Tony Burman
Encyclopedia
Tony Burman is the Velma Rogers Graham Research Chair at Ryerson University
in Toronto, Canada.http://www.thestar.com/news/article/1019995--former-chief-of-cbc-al-jazeera-headed-back-to-canada
Previously, he served as Al Jazeera
's chief strategic advisor for the Americas, 2010-2011, based in Washington DC.http://www.newswire.ca/en/releases/archive/May2010/17/c4333.html He also served as managing director of the Al Jazeera English network, based in Doha, Qatar, from 2008-2010. Prior to this, from 2002-2007, he was the editor in chief of CBC
News
.
In October 2007, Burman received the Academy of Canadian Cinema and Television
's Gordon Sinclair Award
for lifetime achievement in broadcast journalism.http://www.geminiawards.ca/gemini22/specialsGS.cfm In October 2009, Arabian Business
magazine named him the second most influential non-Arab in the Arab world.http://www.arabianbusiness.com/expat-powerlist/profile/1191 Then, in November 2009, the Canadian Expat Association
also announced that he had been voted the third most influential Canadian living abroad, behind Michael J. Fox
and Wayne Gretzky
.http://www.marketwire.com/press-release/The-Canadian-Expat-Association-1072538.html
.
He is also active in supporting public broadcasting and investigative journalism.
Print
As a student in the 1960s, Burman edited two school newspapers, one of which was the Loyola News (of what is now Concordia University
). In that role, most notably, he was called upon by the Canadian University Press
to investigate the circumstances surrounding the resignations of the editors of the University of Windsor
's student paper, the Lance
,http://www.library.ubc.ca/archives/pdfs/ubyssey/UBYSSEY_1968_01_12.pdf who had reprinted a controversial essay comparing the status of students at California State University
and the status of African Americans in society. His commission concluded the university administration had interfered with the independence of the newspaper and forced the editors out: "the concept of freedom of the press
at Windsor is very much in doubt."http://www.library.ubc.ca/archives/pdfs/ubyssey/UBYSSEY_1968_01_23.pdf His arguments in the official report, filed at the CUP office in Ottawa, later became encapsulated as the exemplar case in defending the underground
journalism movement; the Canadian counterpart to a larger debate regarding the treatment of a now-classic civil rights
essay, The Student as Nigger
, as well as other related forms of "challenging" social commentary.
Burman's first professional role was as an Education Reporter at his father's newspaper, the Montreal Star
, in the late 1960s. He then spent several years as a freelancer, including a stint in South America, where he found his first big story: Vilcabamba
, often called the valley of longevity and reputed to be one of the sources for modern fountain of youth
mythologies.
From 1982-1984, Burman contributed a dozen essays on international relations to the Globe and Mail.
in Montreal as a contributing producer to As It Happens
and, later, as executive producer of Cross Country Checkup
.
(1975-76), Peter Kent
(1976-78), and Knowlton Nash
(1978-88).
From 1980-82, Burman was executive producer of The National and created the redesign of the newscast when it moved in 1982 to its new prime-time slot at 10 p.m. After this, he spent three years based in London (1982-85) for CBC Television news. In London, he and correspondent Brian Stewart
were the first North American journalists on the ground to cover the 1984 - 1985 famine in Ethiopia
, where they found Birhan Woldu
(the "face of famine" that inspired both Live Aid
and Live 8
).http://www.cbc.ca/news/background/ethiopia/index.html
Burman produced many documentaries during his five year tenure as senior producer with The Journal (1985-90). These included, among others:
In 1989, The Journal also won TV Guide's Most Popular Program Award.
From 1990-93, Burman was chief news editor of CBC Television. In 1993, he returned to The National as executive producer, creating the current hour-long format and successfully addressing management concerns regarding the show's flagging ratings and declining quality (via e.g., Gemini Award
nom. 1995, 1996, 1997).
He also led several successful co-productions with other media organizations, including The New York Times
and Frontlinehttp://www.pbs.org/wgbh/pages/frontline/shows/khadr/etc/credits.html.
.
Since his return to management in 1998, Burman served as head of CBC Newsworld
until his retirement in 2007. Burman had also been in charge of all journalistic programming since February 2000.http://www.cbc.ca/canada/story/2000/01/27/burman000127.html
On June 19, 2007, he announced his retirement from the CBC after a 35 year career, effective July 13.
