Meet De Facto co-op members
De Facto is a non-profit co-operative, owned and run by journalists. Our award-winning team is: Mike Graeme, Emma Arkell, Dustin Godfrey, David P. Ball, Cam Welch and Brishti Basu
We bring together decades of experience in some of the country's most-read publications. Collectively, our member have won:
• 3 🏅 Jack Webster Foundation awards
• 3 🏅 B.C. & Yukon Community NewsMedia Association awards
• 2 🏅 Canadian Association of Journalists awards
• 1 🏅 Canadian Community Newspaper Association award
• 1 🏅 Rafe Mair Excellence in Journalism award
• 1 🏅 John H. MacDonald Excellence in Student Journalism award
• 1 🏅 Mindset Award for Workplace Mental Health Reporting
Click below to see each of our co-op's members full bio, articles, and awards.
Brishti Basu
Brishti Basu (she/her) is a reporter/editor in Victoria, on unceded lək̓ʷəŋən and W̱SÁNEĆ territories.
She works as a health reporter at PressProgress. Her reporting over the last eight years can be found in over 15 Canadian and international publications, including CBC, Capital Daily, VICE, National Geographic, and BBC.
Cam Welch
Cam Welch (he/him) is a journalist in Victoria, on unceded lək̓ʷəŋən and W̱SÁNEĆ territories.
He is a writer, editor, and editorial designer specializing in audience engagement and development, including newsletters, briefs, social media, and alternative story forms. His work has included newsletter writing and editing at Capital Daily, hosting community-access TV programming, and research on the housing affordability crisis.
David P. Ball
David P. Ball (he/him) is a multimedia journalist in Vancouver, on unceded Sḵwx̱wú7mesh, xʷməθkʷəy̓əm, and səlilwətaɬ territories.
Currently Associate Editor at IndigiNews and host of a Cited Media podcast, David has over 25 years' experience as a reporter, editor, podcaster and photojournalist, including as staff reporter with CBC, TorStar, and The Tyee. His bylines include the Globe & Mail, Toronto Star, National Post, Al Jazeera, Agence France-Presse, and VICE.
Dustin Godfrey
Dustin Godfrey (they/them) is a reporter based in so-called Vancouver, on Sḵwx̱wú7mesh, xʷməθkʷəy̓əm, and səlilwətaɬ territories.
Their work began with community news roles in Penticton, Abbotsford, Burnaby and New Westminster, and has also appeared in The Guardian, The Tyee, The Globe and Mail, The Maple, Filter Magazine and an independent newsletter where they’ve focused on policing, drug policy, health and housing.
Emma Arkell
Emma Arkell (she/her) is a reporter, photographer and documentary filmmaker in Vancouver, on Sḵwx̱wú7mesh, xʷməθkʷəy̓əm, and səlilwətaɬ territories.
She is currently the Labour Reporter at PressProgress. Her work has also been featured in Chatelaine, Xtra, The Tyee, Jacobin, In These Times, The Maple, and Briarpatch Magazine.
Mike Graeme
Mike Graeme (he/they) is a white settler photojournalist in Victoria, on unceded lək̓ʷəŋən and W̱SÁNEĆ territories.
His photos and writings have appeared in more than 25 media outlets and nonfiction books across Canada and the US, including The Narwhal, The Tyee, IndigiNews, and The Nation. He focuses on examining systems of power, amplifying voices from communities most affected by injustice, and documenting stories of resistance.
