Peter Mansbridge, CBC’s chief correspondent, received an honorary doctor of laws and gave a speech at Carleton’s convocation ceremony June 11.
Mansbridge, among other honorary degree recipients, was chosen to receive the honour by Carleton’s Senate Honorary Degrees committee.
The recipients are intended to “provide graduating students with exemplary role models and meaningful messages that will carry them into their futures,” according to Carleton’s Senate webpage.
Mansbridge, who made the trip to Ottawa for the ceremony, attended both the general reception and the master’s of journalism reception, before flying back to Toronto to host The National on CBC that night.
“I’ve been humbled to have honorary doctorates from a number of really great universities in Canada and adding Carleton is a special honour for me,” he said.
At the ceremony, Mansbridge recognized many of the journalism graduates who had worked with the CBC in the past.
“They’re just good, smart journalists. They know how to tell stories, know how to create stories . . . and have really solid judgment,” Mansbridge said.
He has also worked closely with Carleton journalism school faculty, including Christopher Waddell, the director of the School of Journalism and Communication, who introduced him at the convocation.
“He was a big hit with the students and I think he enjoyed it a great deal as well,” Waddell said, adding Mansbridge shook hands with every journalism graduate who attended.
Mansbridge acknowledged many graduating students’ concerns about the journalism job market.
“Getting a job is the most significant challenge,” Mansbridge said, but “every generation before you has faced some kind of challenge and they’ve dealt with it.”
Mansbridge has also made plans to start a scholarship program at Carleton aimed at second-year journalism students who excel in the reporting course, according to Waddell.
Though he is now a widely-acclaimed journalist, Mansbridge never attended journalism school before starting his career.
Mansbridge said he was unsure if he wishes he’d received a degree the conventional way, but added, “nothing’s easy unless you apply yourself to it and believe that you can get somewhere.”
“I appreciate the honour and I am humbled by it, but I know the day is not about me—it’s about the graduates.”
The degree is prominently displayed on Mansbridge’s desk in his Toronto condo.
“They gave me a little pin and everything . . . does that get me free into Ravens games?” Mansbridge asked.
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