In November 2009, he delivered the annual Clissold Lecture at the University of Western Ontario
.http://www.fims.uwo.ca/journalism/events/clissold/2009.htm In 2010, he delivered the Minifie Lecture at the University of Reginahttp://webcache.googleusercontent.com/search?q=cache:nbpKJCJ53jwJ:www.leaderpost.com/news/Jazeera%2BTony%2BBurman%2BRegina%2Bdeliver%2BMinifie%2BLecture%2BUniversity%2BRegina/2721275/story.html and the keynote address at Media Democracy Day 2010.http://www.scribd.com/doc/38345977/Tony-Burman-Keynote-Confirmed. In 2011, he was the "headline" speaker at the University of Wisconsin, Madison, journalism ethics conference.http://www.news.wisc.edu/19110
Ryerson University
Ryerson University is a public research university located in downtown Toronto, Ontario, Canada. Its urban campus is adjacent to Yonge-Dundas Square located at the busiest intersection in Downtown Toronto. The majority of its buildings are in the blocks northeast of the square in Toronto's Garden...
in Toronto, Canada.http://www.thestar.com/news/article/1019995--former-chief-of-cbc-al-jazeera-headed-back-to-canada
Previously, he served as Al Jazeera
Al Jazeera
Al Jazeera is an independent broadcaster owned by the state of Qatar through the Qatar Media Corporation and headquartered in Doha, Qatar...
's chief strategic advisor for the Americas, 2010-2011, based in Washington DC.http://www.newswire.ca/en/releases/archive/May2010/17/c4333.html He also served as managing director of the Al Jazeera English network, based in Doha, Qatar, from 2008-2010. Prior to this, from 2002-2007, he was the editor in chief of CBC
Canadian Broadcasting Corporation
The Canadian Broadcasting Corporation, commonly known as CBC and officially as CBC/Radio-Canada, is a Canadian crown corporation that serves as the national public radio and television broadcaster...
News
CBC News
CBC News is the department within the Canadian Broadcasting Corporation responsible for the news gathering and production of news programs on CBC television, radio and online services...
.
In October 2007, Burman received the Academy of Canadian Cinema and Television
Academy of Canadian Cinema and Television
The Academy of Canadian Cinema & Television is a Canadian non-profit organization created in 1979 to recognize over 4,000 Canadian film industry and television industry professionals...
's Gordon Sinclair Award
Gemini Award
The Gemini Awards are annual television broadcasting industry awards in Canada.First awarded in 1986, the Geminis celebrate the achievements of TV members of the Academy of Canadian Cinema & Television. Essentially, it presents awards for the best television productions in Canada. Awards are...
for lifetime achievement in broadcast journalism.http://www.geminiawards.ca/gemini22/specialsGS.cfm In October 2009, Arabian Business
Arabian Business
Arabian Business is the Middle East's best selling weekly business magazine. The magazine focuses on the English and Arabic speaking communities and is published in both languages.-Arabian Business:Arabian Business is audited by BPA Worldwide...
magazine named him the second most influential non-Arab in the Arab world.http://www.arabianbusiness.com/expat-powerlist/profile/1191 Then, in November 2009, the Canadian Expat Association
Canadian Expat Association
Canadian Expat Association is a registered Canadian lobby that focuses on creating awareness amongst Canadians and legislators of the value of the Canadian expat community and issues faced by Canadians living abroad...
also announced that he had been voted the third most influential Canadian living abroad, behind Michael J. Fox
Michael J. Fox
Michael J. Fox, OC is a Canadian American actor, author, producer, activist and voice-over artist. With a film and television career spanning from the late 1970s, Fox's roles have included Marty McFly from the Back to the Future trilogy ; Alex P...
and Wayne Gretzky
Wayne Gretzky
Wayne Douglas Gretzky, CC is a Canadian former professional ice hockey player and former head coach. Nicknamed "The Great One", he is generally regarded as the best player in the history of the National Hockey League , and has been called "the greatest hockey player ever" by many sportswriters,...
