Michael Kempa

Class of 2013

FGJ 2013, Criminologist and Crime Reporter

PhD

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Michael is a professor of criminology at the University of Ottawa, specializing in the political economy of security — including policing. He came with an appetite for investigative journalism. During the Fellowship, Michael conceived and spearheaded a three-day national series for CBC News, CBC Radio and CBC.ca on policing in a time of austerity, called ‘Cops and Dollars’. He also covered security issues for The National Post. Since graduating, Michael has returned to his professorial work while writing a major investigative feature for The Walrus, Canada’s national monthly news magazine.

“The Fellowship in Global Journalism took me from being a subject-matter expert who had many ambitious notions to a working academic-journalist who can execute on actionable ideas. It defines the contours of what is practically possible in the shifting field of journalism. It provides the practical tools and access to the contacts necessary to navigate that shifting field and it instructs in the basics of good business practice and relevant law to become a responsible player in that field. I now have foundations I need to carry on as a working journalist, and continuously improve as I go.”