How They Did It takes students and reporters behind the curtain to learn the tradecraft behind some of Canada’s most impactful investigative journalism. This podcast series shows—rather than tells—how top journalists find their stories, gather facts, build trust, and break award-winning reports. Led by Dr. Chris Arsenault of Western University and CBC’s Josette Lafleur, the project offers hands-on guidance and shares best practices—providing insight into the often-complicated process of investigative reporting.
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Episode 8 — Behind the algorithm: How investigative journalists exposed Canada’s listeria oversight failure
When a deadly listeria outbreak swept across Canada in 2024, the initial headlines focused on recalls and rising case counts. But for The Globe and Mail journalists Grant Robertson and Kathryn Blaze Baum, something didn't add up. A closer look at the data revealed a chilling detail: the DNA strain responsible for multiple listeria deaths had appeared nearly a year earlier—raising urgent questions about how it was missed.
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1 Apr 2026
Episode 7 — A Ripple across the Pacific: How Canadian meth dealers fuel a transnational crime network
Vancouver Sun journalist Kim Bolan shares the tradecraft behind Lethal Exports — a five-part investigation exposing Canada’s role in transnational crime and the devastating toll it leaves across continents.
Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy (https://acast.com/privacy) for more information.
15 Mar 2026
Episode 6 — Couvrir le crime organisé au Québec: Daniel Renaud, journaliste sur la ligne de feu
Quand un journaliste apprend qu’un contrat a été mis sur sa tête, il a deux choix : se taire ou continuer. Daniel Renaud a choisi de continuer son travail d’enquête, au plus près des faits, dans un domaine où la vérité peut coûter cher.
Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy (https://acast.com/privacy) for more information.
26 Feb 2026
Episode 5 — Six weeks undercover: Investigative lessons from the Toronto Star’s probe into Uber’s algorithm
Journalist Ghada Alsharif worked undercover as an Uber Eats courier in Toronto to expose the harsh realities of algorithm-driven gig work, revealing shockingly low wages and systemic inequities.
Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy (https://acast.com/privacy) for more information.
18 Jan 2026
Episode 4 — Mapping the Tradecraft Behind the Investigation That Saved Ontario’s Greenbelt
Narwhal reporter Emma McIntosh, Toronto Star journalists Noor Javed and Brendan Kennedy, and The Trillium’s Charlie Pinkerton reflect on their joint investigation into Ontario’s Greenbelt carve-outs. In this Q&A, the team discusses how they exposed backroom deals, navigated political pressure, and ultimately forced the Ford government to reverse course.
Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy (https://acast.com/privacy) for more information.
13 Nov 2025
Episode 3 — Abuse, Secrecy, and the Allegations that Broke the Silence Inside Canada’s Spy Agency
In this episode, Canadian Press journalist Darryl Greer takes us inside one of the most sensitive investigations in recent Canadian memory: A Predator at CSIS. What began as a chance encounter at a social gathering turned into months of reporting on harassment, secrecy, and alleged assault inside Canada’s spy agency. Greer reveals how he gained the trust of intelligence officers bound by secrecy laws, navigated legal and ethical tightropes, and balanced the power dynamics of covering survivors of harassment and assault—an investigation that ultimately sparked parliamentary debate, internal reforms, and a reckoning inside CSIS.
Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy (https://acast.com/privacy) for more information.
13 Nov 2025
Episode 2 — The Dark Side of Canada’s International Student Pipeline
In this episode, Walrus journalist Nicholas Hune-Brown joins the podcast to unpack the tactics behind his ground-breaking investigation into Canada’s international education industry. He reveals the methods he used to expose the unregulated practices of education agents—who treat international students as products, not clients—and shows how careful research and storytelling can be just as impactful as leaked documents.
Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy (https://acast.com/privacy) for more information.
13 Nov 2025
Episode 1 — Unraveling an Insider Oil Deal— from Guyana to Ontario's Cottage Country
CBC Senior Writer Chris Arsenault takes the guest's chair to tell the story of his RTDNA Award-winning investigation into how a small Canadian company with no drilling experience secured a stake in one of the world's hottest offshore oil blocks just days before a president's political departure. From combing through Guyana's corporate registry records to tracing the transaction to a residential home in Ontario, Arsenault explains how Crude Bargain came to be.
Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy (https://acast.com/privacy) for more information.
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