.http://www.marketwire.com/press-release/The-Canadian-Expat-Association-1072538.html
Career
Tony Burman has worked as a journalist in print, radio, television, and online. Although he is now chief strategic advisor for Al Jazeera English, his career started in the 1960s. For most of this time (35 years), he was at the Canadian Broadcasting CorporationCanadian Broadcasting Corporation
The Canadian Broadcasting Corporation, commonly known as CBC and officially as CBC/Radio-Canada, is a Canadian crown corporation that serves as the national public radio and television broadcaster...
.
He is also active in supporting public broadcasting and investigative journalism.
Concordia University
Concordia University is a comprehensive Canadian public university located in Montreal, Quebec, one of the two universities in the city where English is the primary language of instruction...
). In that role, most notably, he was called upon by the Canadian University Press
Canadian University Press
Canadian University Press is a non-profit co-operative and newswire service owned by almost 90 student newspapers at post-secondary schools in Canada. Founded in 1938, CUP is the oldest student newswire service in the world and the oldest national student organization in North America. Many...
to investigate the circumstances surrounding the resignations of the editors of the University of Windsor
University of Windsor
The University of Windsor is a public comprehensive and research university in Windsor, Ontario, Canada. It is Canada's southernmost university. It has a student population of approximately 15,000 full-time and part-time undergraduate students and over 1000 graduate students...
's student paper, the Lance
The Lance
The Lance is the student newspaper at the University of Windsor in Windsor, Ontario, Canada.-External links:* University of Windsor* University of Windsor* The University of Windsor's Lance for a time would publish an April 1 parody issue....
,http://www.library.ubc.ca/archives/pdfs/ubyssey/UBYSSEY_1968_01_12.pdf who had reprinted a controversial essay comparing the status of students at California State University
California State University
The California State University is a public university system in the state of California. It is one of three public higher education systems in the state, the other two being the University of California system and the California Community College system. It is incorporated as The Trustees of the...
and the status of African Americans in society. His commission concluded the university administration had interfered with the independence of the newspaper and forced the editors out: "the concept of freedom of the press
Freedom of the press
Freedom of the press or freedom of the media is the freedom of communication and expression through vehicles including various electronic media and published materials...
at Windsor is very much in doubt."http://www.library.ubc.ca/archives/pdfs/ubyssey/UBYSSEY_1968_01_23.pdf His arguments in the official report, filed at the CUP office in Ottawa, later became encapsulated as the exemplar case in defending the underground
Underground press
The underground press were the independently published and distributed underground papers associated with the counterculture of the late 1960s and early 1970s in the United States, Canada, United Kingdom, and other western nations....
journalism movement; the Canadian counterpart to a larger debate regarding the treatment of a now-classic civil rights
Civil rights
Civil and political rights are a class of rights that protect individuals' freedom from unwarranted infringement by governments and private organizations, and ensure one's ability to participate in the civil and political life of the state without discrimination or repression.Civil rights include...
essay, The Student as Nigger
The Student as Nigger
The Student as Nigger is the title of an essay and subsequent book by American educator Jerry Farber.The essay first appeared in the Los Angeles Free Press in 1967 and is often cited as one of the first underground publications to receive widespread recognition...
, as well as other related forms of "challenging" social commentary.
Burman's first professional role was as an Education Reporter at his father's newspaper, the Montreal Star
Montreal Star
The Montreal Star was an English-language Canadian newspaper published in Montreal, Quebec, Canada. It folded in 1979 following an eight-month pressmen's strike....
, in the late 1960s. He then spent several years as a freelancer, including a stint in South America, where he found his first big story: Vilcabamba
Vilcabamba, Ecuador
Vilcabamba is a village in the southern region of Ecuador, in the Loja province, about from the city of Loja. The etymology of the “Vilcabamba” apparently derives from the Quichua “huilco pamba.” Huilco denotes the sacred trees, Anadenanthera colubrina, that inhabit the region and pamba is a...
, often called the valley of longevity and reputed to be one of the sources for modern fountain of youth
Fountain of Youth
The Fountain of Youth is a legendary spring that reputedly restores the youth of anyone who drinks of its waters. Tales of such a fountain have been recounted across the world for thousands of years, appearing in writings by Herodotus, the Alexander romance, and the stories of Prester John...
mythologies.
From 1982-1984, Burman contributed a dozen essays on international relations to the Globe and Mail.
