FIMS News
Contact Information
FIMS Communications
Becky Blue
Email
519-661-2111x88493
FIMS & Nursing Building
Rm 2060C
Ann Lambert: Navigating the dynamic landscape of social media storytelling
By Muskaan Baraech
Ann's job title: Social Media Lead
Organization: Jack.org
Media has always been a part of Ann's life, from childhood to adulthood, leading to her enrollment in the MMJC program and subsequent career as the social media lead at Jack.org.
---
Ann Lambert’s creativity and interest in storytelling have been evident from a young age. Having dabbled with video editing programs such as iMovie and Video Star, and social media software like Instagram from a young age, her path towards a creative career almost seemed inevitable.
“I got Instagram at 11-years-old, and I was addicted right away, which led to an interest in making silly little videos on my iPod Touch with Video Star and iMovie,” says Ann, describing her pathway toward communications and storytelling as a natural progression. “I really fell in love with how, almost subconsciously, I’ve been planting seeds for this career path since I was a tween.”
Her interest in media and the realm of communications later brought her to the University of Ottawa, where she graduated with a Bachelor of Arts in Communication and Sociology in 2023. But after graduating, she felt that she wasn’t yet equipped with tools and the industry-ready skills she needed to become a storyteller in the way she wanted to be.
Her search for storytelling skills led her to discover and apply to just one program: the Master of Media in Journalism and Communication (MMJC) program at Western University. She hoped that MMJC would provide her with the hands-on skills and knowledge she desired to truly become a storyteller. Ann said that she felt drawn to MMJC because of the program’s emphasis on “building storytellers who tell stories that matter.”
Ann acknowledges that she was challenged during her time in MMJC but thinks that she was pushed out of her comfort zone “in all of the most impactful and beneficial ways.” She adds,
“MMJC provided me with both the industry skills and the formative experiences I needed to thrive in this field, like the confidence to cold-pitch stories and talk to strangers,” said Ann.
Ann is currently working as the social media lead at Jack.org, a job she said that she wouldn’t have gotten without MMJC—and a job that she absolutely loves. The non-profit organization focuses on youth mental health and suicide prevention. Throughout Ann’s journey at Jack.org, she has had the opportunity to experience various aspects of communications: from content strategy and copywriting for multiple audiences and platforms, to community engagement, creator management, and even representing the organization on a live-to-air news segment.21
Fun Fact
Ann greatly enjoys solo travelling. She visited six countries by herself in 2024 and aims to travel more in 2025!
She is grateful for the emphasis that MMJC put on ethical and authentic storytelling, as an important part of her role is navigating the ethical nuances of storytelling within a mental health context. Specifically, she recalls deriving valuable lessons on interviewing from the course “By, For, About: Telling Stories from/within the Margins”, taught by Professor Sally Kewayosh.
Ann’s advice to current MMJC students wanting to pursue a career in social media post-graduation would be to focus on their portfolio. She recommends current students build their portfolio surrounding their interests or a specific niche.
“Take the time to show the people hiring for your dream job that you actually know stuff about that industry and that you have a stake in it. Because that’ll put you way ahead of someone with a very generic resume and portfolio that doesn’t really seem to be targeting anything specific,” says Ann.
From her beginnings with iMovie and Video Star on an iPod to managing the social media accounts for a national non-profit mental health organization, Ann is deeply grateful to the MMJC program for empowering her to become the storyteller she was always meant to be.
---
Profiles in the MMJC Career Success blog are written by students in the Master of Media in Journalism & Communication program, who are enrolled in MMJC 9604 - Professional Writing.
