Karyn Pugliese facts for kids

Karyn Pugliese (Pabàmàdiz) is an important Indigenous journalist from Canada. She has made a big difference in Canadian journalism and helped protect press freedom. She is a citizen of the Algonquins of Pikwàkanagàn First Nation in Ontario.

Karyn Pugliese was the first Indigenous person to be chosen as the President of the Canadian Association of Journalists. She also studied at Harvard University as a Nieman Fellow. She is well-known for her work at the Aboriginal Peoples Television Network (APTN) and for hosting the show #FAQMP on ichannel.

About Karyn Pugliese

Karyn Pugliese is a single mother. Her son, Zackery Liberty, plays guitar in the indie rock band Farewell Davidson.

Growing Up

Karyn Pugliese was born and grew up in Ottawa, Ontario. She often visited Pikwàkanagàn, her First Nation community, when she was young. Most of her close family lived in Ottawa, not on the reserve.

Karyn left high school three times. She finally finished at an alternative high school. She was a smart student but did not plan to go to university. She wanted to be a bartender. However, a high school teacher encouraged her to apply for journalism at Carleton University. She went and graduated in 1998 with degrees in Journalism and History.

While she was in journalism school, there were important events like the Kanehsatake resistance and the Ipperwash Crisis. Karyn was upset by how the news reported these events. She felt they made Indigenous people seem like "angry warriors." Because of this, she was embarrassed to say she studied journalism at her graduation ceremony. She told her community she was thinking of becoming a historian instead.

After graduating, Karyn worked short jobs at CBC Radio and CTV television in Ottawa. As a single mom, it was hard to balance her family and a journalism career. For a while, she left journalism. She worked as a writer for the government. During this time, she went back to Carleton University. She earned a Master's degree in history. Her thesis was about the history of Indigenous communities living in cities like Ottawa.

Karyn returned to journalism in 2000. A professor helped her connect with the APTN. She became APTN's first reporter in Parliament. She says APTN's daycare and flexible hours helped her restart her career. She felt APTN was a place where she could "write the truth about my people."

Education and Learning

Karyn Pugliese graduated from the Ottawa Alternative High School program. She earned a combined honours degree in Journalism and History from Carleton University in 1998. She also got a Master's degree in History from Carleton University in 2006. In 2020, Karyn graduated from the Nieman Fellowship program at Harvard University.

Awards and Special Recognitions

Karyn Pugliese has received many awards for her work.

• The Canadian Association of Journalists gave her two Charles Bury Awards. One was for leading and supporting journalists and fighting for media rights in 2016. The second was in 2023 for changing how Canadian news covers Indigenous stories.
• In 2018, the Academy of Canadian Cinema and Television gave her the Gordon Sinclair Award. This award is for great achievements in journalism.
• In 2019, she won the Hyman Solomon Award for Public Policy Journalism. She also shared the Native American Journalists Association (NAJA) 2019 Elias Boudinot Free Press Award with journalist Justin Brake.
• She was chosen for the Martin Wise Goodman Canadian Nieman Fellowship at Harvard University.
• In 2021, she won a National Newspaper Award for columns she wrote for the National Observer, where she was editor-in-chief.

Fighting for Press Freedom

Karyn Pugliese was the president of the Canadian Association of Journalists from 2018 to 2020. She continues to be a board member. She also helps with the Night for Rights Gala. This event raises money for journalism programs that protect human rights.

Karyn is an ambassador for Journalists for Human Rights. She works with them to train young Indigenous journalists. She has also trained journalists in South Sudan. Karyn is a board member for Canadian Journalists for Free Expression (CJFE).

Her Career Journey

Working at APTN (First Time)

In 2000, Karyn Pugliese became APTN's first reporter in Parliament. She says APTN's daycare policy and flexible hours helped her build her career. From 2000 to 2006, she reported from Parliament. She also traveled to many Indigenous communities in Ontario, Quebec, and Nunavut. During this time, she won three Native American Journalism Awards. She left APTN in 2006.

360 Vision, Vision TV

In 2006, Karyn joined 360 Vision, an investigative show on Vision TV. The show was nominated for an award that year. Karyn left after one season.

Assembly of First Nations

Karyn Pugliese joined the Assembly of First Nations in 2007. She worked as a communications officer. She also worked with the World Health Organization and the United Nations. A year later, she became the Communications Director. She left the AFN in 2010.

ichannel and #FAQMP

In 2010, Karyn Pugliese returned to journalism. She hosted and produced a talk show called @issue on ichannel. In 2011, she hosted and produced a new show called #FAQMP. This show was a new idea for democracy. It let viewers vote online to choose which Member of Parliament (MP) they wanted on the show. Viewers could also send in their own questions for the MPs using social media.

Many important MPs appeared on the show, including Justin Trudeau and Elizabeth May. The show was nominated for an award for its new way of using different platforms. Karyn left in 2012 to go back to APTN.

Working at APTN (Second Time)

In 2012, Karyn Pugliese returned to APTN. She became the executive director of News and Current Affairs. Since she came back, new shows have been added, like Nation to Nation, InFocus, and The Laughing Drum. During the 2015 federal election, APTN National News got interviews with three out of four of the main political party leaders for the first time.

In 2017, Karyn received the Charles Bury Award from the Canadian Association of Journalists. The award recognized her work in fighting for press freedom. Karyn said that APTN worked very hard for press freedom because there was "so much at stake" for Indigenous people.

Managing Editor Investigative (CBC)

From 2021, Karyn Pugliese was the managing editor of investigative journalism for the CBC. She oversaw two well-known investigative TV shows: The Fifth Estate and Marketplace.

Executive Editor National Observer

Karyn Pugliese was the executive editor of Canada's National Observer. This is an online news service that focuses on climate change.