Radio
Burman joined the CBC in 1972. He worked for CBC RadioCBC Radio
CBC Radio generally refers to the English-language radio operations of the Canadian Broadcasting Corporation. The CBC operates a number of radio networks serving different audiences and programming niches, all of which are outlined below.-English:CBC Radio operates three English language...
in Montreal as a contributing producer to As It Happens
As It Happens
As It Happens is a long-running interview show on CBC Radio One in Canada. Its 40th anniversary was celebrated on-air on 18 November 2008. It has been one of the most popular and acclaimed shows on CBC Radio; it is also distributed in the United States by Public Radio International.The bulk of the...
and, later, as executive producer of Cross Country Checkup
Cross Country Checkup
Cross Country Checkup is a Canada-wide open-line radio show that airs Sunday afternoons on CBC Radio One.Every week, host Rex Murphy presides over a lively discussion on an issue of national interest or importance and invites listeners to call in with their opinions and thoughts. The topics are...
.
Television
After working in Montreal as a current affairs story editor with the nightly news program City At Six he moved to Toronto, where he ultimately landed as senior writer on The National under the guidance of Lloyd RobertsonLloyd Robertson
Lloyd Robertson, OC is the currently the co-host of CTV's weekly magazine series, W5. Robertson previously served as the chief anchor and senior editor of CTV's national evening newscast, CTV News with Lloyd Robertson, until September, 2011, when he retired from the CTV National News...
(1975-76), Peter Kent
Peter Kent
Peter Kent, PC, MP is a Conservative member of parliament for the riding of Thornhill, and the current Minister of the Environment in the 28th Canadian Ministry.Previously, he was Deputy Editor of Global Television, a Canadian TV network...
(1976-78), and Knowlton Nash
Knowlton Nash
Cyril Knowlton Nash, OC, O.Ont , commonly known as Knowlton Nash, is a journalist, author, and former long-serving senior anchorman of CBC Television's flagship news program, The National...
(1978-88).
From 1980-82, Burman was executive producer of The National and created the redesign of the newscast when it moved in 1982 to its new prime-time slot at 10 p.m. After this, he spent three years based in London (1982-85) for CBC Television news. In London, he and correspondent Brian Stewart
Brian Stewart (journalist)
Brian Stewart, one of Canada's most experienced journalists, is host of the foreign affairs show CBC News: Our World as well as senior correspondent of the Canadian Broadcasting Corporation's flagship news hour The National....
were the first North American journalists on the ground to cover the 1984 - 1985 famine in Ethiopia
1984 - 1985 famine in Ethiopia
A widespread famine affected the inhabitants of today's Eritrea and Ethiopia from 1983 to 1985. In northern Ethiopia, famine led to more than 400,000 deaths; over half this mortality can be attributed to human rights abuses that caused the famine to come earlier, strike harder, and extend further...
, where they found Birhan Woldu
Birhan Woldu
Birhan Woldu is an Ethiopian famed for being the starving child, near death, shown in a video at Live Aid in 1985.Woldu was originally found in 1984 by a CBC documentary crew led by Brian Stewart and Tony Burman. Her family walked from their village in Tigray to Mek'ele in hopes of finding food or...
(the "face of famine" that inspired both Live Aid
Live Aid
Live Aid was a dual-venue concert that was held on 13 July 1985. The event was organized by Bob Geldof and Midge Ure to raise funds for relief of the ongoing Ethiopian famine. Billed as the "global jukebox", the event was held simultaneously in Wembley Stadium in London, England, United Kingdom ...
and Live 8
Live 8
Live 8 was a string of benefit concerts that took place on 2 July 2005, in the G8 states and in South Africa. They were timed to precede the G8 Conference and summit held at the Gleneagles Hotel in Auchterarder, Scotland from 6–8 July 2005; they also coincided with the 20th anniversary of Live Aid...
