Reporter: Courtney Williams
Journalism can be exciting, it can be funny, and it can be incredibly emotional, CBC’s ‘The National’ anchor Peter Mansbridge told DC’s journalism students on March 18.
Mansbridge is one of the most recognized faces and names in Canadian journalism. He came to Durham College’s North campus to speak with Journalism students about his career and to offer advice to the aspiring writers, broadcasters and reporters.
There wasn’t an empty seat in the South Wing classroom set aside for the hour allotted for his Q & A period. The dean of the School of Media, Art and Design, Greg Murphy, as well as the president of Durham College, Don Lovisa, were both in attendance for the event.
Mansbridge spoke to students for about an hour, offering pieces of advice and anecdotes about his long-standing journalism career.
“You have to be fascinated by what goes on around you,” he said to the future journalists. “The best quality of any journalist is the ability to tell stories. Learn to be a great storyteller, keep your eyes wide open, and meet as many people as you can.”
He said the key to being a great reporter is to create unforgettable moments within your stories that will inspire the people hearing them.
“Great reporters have moments in their stories,” he said. “Moments that make you sit up and want to listen.”
First-year broadcast journalism student Sarah Chan said she was thankful for the opportunity to meet Mansbridge and she wouldn’t have missed it for the world.
“There was no question as to whether or not I would come to hear Peter speak,” she said. “I think as a young person who dreams of being as successful as he is in the same industry, you have to take an opportunity such as that one without hesitation.”
She went on to say that she thinks the Q & A was a complete success for her and her classmates.
“I think we all had a great time just sitting there soaking in everything he said and seeing how he interacts off camera,” she said. “I found every little thing he said to be helpful and full of knowledge. When I left the room, the one thing that stuck with me was when he said he had failed three times before making it to a place in his career he was proud of. I think it’s good for students to hear that even the people we look up to struggled along the way, so it’s totally okay if we do, too.”
Mansbridge ended the day by staying behind for handshakes and photo-ops with excited students.
