The Final Word

Friday, March 6, 2026 — Portley Ghartey-Johnson reports from a rally outside the Prospectors and Developers Association of Canada convention, where activists protested exploitative mining practices and called for global mining justice. Then, Elliot Kelly speaks with Inori Roy, associate editor at The Local, about the role of the digital magazine in addressing the decline of local journalism. Plus, TMU's Master of Journalism class brings this week's top headlines.

Friday, February 20, 2026 -- Portley Ghartey-Johnson speaks with Steven Roffey, lead packer at Not Just Tourists, about how the organization distributes surplus medical supplies to clinics in countries facing shortages, the impact of that work and its call for more volunteers. Then, outside City Hall, Kinza Zafar reports from a rally where more than 100 residents gathered to push back against Mayor Chow’s 2026 budget, speaking with community advocates about their calls for stronger investments in social supports and concerns about the city’s spending priorities.

February 6, 2026 -- Host Emma Amodio speaks with filmmaker Asis Sethi about the launch of the CineFEMME Film Series, part of KUUMBA, Toronto’s largest and longest-running Black Futures Month festival, and what the series means for racialized filmmakers and audiences. Plus, coverage from the Centre for Free Expression panel on voice privacy and artificial intelligence, featuring experts from TMU, Princeton, and the University of Pennsylvania examining how voice data is collected, used, and regulated. TMU’s Master of Journalism students also bring you the top headlines of the week.

Friday, January 23, 2026 — In this episode, host Kinza Zafar reports on the NDP leadership debate focused on Palestine, which was attended by over 2000 people and hosted by the non-partisan advocacy group Canadians for Justice and Peace in the Middle East. Then, she sits down with a popular Toronto copwatcher to discuss Toronto police’s new requested budget and why residents engage in counter-surveillance measures to hold power to account, New News Coordinator Emma Amodio provides a roundup of this week’s headlines.

Friday, January 9, 2026 — In this episode, host Gabriel Hilty reports on the TTC 2026 budget passed on Wednesday. It includes a fare freeze and fare cap from September. Transit commentator Steve Munro says it makes few changes to service, and a budget crunch lies in the near future. Kinza Zafar revisits an interview with MP Jenny Kwan who introduced the no more loopholes act, aiming to restrict Canadian arms exports, as it moves through parliament. Harsh Kumar has the headlines with the breaking report on the TMSU voiding its fall executive by-election, in part due to former union execs named in an investigation allegedly supporting the Students Leading Tomorrow slate.

Friday, December 26, 2025 — In this episode, host Gabriel Hilty reports on the Allan Gardens food bank as part of Met Radio's holiday programming. Food bank usage has spiked since 2019, and the food bank has served over 63 thousand in 2025. Due to a redevelopment of the property, it will be forced to close in 2026 and doesn't yet have a place to go.

Friday, December 12, 2025 — In this episode, host Gabriel Hilty reports on Mayor Olivia Chow's proposal to introduce fare capping on the TTC meaning riders won't pay after a number of rides per month. It is planned to be set at 47 rides in 2026, and lower to 40 in 2027. Post-secondary students are set to be left out of the changes, advocacy group TTCRiders explains the impacts and shortcomings of the plan. Kinza Zafar reports from a panel of local activists on International Human Rights Day, Dec. 10, to hear about current pressing issues. Gabriel Hilty has this week's headline roundup.