).http://www.cbc.ca/news/background/ethiopia/index.html
Burman produced many documentaries during his five year tenure as senior producer with The Journal (1985-90). These included, among others:
- Nelson Mandela: A Profile, the first television biography of NelsonNelson MandelaNelson Rolihlahla Mandela served as President of South Africa from 1994 to 1999, and was the first South African president to be elected in a fully representative democratic election. Before his presidency, Mandela was an anti-apartheid activist, and the leader of Umkhonto we Sizwe, the armed wing...
and Winnie Mandela (Gemini AwardGemini AwardThe Gemini Awards are annual television broadcasting industry awards in Canada.First awarded in 1986, the Geminis celebrate the achievements of TV members of the Academy of Canadian Cinema & Television. Essentially, it presents awards for the best television productions in Canada. Awards are...
nom. 1986); - Air India Crash, a film about the bombing of Flight 182Air India Flight 182Air India Flight 182 was an Air India flight operating on the Montreal–London–Delhi route. On 23 June 1985, the airplane operating on the route a Boeing 747-237B named after Emperor Kanishka was blown up by a bomb at an altitude of , and crashed into the Atlantic Ocean while in Irish airspace.A...
(Canadian Association of JournalistsCanadian Association of JournalistsThe Canadian Association of Journalists or L'Association Canadienne des Journalistes in French is one of several Canadian organizations of journalists. It was created to promote excellence in journalism and encourage investigative journalism...
award for Best Documentary 1987); - Spanish Civil War: The Last Great Cause, a look back at the Spanish Civil WarSpanish Civil WarThe Spanish Civil WarAlso known as The Crusade among Nationalists, the Fourth Carlist War among Carlists, and The Rebellion or Uprising among Republicans. was a major conflict fought in Spain from 17 July 1936 to 1 April 1939...
on its 50th anniversary (Gemini AwardGemini AwardThe Gemini Awards are annual television broadcasting industry awards in Canada.First awarded in 1986, the Geminis celebrate the achievements of TV members of the Academy of Canadian Cinema & Television. Essentially, it presents awards for the best television productions in Canada. Awards are...
1988); - Human Tragedy in the Sudan, about the odyssey of children who marched half way across Sudan to seek refuge in Ethiopia to escape slavery and starvation or death in the civil warSecond Sudanese Civil WarThe Second Sudanese Civil War started in 1983, although it was largely a continuation of the First Sudanese Civil War of 1955 to 1972. Although it originated in southern Sudan, the civil war spread to the Nuba mountains and Blue Nile by the end of the 1980s....
raging in their homeland (Michener AwardMichener AwardThe Michener Award is one of the highest distinctions in Canadian journalism. The award was founded in 1970 by Roland Michener, who was Governor General of Canada at the time, and his wife Norah...
citation of merit 1989)http://michenerawards.ca/english/winaward1989.htm; - Sudan: Children of Darkness, an inside look at the kidnapping of children as part of the second Sudanese civil warSecond Sudanese Civil WarThe Second Sudanese Civil War started in 1983, although it was largely a continuation of the First Sudanese Civil War of 1955 to 1972. Although it originated in southern Sudan, the civil war spread to the Nuba mountains and Blue Nile by the end of the 1980s....
(Gemini AwardGemini AwardThe Gemini Awards are annual television broadcasting industry awards in Canada.First awarded in 1986, the Geminis celebrate the achievements of TV members of the Academy of Canadian Cinema & Television. Essentially, it presents awards for the best television productions in Canada. Awards are...
1990; Prix UNDA (Unda Dove), Festival de Télévision de Monte-CarloFestival de Télévision de Monte-CarloThe Monte-Carlo Television Festival was created in 16-20 January 1961 by Prince Rainier III of Monaco, who wished to “encourage a new art form, in the service of peace and understanding between men”....
1991).http://www.publicairwaves.ca/printer.php?page=683
In 1989, The Journal also won TV Guide's Most Popular Program Award.
From 1990-93, Burman was chief news editor of CBC Television. In 1993, he returned to The National as executive producer, creating the current hour-long format and successfully addressing management concerns regarding the show's flagging ratings and declining quality (via e.g., Gemini Award
Gemini Award
The Gemini Awards are annual television broadcasting industry awards in Canada.First awarded in 1986, the Geminis celebrate the achievements of TV members of the Academy of Canadian Cinema & Television. Essentially, it presents awards for the best television productions in Canada. Awards are...
nom. 1995, 1996, 1997).
He also led several successful co-productions with other media organizations, including The New York Times
The New York Times
The New York Times is an American daily newspaper founded and continuously published in New York City since 1851. The New York Times has won 106 Pulitzer Prizes, the most of any news organization...
and Frontlinehttp://www.pbs.org/wgbh/pages/frontline/shows/khadr/etc/credits.html.
