La Caisse and FPJQ create a fund for future journalists

• The Fonds CDPQ pour la relève journalistique will give ten award recipients access to paid internships with various media outlets

MONTRÉAL, Nov. 25, 2018 /CNW Telbec/ - La Caisse de dépôt et placement du Québec (la Caisse) and the Fédération professionnelle des journalistes du Québec (FPJQ) are pleased to announce the creation of the Fonds CDPQ pour la relève journalistique, an initiative that will provide ten young journalists or students each year with a $10,000 bursary enabling them to take a paid three to four month internship with a Québec media outlet.

"Media companies and the journalism profession are having to deal with significant challenges, such as the multiplication of digital content platforms and the financial difficulties facing print media. In this context, it is important to support the work of information professionals, who play an essential role in a democratic society," noted Michèle Boisvert, Executive Vice-President, Business Outreach. La Caisse is very pleased to help aspiring journalists by enabling ten award recipients each year to gain professional media experience through paid internships. They will have an opportunity to develop their knowledge of the world of finance and economics by spending part of their internship in this sector. This is another way for la Caisse to contribute to a quality conversation on financial and economic matters."

"By supporting future journalists, we are providing a public service and helping to ensure that citizens will continue to have access to quality information. We applaud this commendable initiative on the part of la Caisse, as it reinforces our message to citizens and various organizations in our society that a healthy and professional press whose independence is respected benefits everyone," said Catherine Lafrance, Executive Director of the FPJQ.

DETAILS OF THE FONDS CDPQ POUR LA RELÈVE JOURNALISTIQUE

To preserve the independence of media and journalists in the selection of award recipients, the choice of topics and the handling of information in accordance with recognized ethical and professional practices, the FPJQ will administer the bursary program in accordance with the following rules:

• The Fonds CDPQ will total $105,000 per year: $10,000 per bursary, and $5,000 in total for FPJQ program management fees;
• Each year, at least one of these ten bursaries will be awarded to a young journalist in a rural area or to a journalist who wishes to work at a regional media company;
• Each year, one of these bursaries will be awarded to a candidate who wishes to work for an English-language outlet;
• In addition, one bursary each year will be awarded for an internship with a qualified new media or alternative media outlet;
• Media companies must submit candidates' applications to the FPJQ to obtain one or more awards;
• The FPJQ will select the jury members from among media companies, professional associations, academia or other fields to judge the applications and select the award winners in an objective and independent manner;
• The jury must award bursaries fairly and in proportion to the number of media companies represented, with a limit of three bursaries per participating enterprise;
• Each of the paid internships must be for a minimum of 12 weeks and a maximum of 16 weeks; one third of each internship must deal with economics and/or finance, although the choice of topics is obviously left to the media outlet's discretion in order to preserve their independence;
• Lastly, interns who are awarded these bursaries must attend training on economics and finance fundamentals which will be prepared by a recognized independent organization in the field of economic and finance and la Caisse with input from various economy and media stakeholders.

Further details on the new Fonds CDPQ pour la relève journalistique will be available soon at: https://www.fpjq.org.

ABOUT CAISSE DE DÉPÔT ET PLACEMENT DU QUÉBEC
Caisse de dépôt et placement du Québec ("la Caisse") is a long-term institutional investor that manages funds primarily for public and parapublic pension and insurance plans. As at June 30, 2018, it held CAD308.3 billion in net assets. As one of Canada's leading institutional fund managers, la Caisse invests globally in major financial markets, private equity, infrastructure, real estate and private debt. For more information, visit cdpq.com, follow us on Twitter @LaCDPQ or consult our Facebook or LinkedIn pages.

ABOUT THE FÉDÉRATION PROFESSIONNELLE DES JOURNALISTES DU QUÉBEC 
The Fédération professionnelle des journalistes du Québec (FPJQ) has been defending freedom of the press and the public's right to information since 1969. The FPJQ intervenes whenever freedom of the press is threatened. The FPJQ is a democratic, not-for-profit association comprised of around 1,800 journalists working in 250 print and electronic media. Membership is voluntary. This has made the FPJQ the principal and most representative journalistic organization in Québec and in Canada. It is a force to be reckoned with in matters of journalism within society.

SOURCE Caisse de dépôt et placement du Québec