Dr. Gordon Katic: Get to Know our Newest Faculty Member

Dr. Gordon Katic, the inaugural Cullen Chair in Media and Communications, is an award-winning journalist.

As a scholar, Dr. Katic undertakes research focused on science, health, and environmental journalism, with a special focus on journalism in the post-truth era. He has taught at the University of British Columbia and at Simon Fraser University.

He is the founder and director of Cited Media, an acclaimed podcast production company that brings together scholars, students, journalists, and community groups to create research-informed journalism in the public interest.

He has published, edited, hosted, and/or produced several hundred podcast episodes across more than twenty programs, including an investigative series that was recognized as the best legal podcast by the American Bar Association, and an educational podcast that won its category at the 2025 New York Festivals.

Dr. Katic will teach a number of courses in the 2026–2027 academic year, including Introduction to Journalism and Media Literacy and Democracy.

Q&A

What do you enjoy most about being an educator?

I enjoy empowering students to tell their own stories. As attentive educators know, students arrive at university with strong ideals, diverse histories, and a wide array of community ties. Students can draw from these resources to develop powerful narratives, yet many struggle to do so.

Therefore, my goal in the classroom is to build students’ confidence as storytellers. Partially, this is a matter of skill. Educators need to help students develop technical proficiencies and a grasp of journalistic styles, genres, and conventions. However, there is often a deeper issue: students sometimes lack the confidence to see themselves as journalists. In response, I treat them as journalists, impressing upon them that they have stories worth telling.

The most gratifying element of this work is when a student recognizes that their stories matter and are worth sharing.

What excites you about becoming a faculty member at Corpus?

I am especially excited to be working at an institution that exemplifies the best ideals of Catholic intellectual, activist, and educational traditions. I come from a Catholic family that fled war-torn Croatia as refugees. This experience instilled in me the values of social justice and non-violence, as well as a deep respect for Catholic peace movements. My own Catholic education further grounded me in the values of holistic education, experiential learning, and community service. It will be an honour to contribute to a tradition that has been so formative in my own life and work.

What course(s) are you looking forward to teaching?

I am especially excited about teaching Introduction to Journalism. In such classes, I encourage students to transform their classroom into their newsroom. We will leave the lecture hall and explore the wider campus, encountering new people and ideas. Students will meet campus media, faculty, community groups, and other working journalists. This will help students quickly familiarize themselves with the community, and empower them to begin telling meaningful stories. I cannot wait to see what they create.

What should the community at Corpus Christi and St. Mark’s know about you?

I am an excellent collaborator who is always open to new ideas and partnerships. My audio journalism has been highly collaborative, consistently involving large and interdisciplinary teams. Therefore, please don’t hesitate to reach out to me to share a little about yourself and your projects; perhaps we can forge a new project together, or I might be able to assist with your existing ones. I also often provide advice, media training, and support for faculty media projects. If you ever want a journalist to review something or offer some basic pointers, feel free to knock on my door.

This article was originally published in the 2026 edition of A Year in Review. For more stories like this about the Corpus Christi and St. Mark’s College community, read the full publication at the link below.