Management
Before returning to produce The National in 1993, Burman spent a year as managing director of CBC's all-news network, CBC NewsworldCBC Newsworld
CBC News Network is a Canadian English language Category C specialty news channel owned and operated by the Canadian Broadcasting Corporation . It broadcasts into over 10 million homes in Canada. It is the world's third-oldest television service of this nature, after CNN in the United States and...
.
Since his return to management in 1998, Burman served as head of CBC Newsworld
CBC Newsworld
CBC News Network is a Canadian English language Category C specialty news channel owned and operated by the Canadian Broadcasting Corporation . It broadcasts into over 10 million homes in Canada. It is the world's third-oldest television service of this nature, after CNN in the United States and...
until his retirement in 2007. Burman had also been in charge of all journalistic programming since February 2000.http://www.cbc.ca/canada/story/2000/01/27/burman000127.html
On June 19, 2007, he announced his retirement from the CBC after a 35 year career, effective July 13.
Al Jazeera
Burman's appointment as managing director of Al Jazeera English was announced on 14 May 2008.http://www.qatarliving.com/news/107195/tony-burman-appointed-as-managing-director-at-al-jazeera-english In this role for two years, he has returned to North America and presently serves as chief strategic advisor for the Americas.http://www.newswire.ca/en/releases/archive/May2010/17/c4333.html This new position is intended to "accelerate expansion in the North American market," following the successful launch of AJE in Canada.http://www.newswire.ca/en/releases/archive/May2010/17/c4333.htmlService
Burman has served on the boards of several charitable organizations. He also travels widely in support of public broadcasting, speaking at universities and conferences around the world (e.g., at Concordia University, Osgoode Hall Law School, UBC Journalism School, Jönköping University, Sweden).In November 2009, he delivered the annual Clissold Lecture at the University of Western Ontario
University of Western Ontario
The University of Western Ontario is a public research university located in London, Ontario, Canada. The university's main campus covers of land, with the Thames River cutting through the eastern portion of the main campus. Western administers its programs through 12 different faculties and...
.http://www.fims.uwo.ca/journalism/events/clissold/2009.htm In 2010, he delivered the Minifie Lecture at the University of Reginahttp://webcache.googleusercontent.com/search?q=cache:nbpKJCJ53jwJ:www.leaderpost.com/news/Jazeera%2BTony%2BBurman%2BRegina%2Bdeliver%2BMinifie%2BLecture%2BUniversity%2BRegina/2721275/story.html and the keynote address at Media Democracy Day 2010.http://www.scribd.com/doc/38345977/Tony-Burman-Keynote-Confirmed. In 2011, he was the "headline" speaker at the University of Wisconsin, Madison, journalism ethics conference.http://www.news.wisc.edu/19110
Recent Scholarship
Burman, T. (2009). World Perspectives: Ignoring the World at our Peril. In J. Owen & H. Purdey, International News Reporting: Frontlines and Deadlines (pp. 127-143). West Sussex, UK: John Wiley.Thoughts on Journalism
- Credibility: "Every news organization has only its credibility and reputation to rely on" (qtd. in Globe & Mail, 16 October 2001). http://209.47.161.50/articles/GlobeandMail/globe011017.htm
- Public Broadcasting: "It's sad there is no tradition of public service broadcasting in the U.S., a country of 300 million people, beyond PBS. It's a problem for us all.... If there is a resurgence in public service broadcasting, hopefully it will be universal" (qtd. in VarietyVariety (magazine)Variety is an American weekly entertainment-trade magazine founded in New York City, New York, in 1905 by Sime Silverman. With the rise of the importance of the motion-picture industry, Daily Variety, a daily edition based in Los Angeles, California, was founded by Silverman in 1933. In 1998, the...
, 19-25 May 2003, p. 26) - Supporting Democracy: "We believe that informed citizenship benefits from the expression of the fullest range of responsible opinion on important issues, rather than artificially limiting the spectrum of debate to favour one particular perspective -- however apparently right and justified it may be. At the end of the day, we trust our [audiences] to draw their own conclusions" (National PostNational PostThe National Post is a Canadian English-language national newspaper based in Don Mills, a district of Toronto. The paper is owned by Postmedia Network Inc. and is published Mondays through Saturdays...
