About

Jenn Thornhill Verma is an award-winning investigative journalist covering fisheries, oceans and climate change. Her reporting combines best-available data and evidence with the perspectives of those wearing the boots in the boats in the harbours and waterways where the story happens. Jenn is as comfortable demystifying data with top scientists in the world, as she is baiting a fishing hook with fishers on the wharf—and that’s earned her the respect and trust of both. She is driven to make what’s important, interesting and a pleasure for news audiences.

Jenn is also a visual artist and brings more than 15-years of non-profit management experience. She has Master’s degrees of Fine Arts (MFA Creative Nonfiction, University of King’s College) and Science (MSc Medicine, Memorial University of Newfoundland), is a fellow of the Royal Canadian Geographical Society (FRCGS), a Fellow International of The Explorers Club (FI’23), a Pulitzer Grantee (2024), an alumna of the Oxford Climate Journalism Network, and executive lead of the Global Commission on Evidence to Address Societal Challenges.

In 2019, Jenn published her first book, “Cod Collapse: The Rise and Fall of Newfoundland’s Saltwater Cowboys,” which features her cover art and was shortlisted for a historical writing award at the 2021 Atlantic Book Awards. Jenn’s book inspired her first short-film, “Last Fish, First Boat,” which recounts the true story of a fifth-generation fisherman who pivots to boat-building after the cod fishery closes.

In 2020, Jenn’s landscape art was recognized for best cover (magazine) at the Atlantic Journalism Awards (AJAs), where she has been a repeat nominee (a thrice silver winner for best profile article, for example).

Nominated this year (2024) in four categories (three for The Independent’s Seasplainer series with Leila Beaudoin: business, Atlantic Journalism Awards; best column, Digital Publishing Awards; online media, Canadian Association of Journalists awards; and written news, CAJ awards).

Also nominated for a data journalism award at the CAJ awards (2023), best science and technology storytelling award at the DPA (2023), and best new magazine writer at the National Magazine Awards (2019), Jenn has bylines in Canadian Geographic, CBC, The Independent (NL), The Globe and Mail, The Narwhal, Reader’s Digest, and more.

Jenn also serves on the boards of the University of King’s College (also serving as the Alumni Association’s vice-president), Bruyère Continuing Care, Nourish Leadership and the Justice Emmett Hall Memorial Foundation.

Jenn Thornhill Verma’s CV | Follow Jenn