Renowned television journalist Joe Schlesinger was awarded the degree of Doctor of Laws, honors causa, a the 9:30 am. ceremony on Wednesday, June 9, in recognition of his inspiring writing, his stellar career as a journalist, his international expertise and understanding.”
Mr. Schlesinger is a veteran Canadian journalist who reported for CBC television news from around the globe for more than 40 years.
Born in Vienna in 1928, Mr. Schlesinger started his journalistic career in 1948 in the Prague bureau of the Associated Press. Once in Canada, he reported for the Vancouver Province and the Toronto Star. He was also an editor at the European Herald Tribune in Paris and at the United Press International (UPI) bureau in London, England.
In 1966, he joined the CBC. He was the executive producer of The National and head of CBC TV News. In 1970, he was a correspondent in Hong Kong Over the next 20 years, he was posted in Pars, Washington and Berlin. In 1991, he became the CBC’s chief political correspondent in Ottawa. He retired from the CBC in 1994 but continues to contribute 10 CBC programs.
Mr. Sehlesinger’s memoirs, Time Zones, was published in 1990 and became a bestseller. He has won four Gemini awards, the John Drainie award for distinguished contribution to Canadian broadcasting and HT Doc award for documentary writing. He wrote and narrated the documentary, The Power of Good, which won an International Emmy award in 2002.
In 1994, he was named a member of the Order of Canada. He has received honorary degrees from the University of British Columbia, The Royal Military College and Dalhousie University He has received a Lifetime Achievement Award rom the Canadian Journalism Foundation.