, 25 June 2003). http://www.friends.ca/News/Friends_News/archives/articles06250301.asp - New Trends: "In the days ahead... the challenge for established newspapers, broadcast networks and websites is to come up with ways of harnessing the power and wisdom of the audience in a way that adheres to professional ethics and accepted journalistic policy. In other words, a genuine partnership -- and one that is more methodical than simply tossing people small cameras or microphones and then wishing for the best" (column, 3 April 2006). http://www.cbc.ca/news/about/burman/20060403.html
- New Trends: "More than ever, audiences are determining how the media will evolve. They want news, information and much of their media on their terms on a variety of platforms -- whether TV, radio, newspapers, laptops, personal organizers, cellphones or iPods. And they want a genuine two-way relationship with their content-providers that is more than simply sitting back and absorbing.... They want to respond, engage and create -- to be contributors, not merely consumers" (column, 18 April 2006). http://www.cbc.ca/news/about/burman/20060418.html
- Credibility: "Credibility cannot be achieved overnight. But public broadcasters must conduct journalism in an open and accountable way.... If you find that the news is only gossip and irrelevant to public interest, avoid going into it" (qtd. in Taipei TimesTaipei TimesThe Taipei Times is one of the three major English-language newspapers in the Republic of China the other two being the Taiwan News and The China Post...
, 11 May 2006, page 4). http://www.taipeitimes.com/News/taiwan/archives/2006/05/11/2003307331 - Supporting Democracy: "There is no more important contribution that we can make to society than strong, publicly-spirited investigative journalism" (qtd. in Canadian Association of JournalistsCanadian Association of JournalistsThe Canadian Association of Journalists or L'Association Canadienne des Journalistes in French is one of several Canadian organizations of journalists. It was created to promote excellence in journalism and encourage investigative journalism...
newsletter, May 2006, p. 2). http://www.caj.ca/newsletter/the_wire_2006_spring.pdf - In a Crisis: "the role of the media... is to try to separate fact from fiction, to help our audiences understand what is happening and why — and to respond to the unfolding drama, as best we can under the circumstances, in a way that makes sense of it all.... To connect the dots, knowing full well that horrific events are rarely random" (column, 14 September 2006). http://www.cbc.ca/news/about/burman/20060914.html
- New Trends: "We're heading into a world where we're all going to become content providers, not TV stations, not newspapers, not radio stations.... Our reporters will no longer be radio reporters or TV reporters — that particular T-shirt will be put aside and there will be far more contributions to the web, far more mixing and movement among the various networks and platforms" (qtd. in member papers of the Canadian PressCanadian PressCanadian Press Enterprises Inc. is the entity which "will take over the operations of the Canadian Press" according to a November 26, 2010 article in the Toronto Star...
, including the Toronto StarToronto StarThe Toronto Star is Canada's highest-circulation newspaper, based in Toronto, Ontario, Canada. Its print edition is distributed almost entirely within the province of Ontario...
http://www.thestar.com/NASApp/cs/ContentServer?pagename=thestar/Layout/Article_Type1&c=Article&pubid=968163964505&cid=1164927010764 and the Globe & Mailhttp://www.theglobeandmail.com/servlet/story/RTGAM.20061130.wcbccsi1130/BNStory/Entertainment/home, 30 November 2006).
- New Trends: "I have always felt that an openness to change and renewal is at the core of the best journalism" (qtd. in the Globe & Mail, 20 June 2007, p. R1)
- International News: "I have a feeling that, as we look ahead five to 10 years from now, that we’ll look back at 2008 as being very much a turning point for American democracy. So, it’s important that not only Americans understand what is going on, but also those of us outside of America." (qtd. in the Gulf TimesGulf TimesThe Gulf Times newspaper was founded in 1978 as the first publication of the Gulf Publishing and Printing Company in the capital city of Qatar, Doha . One of three English-language newspapers in the country [2006]...
