A Mount Royal University community-centred journalism class aimed to tell stories about ageing in Calgary differently.
On Monday, in partnership with the Calgary Journal, students from the course hosted an event at the Campus of Currie Green, a seniors living facility near MRU’s campus. The evening showcased semester-long feature stories exploring ageism and community.
The event featured student work covering topics such as ageing as a transgender person, cosmetic surgery, self-image, and pet therapy in senior housing. The crowd favourite highlighted Calgary’s 80-plus hockey team, a story that challenged assumptions about physical ability and ageing.
“It feels like there is a barrier between the journalist and the person telling their story,” said Ali Murji, MRU student and co-writer of one of the stories. “We don’t want to speak for seniors—we want to hear them.”
As part of the event, students who worked on the stories participated in a panel discussion, where they reflected on their reporting, challenges, and lessons learned in covering the topic. Journalists from CBC Calgary also joined the panel, offering feedback and sharing their perspectives on covering ageing in the media.
Gabriela Perdomo, who led the community-centred journalism course, explained that the project was designed to encourage stories to dive deeper and create relationships rather than simply reporting and moving on.
“The goal is to build connections and trust between journalists and the people we serve,” she said. “That’s why events like these matter.”
Residents were invited to view the stories, connect with students and share their own feedback throughout the evening.
