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When Journalists Wore Capes: Honouring the Legacy of James M. Minifie

27 January 2025
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“In modern society, so busy and so harassed and so denuded of leisure, there is little opportunity for the average man – if he exists – to acquire the complex factual data essential to judgements of national affairs; yet his judgement is demanded, his verdict sought.” – James M. Minifie, Canadian Journalist and Author

Since 1980—on one night every year— students, faculty, and community members pack a University of Regina auditorium to hear stories and perspectives from award-winning Canadian journalists. The U of R’s annual James M. Minifie Lecture has featured well-known news anchors, foreign correspondents, and investigative reporters, covering issues ranging from social media misinformation to war propaganda and the state of journalism and democracy in our country. The popular lecture honours the late James M. Minifie, one of Canada's most courageous and respected journalists.  

Who was Minifie? Prairie homesteader, Rhodes scholar, prisoner of war, foreign correspondent 

Reporting for the Canadian Broadcasting Corporation (CBC) in the 1950s and ‘60s, Minifie’s presence was felt in countless homes across the nation. The phrase “This is James M. Minifie …” regularly brought Canadians to attention. His trusted reports and commentary on political topics were a highly anticipated part of their day. 

Minifie was a passionate Canadian nationalist and very much a journalist’s journalist. He wanted to be on the scene to experience first-hand what was unfolding in the world. — Mitch Diamantopoulos, Associate Professor at the School of Journalism and author

Born June 8, 1900 in Burton-on-Trent, England, Minifie’s family immigrated to rural Saskatchewan in 1909. He spent his childhood on a homestead in Vanguard, where his persuasive storytelling abilities blossomed early. At just 16 years of age, Minifie talked his way into the Canadian Army, the land component of the Canadian Armed Forces. He then served in Europe during WWI. After the war ended in 1918, he came home to study at Regina College and the University of Saskatchewan graduating in 1923. He went back to England to study as a Rhodes Scholar at Oxford and completed his studies at the Sorbonne in Paris. 

Headshot of middle-aged man from the 1960s seated and wearing a suit while talking into a microphone.
James M. Minifie. Photo credit: School of Journalism

In 1929, Minifie joined the New York Herald Tribune newspaper as a reporter, eventually becoming their Paris correspondent. During the Spanish Civil War, he was held captive by Franco's army before being released. He traveled to Rome to report on the Italian dictator, Benito Mussolini, and in WWII, reported the Battle of Britain from London. During a German air raid on the city, Minifie was hit by shattered glass from a bomb blast and lost sight in one eye. 

For 15 years, first on radio, then on television, Minifie worked as the CBC’s Washington Correspondent, a position he previously held with The Toronto Telegram newspaper. He was the eyes and ears of Canada during the Truman, Eisenhower, Kennedy, and Johnson presidencies. His written reports were typically wired to the editor’s desk back home via telegrams, a long-forgotten technology since replaced by emails and other forms of digital communications. Minifie also authored several books and spoke at public forums on topics related to Canada-US relations, the Cold War and atomic weaponry, and Canada’s role as a global peacemaker. 

Legacy embodied in lectures 

In 1974, after his health declined over several years, Minifie passed away on Vancouver Island. He was 74. To honour his legacy, the James M. Minifie fund was established in 1980 to help launch the U of R's School of Journalism with funds allocated to the lecture series, facilities, and equipment. 

Like so many public gatherings, the Minifie lecture was put on hold during the COVID-19 lockdowns. The last talk was delivered in March 2020 by Jana Pruden, an award-winning feature writer at the Globe and Mail. More than 700 people attended and Pruden received a standing ovation for her passionate recounting of journalism’s history, resiliency, and future role. In an article Pruden wrote for The Walrus, she says: 

“I’ve always thought of the Minifie Lecture as a kind of “state of the union” about journalism in Canada. And there are so many issues to think about and discuss at the moment that the possibilities for this lecture seemed almost endless. As I was thinking about what I wanted to talk about, I went back and read the previous Minifie lectures to see what people had talked about before me.  While each one is different, it was interesting to see common themes emerge again and again. Frankly, it’s not the happiest picture of journalism. This won’t be a surprise, but journalists don’t typically focus on the good news. There are concerns about low pay in journalism, the gruelling hours, the lack of public trust in the media, and people’s low opinion—and even downright hostility—toward journalists in a world growing more complicated every day.” 

Other past lecturers include Knowlton Nash OC; Connie Walker (Pulitzer Prize winner and former U of R and FSIN student), Helen Hutchinson; Ann Medina (Emmy award winner); Patrick Watson CC; Terry Milewski; June Callwood OC, Chantal Hébert OC; Tony Burman(Gemini award winner); Connie Walker(Pulitzer Prize and Peabody award winner); and Nahlah Ayed (Foreign Press Association award winner). Minifie Lecture firsts include: Wab Kinew (the first Indigenous lecturer); Peter Mansbridge OC (Gemini award winner and the only journalist to have lectured twice): and Derek Stoffel BA’94, BAJC’96 (the only U of R Journalism graduate to give a Minifie Lecture). 