, 16 May 2008)http://www.gulf-times.com/site/topics/article.asp?cu_no=2&item_no=218714&version=1&template_id=57&parent_id=56 - Public Broadcasting: "there’s more to journalism than simply the commercial aspect of it.... I have incredible distrust and a skepticism about the commercial influences on journalism and on news organizations." (qtd. in Qatar Happening, 1 Nov 2009)http://www.qatarhappening.com/close-encounters/details.aspx?id=30
- International News: "...people care about what’s in front of them, what’s on their street and in their community, but that should not be at the expense of understanding the world. I think the financial meltdown was a reminder that what globalization means is a lot of the decisions that affect your life are made far from your community.... You have to see the wider world and what kind of impact it’s having on your lives. The only way you can do that is through the media, because the media provides a window on that world. And if those windows are shut by organizations that up till now provided international coverage, then people who are interested in the world have few places to go" (qtd. in Qatar Happening, 1 Nov 2009)http://www.qatarhappening.com/close-encounters/details.aspx?id=30
- International News: "People need accurate information to make sensible choices about their lives, about the direction of their countries. An informed citizenry produces enlightened policies that benefit people generally. And the reverse is true—when you have inaccurate information or you have sensationalism or distortion, that plays with people’s minds and leads to bad decisions.... I think that organizations like Al Jazeera, ...that are committed to accurate and full information, ultimately help society." (qtd. in Qatar Happening, 1 Nov 2009)http://www.qatarhappening.com/close-encounters/details.aspx?id=30
- Supporting Democracy: "In the U.S., the broadcast media in particular does a poor job of making crucial issues clear and relevant for Americans to understand. And I think that’s a real threat to a functioning democracy" (qtd. in The Globe and Mail, 22 August 2011)http://www.theglobeandmail.com/news/arts/television/tony-burman-al-jazeera-and-the-future-of-news/article2135761/
- New Trends: "We have always needed to rely on people in our audiences and in the public to be our eye witnesses. The challenge in our use of social media is to determine how to organize it and marshal it in ways that enrich our content and better serve our audiences. And we can do that by creating ways to double-check and verify the accuracy of this information. We can’t just put things on the air, on the Web or in print" (qtd. in The Globe and Mail, 22 August 2011)http://www.theglobeandmail.com/news/arts/television/tony-burman-al-jazeera-and-the-future-of-news/article2135761/page2/
- New Trends: "There is so much potential here in North America, compared to the developing world, because computers, smartphones and the Internet are everywhere. It's a way to enrich our coverage and capture a younger audience. But in the developing world, social media are being used far more to help people learn about their societies and figure out how to make them better. We should learn from that" (qtd. in The Globe and Mail, 22 August 2011)http://www.theglobeandmail.com/news/arts/television/tony-burman-al-jazeera-and-the-future-of-news/article2135761/page2/
External links
- Full text of speech to the Empire Club of CanadaEmpire Club of CanadaThe Empire Club of Canada is a Canadian speakers' forum. Established in 1903, the Empire Club has provided a forum for over 3,500 speakers.Through a variety of presentation formats, the Empire Club invites local, national and international leaders and other change-agents to address the topical...
on Privacy and the Media, as part of a two-part presentation with Bob RaeBob RaeRobert Keith "Bob" Rae, PC, OC, OOnt, QC, MP is a Canadian politician. He is the Member of Parliament for Toronto Centre and interim leader of the Liberal Party of Canada....
, 25 February 1999. - Video of acceptance speech for Excellence in Journalism Award, recognizing the quality of CBC's coverage of the Iraq War. See details here.
- Broadcaster Magazine article announcing Burman's receipt of the 2004 RTNDA Canada President's Award, "presented annually to honour individuals, stations, companies or groups who have brought distinction to, or have made major contributions to, broadcast journalism."
- Television and blogger interviews following the announcement of his retirement in 2007, reviewing his career and discussing the challenges of public broadcasting. (See also: Broadcaster Magazine, Toronto Star, Globe & Mail, and National Post.)
- Interview on Democracy Now, discussing "the media blackout in egypt and the U.S."
- Comparison of AJE's coverage of the 2011 Egyptian protests with CNN's coverage of the 1991 Gulf War, entitled "The 'Al Jazeera moment'?," published 4 February 2011 in the Toronto StarToronto StarThe Toronto Star is Canada's highest-circulation newspaper, based in Toronto, Ontario, Canada. Its print edition is distributed almost entirely within the province of Ontario...