Val Sears
Encyclopedia
Val Sears is an eminent Canadian
journalist
. Widely recognized of one of the most important political journalists of his day, he has long experience as reporter, editor, Ottawa
Bureau Chief and foreign correspondent in London
, England
and Washington, D.C.
for the Toronto Star
. Val Sears has won numerous awards for his reporting including a National Newspaper Award for feature writing and for news as well as a science writing Award. He is author of the book Hello Sweetheart: Get Me Rewrite, which is a lively account of the 1950s newspaper wars between the Toronto Telegram and the Toronto Star, both of which employed him. The book has become a cult classic among journalists and appears on the curriculum of journalist schools in Canada. After retiring from the Toronto Star, Val Sears became a columnist for the Ottawa Sun from 1998 to 2005.
Val Sears has always had an intense interest in the career of the Prairie populist conservative Prime Minister John Diefenbaker
. He was commissioned by the Canadian Broadcasting Corporation
to write a trilogy of television plays detailing the life of John Diefenbaker, which were ultimately not produced due to budget cuts at the CBC.
In 1991 Mr. Sears accepted the Bell Chair as Visiting Professor of Journalism at the University of Regina
. In 1999 he was made a lifetime member of the Ottawa Press Gallery.
Val Sears is the father of Robin Sears
a well known Canadian communications, marketing and public affairs advisor and of Kit Melamed, a producer for the Canadian Broadcasting Corporation investigative journalism program, the Fifth Estate. He is married to Edith Cody-Rice, Senior Legal Counsel for the Canadian Broadcasting Corporation.
Canada
Canada is a North American country consisting of ten provinces and three territories. Located in the northern part of the continent, it extends from the Atlantic Ocean in the east to the Pacific Ocean in the west, and northward into the Arctic Ocean...
journalist
Journalist
A journalist collects and distributes news and other information. A journalist's work is referred to as journalism.A reporter is a type of journalist who researchs, writes, and reports on information to be presented in mass media, including print media , electronic media , and digital media A...
. Widely recognized of one of the most important political journalists of his day, he has long experience as reporter, editor, Ottawa
Ottawa
Ottawa is the capital of Canada, the second largest city in the Province of Ontario, and the fourth largest city in the country. The city is located on the south bank of the Ottawa River in the eastern portion of Southern Ontario...
Bureau Chief and foreign correspondent in London
London
London is the capital city of :England and the :United Kingdom, the largest metropolitan area in the United Kingdom, and the largest urban zone in the European Union by most measures. Located on the River Thames, London has been a major settlement for two millennia, its history going back to its...
, England
England
England is a country that is part of the United Kingdom. It shares land borders with Scotland to the north and Wales to the west; the Irish Sea is to the north west, the Celtic Sea to the south west, with the North Sea to the east and the English Channel to the south separating it from continental...
and Washington, D.C.
Washington, D.C.
Washington, D.C., formally the District of Columbia and commonly referred to as Washington, "the District", or simply D.C., is the capital of the United States. On July 16, 1790, the United States Congress approved the creation of a permanent national capital as permitted by the U.S. Constitution....
for the Toronto Star
Toronto Star
The 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...
. Val Sears has won numerous awards for his reporting including a National Newspaper Award for feature writing and for news as well as a science writing Award. He is author of the book Hello Sweetheart: Get Me Rewrite, which is a lively account of the 1950s newspaper wars between the Toronto Telegram and the Toronto Star, both of which employed him. The book has become a cult classic among journalists and appears on the curriculum of journalist schools in Canada. After retiring from the Toronto Star, Val Sears became a columnist for the Ottawa Sun from 1998 to 2005.
Val Sears has always had an intense interest in the career of the Prairie populist conservative Prime Minister John Diefenbaker
John Diefenbaker
John George Diefenbaker, PC, CH, QC was the 13th Prime Minister of Canada, serving from June 21, 1957, to April 22, 1963...
. He was commissioned by the Canadian Broadcasting Corporation
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...
to write a trilogy of television plays detailing the life of John Diefenbaker, which were ultimately not produced due to budget cuts at the CBC.
In 1991 Mr. Sears accepted the Bell Chair as Visiting Professor of Journalism at the University of Regina
University of Regina
The University of Regina is a public research university located in Regina, Saskatchewan, Canada. Founded in 1911 as a private denominational high school of the Methodist Church of Canada, it began an association with the University of Saskatchewan as a junior college in 1925, and was disaffiliated...
. In 1999 he was made a lifetime member of the Ottawa Press Gallery.
Val Sears is the father of Robin Sears
Robin Sears
Robin Sears is a veteran communications, marketing and public affairs advisor with experience on three continents for public and private sector clients. Sears joined Navigator as a partner in strategic communications in 2004...
a well known Canadian communications, marketing and public affairs advisor and of Kit Melamed, a producer for the Canadian Broadcasting Corporation investigative journalism program, the Fifth Estate. He is married to Edith Cody-Rice, Senior Legal Counsel for the Canadian Broadcasting Corporation.