TORONTO – RTDNA Canada will posthumously recognize Joe Schlesinger with its highest honour, a lifetime achievement award, in recognition of his continued excellence during the course of his career in journalism.
“It’s an honour to recognize a Canadian icon in journalism”, said RTDNA Canada president Fiona Conway, in the announcement. “Not only did Joe Schlesinger cover the major stories of our times, he was a mentor and a leader to many journalists. He was also a lovely person and a treasure to all who were able to work with him or be touched by his charm and wit.”
Born in Vienna and raised in Czechoslovakia, Schlesinger moved to Canada in 1950. After attending university and working for papers in Vancouver and Toronto, he returned to Europe to eventually become managing editor of the International Herald Tribune.
He joined the CBC in 1966 where he became executive producer of The National and later, chief political correspondent for that program. But his true passion took him abroad.
When the Shah of Iran fell, Schlesinger interviewed the Ayatollah Khomeini in exile and was with him when he returned in triumph to Tehran. When Ronald Reagan was shot, when China opened its doors to ping-pong diplomacy, when Berlin was unified, he told those stories, too. And when an earthquake devastated a town in Italy, he showed how a young boy beat the odds and was pulled from the rubble.
What remained constant was Schlesinger’s voice: distinctive, unflappable and honest.
Joe Schlesinger once commented, “I have a career of wandering around the world, watching the universe and actually getting paid for it. It’s like a little boy’s dream.” He passed away in February 2019 at the age of 91.
“Joe had a formidable intellect and a natural curiosity that always led to interesting insights in the stories he told”, added CBC News general manger and editor in chief Jennifer McGuire. “He was remarkable – a giant in our profession. We are so appreciative that the RTDNA has recognized his lifetime of excellence.”
The RTDNA Canada lifetime achievement award will be presented during the RTDNA Gala in Toronto on May 11, 2019.
