Department: School of Journalism
Position supervisor: Angela Misri
Contract length: Sept - Dec 2025, possibility of extension Jan. - Dec. 2026
Hours of work per week: 5 hours
Position type: Research
Rate of pay: Commiserate with TMU rates for master’s students

About Toronto Metropolitan University (formerly Ryerson University)

At the intersection of mind and action, Toronto Metropolitan University is on a transformative path to become Canada’s leading comprehensive innovation university. Integral to this path is the placement of equity, diversity and inclusion as fundamental to our institutional culture. Our current academic plan outlines each as core values and we work to embed them in all that we do.

Toronto Metropolitan University welcomes those who have demonstrated a commitment to upholding the values of equity, diversity, and inclusion and will assist us to expand our capacity for diversity in the broadest sense. In addition, to correct the conditions of disadvantage in employment in Canada, we encourage applications from members of groups that have been historically disadvantaged and marginalized, including First Nations, Metis and Inuit peoples, Indigenous peoples of North America, racialized persons, persons with disabilities, and those who identify as women and/or 2SLGBTQ+. Please note that all qualified candidates are encouraged to apply; however, applications from Canadians and permanent residents will be given priority.

As an employer, we are working towards a people first culture and are proud to have been selected as one of Canada’s Best Diversity Employers and a Greater Toronto’s Top Employer for 2015, 2016, 2017 and 2018.

About the program/department/team

We are seeking a Research Assistant to join the third wave of the Canadian branch of the Journalistic Role Performanceproject, an international research initiative that examines the gap between traditional journalistic values and the actual practice of journalism. At Toronto Metropolitan University (TMU), the JRP Canada team is led by Dr. Nicole Blanchett, while Asst. Professor Angela Misri is heading up the data-gathering arm of the study. Through content analysis and interviews with journalists, the project aims to understand how journalistic roles are performed in diverse contexts and how these performances align with or deviate from established norms and expectations.

The opportunity

We are seeking a Research Assistant/Developer with technical expertise to help us build an automated workflow for capturing Canadian news homepages and extracting their linked content. This role is ideal for someone who enjoys problem-solving, working with web automation, and developing bespoke research tools. Applicants must be enrolled in a university program at the Master’s level.

The successful candidate will:

• Develop a process to automatically screencap three news homepages (CBC, Global News, La Presse) on specified dates.
• Capture all linked news stories from those homepages (not just images, but fully functional web archives with working links).
• Store all captured content in a shared Google Drive folder.
• Extract and record headline and author text from the captured homepages into Google Sheets.
• Ensure the process is repeatable and efficient, minimizing errors with no data loss.
• Work with our team’s existing demo examples (sample screencap + sample Google Sheet) as the reference for the final output.
• Provide input into or write/help write a blog that explains the process of developing the workflow of capture for knowledge dissemination.

Key Deliverable

A functioning tool or workflow (likely one bespoke solution or a combination of AI automation tools such as Browse AI and XM Discover) that can reliably carry out the above capture process.

What We Will Provide

• Clear examples of the desired final outputs (demo screencap and demo Google Sheet).
• Guidance on the scope and expectations of the project.
• Ongoing collaboration and feedback during development.

Qualifications

• Experience in web automation, web scraping, or custom tool development.
• Familiarity with Google Drive APIs and Google Sheets integration.
• Ability to design a user-friendly and consistent workflow for repeated use.
• Ability to meet strict deadlines.
• Strong attention to detail; ability to ensure captured data is complete and functional (not flat images).
• Familiarity with news/media websites is an asset but not required.

How to apply

Please send your CV, a brief description of your relevant experience, and (if available) examples of similar automation or data-capture tools you’ve developed to angela.misri@torontomu.ca.

Toronto Metropolitan University’s commitment to equity, diversity and inclusion

• We encourage all First Nations, Metis and Inuit peoples or Indigenous peoples of North America, to self-identify in their applications. If you are an Indigenous applicant and require support during the recruitment process, please reach out to James McKay, Indigenous HR Lead at james13@torontomu.ca.
• Toronto Metropolitan University is committed to the principles of the Accessibility for Ontarians with Disabilities Act (AODA), and aims to ensure that independence, dignity, integration and equality of opportunity are embedded in all aspects of the university culture.
• We will provide an accessible experience for applicants, students, employees, and members of the Toronto Metropolitan University community. We are committed to providing an inclusive and barrier-free work environment, starting with the recruitment process. If you have restrictions that need to be accommodated to fully participate in any phase of the recruitment process,please reach out to Human Resources:
  • Current employees can contact HR by logging into AskHR to submit a request.
  • External candidates who do not have TMU login credentials can contact HR by visiting torontomu.ca/human-resources/askhr/.
• All information received in relation to accommodation will be kept confidential.