Tuesday, January 23, 2018

Peter Mansbridge Minifie lecture


We arrived at the university 15 minutes before the Peter Mansbridge lecture to find that the theatre was full and had dozens of people standing around without seats. Eventually the Dean of Arts convinced a class of 35 who were booked into one on the theatre's wings to move someplace else and the wing opened for another 100 or so seats. William and I rushed up to them but the swarm was quicker and the best we could do was get a spot on the stairs at the top where at least no one was trying to walk. The lecture was short and mostly contained commentary on the problem of fake news and the threat to journalism by real news being called fake. The real takeaway was Mansbridge telling the story of getting his start, being a 19 year old high school drop out loading luggage in northern Manitoba when he was offered a job as a CBC late night radio broadcaster based on his voice and availability. It was the class baby boomer "right place at right time" story; always mind-boggling. Talked with Christina and Carle afterwards, having slipped out as the Q&A ramped up. 

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