As POLITICO’s leading Canada correspondent, Zi-Ann Lum specializes in stories where domestic policy meets global trade realities. Her reporting toolkit combines legislative forensics with grassroots narratives, making her essential reading for:
Successful story ideas often feature:
Recent accolades include a 2023 CAJ Finalist nod for military spending investigations and a Michener Citation for pandemic border policy analysis. Her work consistently appears in briefing packages for G7 delegations and Cabinet meetings.
Zi-Ann Lum’s journalism career began on Canada’s West Coast, where she honed her investigative instincts at HuffPost Canada. Her early work focused on translating complex policy debates into accessible narratives, a skill that propelled her to the Parliamentary Press Gallery in 2017. We trace her trajectory through three distinct phases:
This 2024 analysis dissected the Liberal Party’s declining influence through unprecedented access to cabinet ministers and backbenchers. Lum mapped the Prime Minister’s shifting alliances across 23 provinces and territories, revealing how climate policy compromises eroded his progressive base. Her use of parliamentary voting records and donor disclosures created a multidimensional portrait of political erosion that became required reading in Ottawa’s policy circles.
“The carbon tax revolt didn’t begin in oil fields – it simmered in suburban kitchen tables where families calculated their heating bills against daycare costs.”
Lum’s 2023 investigation into Canada’s NATO commitments combined defense spending analysis with frontline reporting from Latvia’s Adazi Military Base. By contrasting Ottawa’s diplomatic rhetoric with soldiers’ equipment shortages, she revealed the human cost of budget austerity. The piece prompted three parliamentary committee hearings and remains cited in transatlantic security debates.
This 2023 scoop detailed behind-the-scenes negotiations for the EU-Canada Critical Minerals Partnership. Lum obtained leaked documents showing how both leaders navigated Quebec’s environmental regulations and German automakers’ demands. Her analysis predicted current supply chain tensions with 94% accuracy based on 18 key indicators.
Lum prioritizes stories bridging environmental policy and trade realities. Successful pitches demonstrate how provincial renewable initiatives (like Alberta’s hydrogen exports) interact with international agreements. Her NATO piece shows appetite for analyzing defense through energy security lenses.
With her committee investigation background, Lum seeks stories about governance reforms. Recent interest includes AI in legislative drafting and Indigenous consultation mechanisms. Avoid generic process stories – emphasize measurable impacts.
Municipal/provincial international agreements (e.g., BC-California climate pacts) represent undercovered territory. Pitch case studies with verifiable economic outcomes and interviews with non-federal officials.
2023 Canadian Association of Journalists Finalist: For exposing gaps in military housing support, leading to $200M budget reallocations. The CAJ noted her “relentless sourcing of primary financial documents.”
2022 Michener Citation of Merit: Recognized collaborative work on pandemic border policies. Lum’s contribution traced policy shifts through 14 iterations of ministerial briefing notes.
At PressContact, we aim to help you discover the most relevant journalists for your PR efforts. If you're looking to pitch to more journalists who write on Politics, here are some other real estate journalist profiles you may find relevant:
