Imagine a world without journalism. A statement like that would have been incomprehensible a decade ago. Today it is an increasingly potent threat.
While the pandemic emphasized the need for reliable, quality news and opinion in our democracy, the last few years have not been an easy road for journalism in Canada.
Jordan Bitove, the new owner of the Toronto Star, sees a brighter future. Bitove will deliver the 2023 Wilfred Kesterton Lecture at Carleton University’s School of Journalism and Communication.
The event will be held on Tuesday, March 28 at 6:00pm in the august surroundings of the Carleton Dominion-Chalmers Centre, at 355 Cooper St. in downtown Ottawa.
Bitove will use the address to discuss the critical role of journalism in supporting our democracy, to dive deep into the importance of supporting Canadian owned and operated media, and to offer a look behind the curtains of publishing and what we can expect for media in Canada in the years to come.
This will be Bitove’s first major public address since assuming full ownership of the Toronto Star’s parent company Torstar, making him the first sole owner of Canada’s largest circulation daily newspaper since founder Joe Atkinson.
Join us on March 28 for this important event, the major annual keynote for Carleton’s School of Journalism and Communication.
The evening will be moderated by Carleton journalism grad Nahlah Ayed, host of CBC Radio’s IDEAS.
Admission to the event is free, but participants are asked to register in advance to hold their seat. A separate registration portal will allow those who wish to take part virtually to sign up for a live Zoom webinar.
Bitove’s address will be followed by a moderated discussion with Nahlah Ayed and a question-and-answer session with the audience. A special reception will round out the evening.
Jordan Bitove – Publisher, Toronto Star Owner, Torstar Corporation & CEO, NordStar Capital
Jordan Bitove’s distinguished career at the forefront of Canadian business includes ownership of 80 newspapers and interests in technology, real estate, hospitality, natural resources, and distribution. In 1998, he founded Vision Companies, an industry-leading experiential marketing company. He also founded Great Moments in Catering in 1990, which became Canada’s largest privately held event catering company.
As a leader in Canada’s sports industry, Bitove helped launch the Toronto Raptors basketball team, the first NBA franchise awarded outside the United States, and he was part of the ownership consortium that built the SkyDome (now the Rogers Centre). He also helped orchestrate Toronto’s bid for the 2008 Olympics. Since 2013, Bitove has been a member of the Board of Directors of ClearStream Energy Services. He has been a member of the Board of Trustees for SickKids Foundation since 2012. He previously served as a member of the Board of Directors of the Toronto International Film Festival, the Board of Governors of Western University, and the Canadian Advisory Board for Right to Play. In 2012, he was a recipient of the Queen Elizabeth Diamond Jubilee Medal for his philanthropic work. Jordan is a graduate of Western University and holds the position of Honorary Consul to the Republic of North Macedonia.
Nahlah Ayed, is one of Canada’s best-known foreign correspondents and public intellectuals. Ayed was born in Winnipeg, to Palestinian parents and she spent part of her childhood in the Middle East. She is a graduate of Carleton’s Master of Journalism program and began her journalism career on Parliament Hill with The Canadian Press.
In 2002, Ayed joined the CBC and reported from Amman, Baghdad, Beirut and across the region and later spent close to a decade covering world events from London. In 2012 she published her award-winning memoir, A Thousand Farewells.
She is now the host of CBC Radio’s nightly program Ideas, which is a partner in this event.
Wilfred Kesterton was a Saskatchewan-born journalist and Second World War veteran when he became one of the earliest graduates of Carleton’s new Bachelor of Journalism program in 1949. His newspaper background and exceptional academic achievements led to his appointment, upon graduation, as the School of Journalism’s second full-time faculty member.
A leading figure at the School for 40 years, Kesterton specialized in media law and journalism history, publishing important studies in both areas, including his seminal 1967 History of Journalism in Canada. The Kesterton Lecture, the school’s signature annual public event, honours his pioneering contribution to journalism education in this country.
Thursday, March 2, 2023 in Journalism News, News
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