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Inside The Narwhal

Why we tell ugly stories beautifully

Photojournalism that centres humanity is in our DNA. We spent more than $50,000 doing it in 2024 — will you chip in to help us keep going?
By
Dec. 21, 2024
Finding the beauty
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Aerial view over a sprawling patch of oilsands development

Here at The Narwhal, we often talk about telling ugly stories beautifully. There’s nothing ugly about the natural world in Canada, but the stories about human impacts on it can get a liiiiittle grim. 

Take tailings ponds spills for example. You probably don’t associate beauty with the industrial behemoth that is the oilsands of northern Alberta. And yet, renowned journalists like Amber Bracken have helped us find the beauty in telling that story — or stories, in this case — by photographing the residents who trust us to share their fears in ways other publications have rarely given them the opportunity to.
 
A woman in an orange "Every Child Matters" hoodie holds up a fist

It’s not often you’ll see these kinds of portraits in other news outlets — or flyover views of the very oilsands the same communities say continuously imperil their groundwater and, in turn, their health. That’s because this type of photojournalism takes a truckload of effort and money. 

Just this year, we’ve spent well over $50,000 on photo assignments alone. We’re happy to take on the effort part, but the money? That comes from Narwhal readers just like you who repeatedly tell us they want these stories told — beautifully. This December, we’re on an ambitious mission to raise $200,000. Will you chip in what you can to help us keep going in 2025?
A progress bar, filled about two-thirds of the way to $200,000
Striking that balance plays a key role in telling some of the biggest stories of our time, like wildfires. How many newsrooms in Canada actually pay photographers to document people grappling with flames? (Hint: not many.) I’m proud to say we do, again and again.

Just this summer, we published a photo essay by Louis Bockner, whose B.C. community had been preparing for fires, which moved so quickly we could barely keep up with the story. We also sent reporter Matt Simmons and photographer Marty Clemens to Gitanyow territory to document Indigenous cultural burns — an ancient solution to today’s problems.
 
Two people in fire gear look up as flames engulf a tree nearby

Some photography assignments take days on end — like our feature on the Indigenous-led conservation plan that’s united five Cree nations in Manitoba to address the devastation caused by Manitoba Hydro. To pull it off, reporter Julia-Simone Rutgers and photographer Tim Smith spent nearly a week on a trip 750 kilometres north of Winnipeg.

And it’s not just photos that make our work sing — I haven’t even mentioned the dozens of illustrators who help elevate Narwhal stories in a whole ‘nother way. 

You’ll be pretty hard-pressed to find more than a handful of publications that spend so much time and effort into giving their articles the visual love and care they deserve. Thanks for enabling us to be one of them by giving what you can. 

Take care and go find the beauty,  

Shawn Parkinson
Creative director
Shawn Parkinson headshot

P.S. We’ve spent tens of thousands of dollars this year to tell some of the most important stories of our time. We’ll keep publishing these gorgeous features filled with photos and illustrations you won’t find anywhere else, if we meet our target of raising $200,000 this December. The good news? We’re already 70 per cent of the way there — will you chip in a little bit today to fund our work? BONUS: you’ll get a charitable tax receipt!
 
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Victoria, BC V8V 4Y9
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