Powerpoint of Peter Mansbridge for Journalism Idol Presentation.

1. The Mansbridge
Effect
By Megan Harrison and Megan Sibley

3. “
”
That meant heading over to a microphone at the ticket counter, pushing down the
Talk button, and rolling out these words: “Transair Flight 106 for Thompson, The
Pas and Winnipeg is now ready for boarding at Gate One. Passengers travelling with
small children and those requiring boarding assistance, please check with the agent
at the gate.” Then I was supposed to dash to the gate to be that agent, but before I
could get there, someone who had been standing in the crown cut in front of me.
“You’ve got a great voice,” he said. “Have you ever thought of being in radio?”
And that is how I started working for the CBC. The man in the crowd was Gaston
Charpentier, the station manager of CHFC, the tiny CBC Northern Service station
in Churchill.
-Peter Mansbridge describing the early years, working at an
airport in Churchill, Manitoba

4. Biography

5. Biography
• Current chief CBC News correspondent
• Anchors The National, and Mansbridge: One on One, as well as all specials for
CBC News
• Born in London, England in 1948 (in the aftermath of WWII)
• Spent his childhood in Canada, and was a member of the Royal Canadian Navy
(dropped out of high school)
• Began journalistic career in 1968, patching news to Northern Canada
• Signed on with the CBC in 1971 with CBC Radio, then CBC Television in 1975
• Mansbridge became chief correspondent/anchor for CBC’s The National in 1988
• Mansbridge has received 12 Gemini Awards, and has recognized by countless
universities worldwide

6. “
”
These young people have spent thousands of their
(or their parents’) hard-earned dollars on years of
classes hoping, just hoping, to get a shot at the short
list for such a job.
-Mansbridge describing his feelings towards some young journalists

7. Our Thoughts

8. Our Thoughts
• Mansbridge is a skilled and experienced
interviewer
• He is a household name on Canadian radios
and televisions
• Peter Mansbridge rises to allegations of
controversy
• He is a natural journalist, with reporting as
primal nature
• Young journalists worldwide are inspired by
the career of Peter Mansbridge

9. “
”
It’s probably safe to assume I've done an
average of one interview a day. That begins to
approach fifteen thousand interviews. So let’s
be ultra-conservative and say I've done around
ten thousand.
-Mansbridge quips in his book, “Peter Mansbridge One on One”

10. Overview of
Stories

11. Overview of Stories
• On The National, Mansbridge covers locally and globally impactful
stories that are important to Canadians
• He interviews social and political figures that are prevalent in today’s
society (ex; he is the only Canadian journalist to interview two of the
world’s leaders, Barack Obama and David Cameron)
• He is the anchor that the world looks to in the event of breaking
news (ex; commended for comprehensive coverage throughout the
recent Ottawa shootings)
• His weekly show, Mansbridge: One on One, Mansbridge interviews
newsmakers in a more intimate setting (Ex; recent guests include
Gordon Lightfoot and Anne Murray)

13. “
”
When journalism students ask me, “What’s the secret to a
good interview?” I respond by telling them to find their own
comfort zone and develop their own technique. While I've
always felt you can earn from others, copying them is not
the way to go.
-Mansbridge on the power of being yourself

14. Reporting
Style

15. Reporting Style
• Spends the majority of his career interviewing; “non-confrontational” style
• Learns from the techniques of other reporters
• Stresses the importance of doing your homework
• Understands that good interviewers must truly listen

16. “
”
Then his baritone rumbles to life like a gas generator.
Heads swivel and brows lift and even when Mansbridge
says something mundane — “I’ll just get a couple of
eggs, over-easy, with brown toast and sliced tomatoes,
please” — it sounds momentous, like breakfast will be
followed by a referendum or Gulf war.”
-Viney Menon (Columnist for The Star)

17. Audience

18. Audience
• Mansbridge hosts a national Canadian
• He strives to “offer a range of diverse
viewpoints”
• Mansbridge possesses an element of
connectivity with his audience; Canada is
captivated by his work
• His work has been recognized by
institutions across the globe

19. “
”
People always assume [interviews with big names] are
my most memorable. And while many are right up there
on my list, its often talking to ordinary people caught in
extraordinary circumstances that I find has affected me
most.
-Mansbridge stressing the importance of interviewing everyday people

20. Overall
Contribution

21. Overall Contribution
• Mansbridge is both an inspired journalist and human being
• He answers the questions that need to be answered
• He stresses the importance of interviewing everyday people
• Mansbridge crosses boundaries and borders, speaking to the silenced
• He has helped reinforce Canada’s place in the world of contemporary journalism

22. “
”
“Of course I put in long hours and worked hard to move up the ladder.
But lots of people put in long hours and work hard, and don't end up
where I did. And I'm a high school dropout. I'm not proud of that. But I
don't hide it either. I especially don't hide it from young people who may
be thinking about leaving school. What a terrible idea that is.
If someone with my background applied for a job with CBC News today,
we'd take that as evidence he was delusional.”
-Peter Mansbridge stressing lessons for young journalists

23. Key Lessons

24. Key Lessons
1.Take chances, and find your
passion!
2.Objectivity in journalism is vital

26. Thank you

27. Works Cited
• Jonsson, Adam, and Jake English. "Around the World: Canadian Coverage of Ottawa Shooting Praised by International Media." Jsourceca. The Canadian Journalism Project, 24 Oct. 2014. Web. 24 Nov. 2014.
http://jpress.journalism.ryerson.ca/jsource/around-the-world-canadian-coverage-praised-by-international-media/
•
• Mansbridge, Peter. "Inside the News with Peter Mansbridge." CBCnews. CBC/Radio Canada, 09 Aug. 2013. Web. 26 Nov. 2014. http://www.cbc.ca/newsblogs/petermansbridge/about-peter.html
• Mansbridge, Peter. Peter Mansbridge: One on One; Favourite Conversations and the Stories behind Them. Toronto, ON: Random House, 2009. Print.
• McQueen, Cynthia. "CBC's Peter Principle." NOW Magazine. 06 Mar. 2014. Web. 26 Nov. 2014. https://nowtoronto.com/news/features/cbcs-peter-principle/
• Menon, Viney. "Peter Mansbridge: CBC’s Anchor in a Storm." Thestar.com. Toronto Star, 23 May 2014. Web. 20 Nov. 2014.
http://www.thestar.com/entertainment/2014/05/23/peter_mansbridge_cbcs_anchor_in_a_storm.html
• The National. "Peter Mansbridge: 25 Years as Anchor of The National." YouTube. YouTube, 2 May 2013. Web. 26 Nov. 2014. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=JS-M2xsbLHM
• "Peter Mansbridge." Wikipedia. Wikimedia Foundation, 06 Nov. 2014. Web. 26 Nov. 2014. http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Peter_Mansbridge
•