Cut through the BS.
Hire a journalist.

The critical eye you need
for your communications projects

Writing, Editing, &
Photography

We are journalists by trade, and that means we come to our work with a critical lens, whether it's ghostwriting, blog or newsletter writing, or a website refresh or overhaul. That doesn't just mean a keen eye for detail, but also an inquisitive, analytical approach to how we communicate. We believe the strongest writing comes from asking hard questions and finding shortcomings.

WHAT WE DO

Media Training &
Media Literacy

Research &
Projects

Whether you've never interviewed before, or you just need brushing up, it's always a little intimidating being in the media. We draw from our own experience being on the other side of the microphone to teach you about how media works, what your rights are and how to approach the media. And because we are practising journalists, we have a strong understanding of the current media landscape.

As journalists, we've made careers of digging deep into issues — it's the kind of work we thrive in. From interviews to poring over reports, we know how to tackle big projects. And we know how to take complex topics and turn them into an engaging read, whether it's an in-depth report or a series of posts, and whether it's for industry insiders or for the general public.

Worker-owned.
Transparent by
nature.

Debrief Communications is a group of journalists and communications professionals.

We value democracy; as worker-owners, that is baked into how we approach our work. Those of us who do the labour and who have the best understanding of it are also the ones making decisions about how to do it. As such, we can ensure our practice reflects our values, and that our values are, in turn, reflected in our work.​​​​

We're journalists by trade and as such, we value transparency. We will always be open and upfront with clients about our processes. We take advantage of our training as journalists, and our natural curiosity to produce writing that is precise and compelling, and to bring not only an informed perspective to media training, but a deeply experienced one.

Few freelance journalists today make a living solely off of journalism. Most supplement their incomes in one way or another, usually including some form of writer-for-hire work. The team behind Debrief Communications is a group of practising journalists who have come together to build a sustainable model that balances their journalism and their communications work. By working with Debrief, you aren't just getting high-quality research, writing, and editing, and qualified media training and media literacy courses — you're helping to stabilize the important reporting that each of us does alongside this work.

ABOUT US

Meet the Team

Brishti Basu

CO-FOUNDER

Brishti Basu is a freelance journalist, writer, and editor with seven years of experience. She has written for local publications, such as Capital Daily, as well as various provincial and national publications, such as The Tyee, The Narwhal, and CBC. She has been a finalist for multiple Canadian Association of Journalists and Jack Webster awards. Brishti started her career writing advertorials and listicles for Victoria Buzz, before moving on to journalism. In recent years, she has written and provided media strategy support for a number of PR and communications clients.

Dustin Godfrey is a freelance writer, editor, and photographer based in the Vancouver area. Their experience includes writing website, social media and newsletter content for unions, non-profits, and small businesses. As a staff reporter, they have worked for a variety of local publications, including Burnaby Beacon and Abbotsford News. As a freelancer they have been published in The Tyee, The Globe and Mail, Filter Magazine, and Tradetalk. Their journalism has won and been nominated for various Jack Webster Foundation, Canadian Community Newspaper and Ma Murray awards.

David P. Ball is a multi-media writer, photographer and editor based in Vancouver. Formerly a reporter at CBC News and the Toronto Star, his words and images have appeared in The Globe & Mail, The Tyee, THIS, Briarpatch and Broadview magazines. His communications work includes sponsored feature articles for Tyee Presents, hosting a podcast for the BC Centre on Substance Use, and facilitating writing, media training and literacy workshops for all ages, and edited and designed a national charity’s magazine. He’s been recognized with awards from the Canadian Association of Journalists and Jack Webster Foundation.

CO-FOUNDER

CO-FOUNDER

Dustin Godfrey

David P. Ball

Contact us

Interested in working together? Fill out some info, and we will be in touch shortly.

Or, alternatively, send us an email at info@debriefcomms.ca