This episode of We Met U When…came as a surprise. When we contacted a researcher about her 2013 quote in Maclean’s, a national Canadian news magazine, it was news to the researcher! She had no idea she’d been quoted in that publication. Now a seasoned interviewee, Jessica Maxwell shares her experiences as a source and we explore informed consent and best practices in journalism.

Coco Ma’s outstanding talent made news headlines in 2013 when she was a young teen. Already an accomplished classical pianist, she was on her way to international performances, alongside legendary musicians. We Met U When… tracks down Coco ten years later and discovers this artist’s passion remains but so much of her life has changed.

I’m so proud of the students who produced the very first season of We Met U When…

It was fascinating to see how much they grew and learned in just 12 weeks so I asked if they would be willing to tell you a bit about that experience. Have a listen to students from Toronto Metropolitan University’s Advanced Podcasting/Radio Documentary class share behind the scenes moments, lessons learned and what will stay with them as they advance their journalism careers. - Shari Okeke

Michael Hinds is extremely wary of journalists. For years he agreed to do interviews with reporters covering stories in his neighbourhood. Too many of those experiences had a negative impact on him - and his community work. So he’s been refusing most interview requests for nearly a decade. Now he’s talking to We Met U When…about the stories that get lost when interviews cause harm.

At 14 years old she was making headlines as one of Canada’s best chess players — on track to become Canada’s first female grandmaster. Then, something changed. No more headlines, no more competitions. In this episode, We Met U When host Abby Hughes explores the chess career of a child prodigy and finds out what happened along that path to grandmaster status.

Gwen McDonald opened a roller skate shop in 2012, with money from her late father. The business was described as “the only one of its kind” in Toronto. So when We Met U When host Jasmine Al-Kholani discovered the shop no longer exists, she wondered how Gwen coped with so much loss. Jasmine didn’t expect Gwen’s story to become part of her own journey, but it did.

A 12-year-old is interviewed about her school’s new focus on wellness. She’s surrounded by three trusted adults: her mother, her teacher and her principal. What could go wrong? Ten years later that child, now an adult, shares exactly why that news story bothers her so much today. We Met U When host Kendra Seguin sets out to learn what happened in a 2012 story …that’s still unfolding.

Read the transcript

Music Credits  - all tracks from Youtube Audio Library

Friday Fugue by Trevor Garrod

Rainbow Forest by Quincas Moreira

Creeping Up on You by Godmode

Looping Ascent by Joel Cummins

Nutty Comedy by Biz Baz Studio

A Fool's Theme by Brian Bolger

Intelligentsia by Godmode

Love the Messenger by Freedom Trail Studio