Joanne Roberts is a storyteller, a trailblazer, and a force for change. Her career spans film, theatre, television, and journalism—but beyond the titles and accolades, she is someone who has had to carve out her own space in industries that weren’t built for her.
A former actor, Joanne's was never just about performance—it was about representation and seeing people like her in spaces where they were too often absent. She has graced the stages of Prairie Theatre Exchange and Théâtre Cercle Molière, embodying roles that showcased her versatility and comedic timing. She guest-starred alongside Quebec actor Éric Robidoux in the French Crave series Edgar and appeared in Sean Garrity’s I Propose We Never See Each Other Again After Tonight.
As a filmmaker and writer, Joanne amplifies the voices of those who are so often unheard. Her autobiographical film Anak won the Emerging Filmmaker’s Pitch competition at the Gimli International Film Festival in 2020, also earning her a spot on the Most Fascinating Manitobans list. She has since expanded into documentary filmmaking, leading multiple CityNews Connect episodes and directing/producing the award-winning series I Am with CBC’s Creator Network.
Now having ventured into television, Joanne does more than report—she bears witness. Known as Winnipeg’s “Reporter in Pink,” she blends her love of circular fashion with an unrelenting commitment to truth. Whether covering breaking news, cultural celebrations, or investigative stories, she brings audiences with her, offering an unfiltered look at the world through her eyes. As a host, she has led some of Manitoba’s most significant events, including the Supporting Women in Film Trades (SWIFT) Conference, a live studio panel during the 2023 provincial election, and Pride Winnipeg’s Mamawi Stage.
Her path into journalism was a natural but hard-won evolution. Trained through CBC Manitoba’s inaugural Pathways Program, she co-created and hosted Being Asian: Competing Truths, a groundbreaking series that sparked national discussions on Asian identity and became widely used in Canadian schools during Asian Heritage Month. The impact was immediate—it solidified Joanne as a leading voice in Canadian media.
In 2023, she joined Citytv as a video journalist, using her platform to challenge systemic narratives and redefine what it means to tell a story. She signs off her broadcasts in Tagalog, French, and ASL—not just as a gesture, but as a statement: this space belongs to all of us. Alongside her reporting, she serves as the backfill supervising producer, a creative lead for CityNews Connect, and the voice behind many of CityNews Winnipeg’s land acknowledgement.
Her ability to connect with people transcends titles and industries. She has interviewed Canadian icons, from comedian Colin Mochrie to filmmakers Guy Maddin, Evan Johnson, and Galen Johnson, and actors like James Marsden, Tina Keeper, and Sara Canning. She has also sat down with global leaders, including former Governor General Michaëlle Jean, Olympian Josipa Kafadar, and Academy Award-nominated filmmaker Rory Kennedy.
But Joanne’s true impact isn’t measured in celebrity interviews or prime-time coverage—it’s in the trust she’s built with everyday heroes, the stories that wouldn’t have been told without her, and the way she has become a refuge for those who feel unseen. She doesn’t just report—she stands with the communities she covers, often being one of few journalists they trust to tell their stories.
She has fought for every inch of space she occupies, knowing firsthand how systems can try to keep people out. But she has never waited for permission. Joanne’s work is more than storytelling—it's a way of holding the line so that others may step forward. Through it all, she remains committed to one simple but radical truth: stories have power, and she will never stop making space for the ones that matter.