Memo: Peter Mansbridge to step down from The National
Jennifer McGuire, General Manager and Editor in Chief of CBC News and Centres, also announces that during the course of the next year they will launch the development of the next phase of The National
The following memo was sent to CBC staff on Sep 6 from Jennifer McGuire, General Manager and Editor in Chief, CBC News and Centres.
For over three decades Peter Mansbridge has been synonymous with news in Canada. Last night on The National Peter announced that he would be stepping down from the position that made him that. Since being named in 1987 he has been CBC’s Chief Correspondent in every sense of these words. He’s a reporter first and foremost, dedicated to getting the story and getting it right.
Great journalists earn our trust in the moments of our greatest need.
Over and over again, Peter has been the steady reference point in times of crisis. He’s been the face of CBC News through triumph and achievement, tragedy and national loss. He has covered every federal election since 1972 and anchored all ten since 1984. He has covered constitutional crises and hosted the opening of eight Olympic games. Peter was at the fall of the Berlin Wall and on the ground as Canadians fought and died in Afghanistan.
Peter has always championed Canada and CBC News. As he has said many times, it has always been about our country. He has defended the national in The National, and been a staunch believer that the flagship news programme is about us……OUR stories, not to the exclusion of world news, but always from a Canadian perspective. Peter has been paramount to making CBC News the most trusted brand in news in this country. We can’t thank him enough for that.
What the viewers don’t see, though, is what Peter means to those of us who have had a chance to work with him. His door is always open to anyone looking for advice. He is a valued mentor to some of our brightest journalists and a fierce promoter of young talent.
It was black and white, film, teletype and typewriters when Peter started. A lot has changed since then. What has not changed is that Peter is passionate about Canada and about public service journalism. He cares about where we are and where we are headed as a news service.
Peter will continue to be at the helm of The National until July 1. We will find the right opportunities to thank and honour him over the next year. Beyond that Peter will continue to have a role with CBC. We will have more to say about that in the future.
I also want to announce today that during the course of the next year we will launch the development of the next phase of The National. I will personally lead a process to build on its strengths and position it for on going success.
The news industry is undergoing fundamental changes but the bedrock values of quality, integrity and depth that Peter stands for will always be with us. Thank you Peter Mansbridge from your colleagues at CBC News and Centres.
Jennifer McGuire
General Manager and Editor in Chief
CBC News and Centres
