility for the work we've been doing for five years, in a world where some still try to discredit us again and again!
La Converse won two awards from the Canadian Association of Journalists at the Canadian Journalism Awards:
- The award for Best Community Broadcast for Pas tout Montréal, created in collaboration with Emmanuel Moussa and me — a podcast report that discusses the social distress experienced by racialized youth from disadvantaged neighborhoods, featuring five extraordinary individuals, produced during the Converse Podcast School: Sadjida, Sami, Kester, Adriana, Nesim.
- The award for Best Scoop for Anaïs Elboujdaïni's investigation titled Canada asks Gaza healthcare workers if they treated Hamas members. An incredibly important work on the double standards faced by Palestinian refugees.
Two stories. Two realities we refused to ignore. This isn't just a victory for our current team — it's a victory for everyone who has built La Converse over the past five years, for all those who see themselves in us, and for all those whose voices we amplify.
As the founder of La Converse, I dedicate these awards to all the people who are dehumanized in dominant media narratives.
We see you. We hear you. And we will continue to honor you through every story we publish. To help us honor these voices, support La Converse by contributing to our mission!