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
Our co-op brings together decades of experience in some of the country's most-read media publications. Click below to see each of our co-op's members full bio, articles, and awards.
Brishti Basu
Brishti Basu (she/her) is a member of the De Facto co-operative and a reporter/editor living on unceded lək̓ʷəŋən and W̱SÁNEĆ territories, otherwise known as Victoria, BC
Brishti works as a health reporter at PressProgress. She is a first generation immigrant who moved to Canada in 2015 and found journalism to be the best way to learn about her new home. 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 De Facto member and a journalist based 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 member of the De Facto co-operative, and a multimedia journalist in Vancouver, on unceded Sḵwx̱wú7mesh, xʷməθkʷəy̓əm, and səlilwətaɬ territories.
He is a reporter, editor, podcaster and photojournalist with more than 25 years of experience in media, including as staff reporter at CBC News, TorStar, and The Tyee.
He is currently Associate Editor with IndigiNews, and hosts a Cited Media podcast on substance use and harm reduction. He has been published in the Globe & Mail, Al Jazeera, Toronto Star, Agence France-Presse, Le Monde, The Guardian and the National Post.
He loves wild-food foraging and exploring the wilderness with his dog, Willow.
Dustin Godfrey
Dustin Godfrey (they/them) is a De Facto member and 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.
Dustin’s work 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.
Dustin lives with the best cat.
Emma Arkell
Emma Arkell (she/her) is a member of the De Facto co-operative and a reporter, photographer and documentary filmmaker based in so-called Vancouver, BC 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 and member of De Facto cooperative documenting stories of resistance and justice on the unceded lək̓ʷəŋən and W̱SÁNEĆ territories.
His photos and writings have appeared in more than 25 media outlets and nonfiction books across Canada and the U.S., including The Narwhal, The Tyee, IndigiNews, and The Nation. His work focuses on examining systems of power and amplifying the voices of communities most affected by injustice.
