Omayra Issa
Anchor, CPAC
Omayra Issa is a journalist and anchor best known for large-scale narratives that contribute to the public discourse. For the past decade, she has been travelling across Canada and globally to cover stories that matter to people on pressing issues, including climate change, politics, Big Tech, and democracy. Her journalism has reached millions on radio, tv, digital platforms in both French and English, and has changed education policies in Canada. Issa’s work is now integrated in dozens of cultural institutions across the country, including museums and public libraries. She co-created and co-produced the award-winning Black on the Prairies series, which led to her becoming the first Black woman to present the prestigious Kesterton Lecture in Journalism.
At what age did you know you wanted to be a journalist?
I knew from the age of five that the news was important. The 8 o’clock tv newscast and 12pm radiocast were sacred in my grandmother’s household. She raised me with the understanding that it is important to pay attention to the world around me. That’s what I have been doing ever since.
How did you get your start in the industry?
I started in the industry when Radio-Canada in Saskatchewan recruited me. It was right after university. I started in Regina and have since reported across Canada.
What’s the highlight of your career so far or the thing you’re most proud of?
I am most proud of telling stories that have contributed to the public discourse. Throughout my career, I have always emphasized insight, analysis, and bringing a unique perspective for the public interest, always. I am humbled that my work has helped shape our national story by placing Black people on the prairies at the center of the narrative for better understanding.
Can you tell us about Black on the Prairies and why you co-created that series?
I co-created and co-produced the show–along with Ify Chiwetelu, the host of CBC’s Now or Never– with the intent to make sure that regional experiences of Black people in Alberta, Saskatchewan, and Manitoba were included in the national discourse. As I was reporting on the Black Lives Matter movement in the midst of the COVID-19 pandemic, it was clear to me that most of the journalism lacked context, data, complexity, and nuance. We teamed up and along with our team, we embarked on an incredible and rigorous journalistic project over nearly two years where we told the story of 200 years of Black life on the Canadian Prairies. At the time the project was conceived, Black history that included the specificity of Black Prairie experiences was not part of any academic curriculum in any of the prairie provinces, so I led the creation of a Teacher's Guide available to students from Kindergarten through Grade 12 across Canada in French and English. We innovated and put in place an advisory board to help guide the storytelling. The model has since been replicated in various Canadian newsrooms.
As a Black woman in this industry, how did you learn to navigate it on your own terms and forge your own path?
As a Black woman in this industry, I learned to build my community of support and lean on mentors and others in the industry who have similar lived experiences as me for mutual support and building momentum. I also learned how to be anchored in who I am and in my expertise despite the systemic barriers. It is no secret and it has been continuously documented that the Canadian media industry needs to be more inclusive. It is one of its Achilles’ heels. But one thing is for sure: I am tenacious, persistent and I believe in the importance of strong journalism in the midst of challenges. That’s how I have navigated the industry on my own terms and forged my own path. The more perspectives we have around the table, the better our journalism gets, and most importantly, the better we serve Canadians.