Thank you, Nancy Drew.
It may not be immediately obvious how a fictional teenage detective could have silently guided one of Canada’s premier news editors into journalism, but for Angela Murphy, the journey can be traced back to those early investigations that kept her glued to the page.
Murphy is the foreign editor of The Globe and Mail but will be taking a break from the fast-paced life of managing the Globe’s international correspondents to take up the Faculty of Information and Media Studies’ Asper Fellowship in Media and impart her knowledge on Canada’s next generation of reporters.
Like many world-class journalists, her journey into the newsroom was not one she initially intended.
“I loved reading Nancy Drew. Her dad was a lawyer, and I remember thinking, ‘Wow, he’s got a good job.’ I really didn’t have a clue what I wanted to do in my career,” said Murphy.
It was that love of reading that helped guide her to English literature at the University of Toronto. Early in her first year, she stumbled across a sign in her dorm looking for volunteers for a small student paper. She remembers the editors were thrilled just to have a volunteer, and Murphy found the experience fun enough that she walked across the quad and started reporting at an official campus paper, eventually becoming an editor herself.
Soon after her time in Toronto, she went on to a master of arts in journalism at Western, before launching an impressive career in Canadian media.
“It’s like an addiction. It was just so much fun to see stories published that I worked on. I thought, if someone’s going to pay me to do this for a living, then this is what I’m going to do,” said Murphy.
It’s with that same enthusiasm she now finds herself back at Western, ready to guide the next eager crop of journalists.
The future of journalism
The Asper Fellowship in Media was established in 2006 through a donation from the CanWest Global Foundation.
The aim of the fellowship is to enrich the academic programs in media and journalism at Western. During her time as the Asper Fellow, Murphy will expand research and lead a class on the changing Canadian–U.S. relationship, including the role media and journalists play.
“There’s so much going on between the two countries. I thought this would be something the students and wider public would be interested in. I’m hoping to explore both how we manage this relationship and how we report on it,” said Murphy.
Angela Murphy is the foreign editor of The Globe and Mail. In 2026, she’ll be taking a break from managing the Globe’s international correspondents as the newest Asper Fellow at Western. Her term (Supplied)
She plans to make the class highly interactive, with students learning not only from her but from one another, and, if she’s lucky, teaching her what the current news media may be missing.
“They see the world differently than us older folks,” said Murphy. “I’ve come to the realization that part of this journey in class is students teaching me as well.”
And she knows what she’s talking about. While Murphy admits to some nerves preparing for the course, she brings more than a decade of teaching experience from her time at Humber College and knows the value of having an experienced hand guiding the next generation.
In a world where anyone can post on the internet, Murphy says the core principles of journalism ethics are critical.
“It’s about understanding deeply what separates journalism from opinion,” said Murphy. “Teaching those basic principles is essential, whether it’s double sourcing or making sure you have your facts right.”
The power of experience
While Murphy is looking forward to learning alongside her future students, it’s not lost on her how valuable it is to guide from experience.
While rewarding, the profession can also have real challenges.
“We’ve learned a lot about how reporters’ mental health can be affected, dealing with difficult subjects,” said Murphy. “One might think the job is going to be glamorous and fun, and there are elements of that, but then there is also a dark side.”
It’s a duality she can speak to from direct experience. When discussing the work of which she is most proud, she points to her project on missing and murdered Indigenous women and girls.
She noted the importance of showing the systemic nature of the problem, and reporting in a deeper way than had been done before.
“It was one of the best things I ever worked on, but at the same time I feel like it’s unfinished work, so it does stick with me. Every time I see a report about someone who’s missing and murdered, it strikes a chord,” said Murphy.
And while she can reflect on the emotional toll that kind of reporting can take, it’s the very importance of the story that drives her love of the craft, and her need to inspire the next generation of truth seekers.
“Journalism really matters. It can take a beating, but there are thousands of journalists every day just trying to get the facts perfect,” said Murphy.
Perfection may not be attainable, but for Murphy, it is always a worthy pursuit. She may not have pursued a career in law, but her ability to find truth is destined be passed on.
Thank you Nancy Drew.
