Public opinion researcher John Wright has been named the Canadian Journalism Foundation’s (CJF) inaugural Distinguished Research Fellow.

Wright, the CEO of Canada Pulse Insights, is a former CJF board member and has collaborated with the foundation on past polling, including analyzing news consumption habits, the impact of AI on journalism, and the role of news creators in the Canadian news ecosystem.

In his new role, he’ll continue to guide CJF’s research efforts, helping the foundation understand how Canadians engage with news and what that means for the future of journalism.

“I’m deeply honoured by this appointment,” said Wright, in a CJF announcement. “Having worked with journalists throughout my career, I hold each of them in the highest regard for their vigilance and integrity in bringing unvarnished, fact-based insights to the public. Their role today has never been more important.”

Wright started his career with the Angus Reid Group in 1989, where he secured the first monthly media polling Agency of Record (AOR) role with Southam News. That led to media polling partnerships with Toronto’s CFRB (NewsTalk 1010) and CBC Newsworld. Following Angus Reid’s acquisition by Ipsos, Wright led long-term AOR polling partnerships with CTV, The Globe and Mail, National Post, Global News, and Report on Business. In addition to his client practice as Senior Vice President of Ipsos Public Affairs, he also established relationships with CNN International, The Associated Press, McClatchy News, and Reuters International with the first ever regular monthly global polling AOR program.

He additionally hosted weekly radio talk show, Your Opinion Counts, on NewsTalk 1010 for a decade and co-hosted BNN’s Squeeze Play with Amanda Lang.

“John has long been instrumentally involved in shaping the CJF’s growth,” said CJF President & Executive Director Natalie Turvey. “As a former CJF board member and lead researcher on our recent reports about media literacy in the age of AI, his expertise in distilling data into insightful, actionable reports is unparalleled. We are thrilled to have him join us in this new role that will allow him to continue to produce robust research and reporting on the state of Canadian journalism today.”