Crowd seated in brightly lit auditorium with a man in a suit standing at a podium on a stage.
CBC World News Editor and Journalism School alum Derek Stoffel, gave the 35th Minifie Lecture, titled "Staying in the Field: Why Face-to-Face Journalism Matters." Credit: University Communications and Marketing

Mitch Diamantopoulos, Associate Professor at the School of Journalism agrees with Pruden. He says the spotlight on journalism as a trusted institution, tasked with creating a stronger and smarter public, has dimmed since Minifie’s time.

“The Hollywood aura that brought so many young idealists to the profession may be behind us, for now. We’ve gone from a period where we had a heroic view of journalists – Spiderman and Superman both had day jobs in the media – to today’s crisis of faith. I think journalism has taken a beating.” 

Diamantopoulos edited the anthology 30: thirty years of journalism and democracy in Canada: the Minifie Lectures, 1981-2010. The book, which includes full transcripts of the first 30 lectures, pays homage to Minifie, his legacy, and the journalists who approach their profession with similar determination and commitment. 

Old and frayed looking paper document containing typewritten text similar to a letter.
While reporting from Washington, Minifie sent his news stories to his editors via Western Union telegrams and signed them, “Min.” In this example, his colleague Frantz writes to tell him “Good work” regarding a recent story. Courtesy U of R Archives

“Minifie was a passionate Canadian nationalist and very much a journalist’s journalist. He wanted to be on the scene to experience first-hand what was unfolding in the world,” says Diamantopoulos. 

When asked about his favourite Minifie lecturer, Diamantopoulos hedges that there are too many to name. However, he fondly recalls a “quarrelsome” interview with CBC commentator and Minifie lecturer Rex Murphy when Diamantopoulos was still a young journalist. He remembers that June Callwood’s talk was particularly inspiring. A journalist, author, and social activist, Callwood wrote for the Globe and Mail, Maclean’s, and Chatelaine. She authored 30 books, including ghostwriting the autobiographies of Barbara Walters, Otto Preminger, and Dr. Charles Mayo.

Woman with short hair seated looking straight ahead with a serious expression on her face.
The most recent pre-COVID-19 Minifie Lecture was delivered by Jana Pruden, an award-winning feature writer at the Globe and Mail. Credit: School of Journalism

“She would famously argue that all journalism is a form of advocacy and if you were not advocating for people on the bottom of the social hierarchy, the people who are poor, then you are advocating for the people who are rich. She challenged a lot of the orthodoxy then ascribed to by the middle-aged, middle-class, and middle-of-the-road, male establishment. It was an exciting lecture and the energy in the room was electric. She was a national treasure,” says Diamantopoulos.

In addition to the anthology and Minifie’s own books, the U of R’s Archer Library and Archives contains more than 130 of Minifie’s articles, along with personal artifacts such as telegrams he sent from Washington, handwritten notes, a letter from his mom, photographs, and dried flowers. He was an avid botanist.   

Carrying the torch. Who will speak for journalism today? 

Preparations, including a search for the next speaker, are underway for the Fall 2025 Minifie Lecture. As part of the lecture, attendees engage with the speakers via a lively question and answer period following the presentation.

“People are really interested in the state of journalism today and the implications for our democracy tomorrow,” says Diamantopoulos. “Recent developments have only made that concern more intense.” 

Man in suit smiling while standing at a podium with a large screen in the background.
Before becoming the Premier of Manitoba, Wab Kinew was a broadcaster, author, and the first Indigenous Minifie lecturer. Credit: University Communications and Marketing

The official speaker announcement along with a registration link for this Fall’s free 41st James M. Minifie Lecture at the U of R will be shared once details are confirmed. 

Considering a donation to the James M. MInifie fund or the Faculty of Arts? Email Samira Azzahir (Samira.Azzahir@uregina.ca) in the Development Office.

Explore U of R’s  new undergraduate degree program — Bachelor of Arts in Journalism, News Media, and Communication. The redesigned degree sets the stage for a new generation of career-ready journalists and communicators, fully equipped to succeed in a fast-evolving media landscape. Journalism, News Media, and Communication | University of Regina

About the University of Regina

2024 marked our 50th anniversary as an independent University (although our roots as Regina College date back more than a century!). As we celebrate our past, we work towards a future that is as limitless as the prairie horizon. We support the health and well-being of our 17,200 students and provide them with hands-on learning opportunities to develop career-ready graduates – more than 92,000 alumni enrich communities in Saskatchewan and around the globe. Our research enterprise has grown to 21 research centres and 9 Canada Research Chairs. Our campuses are on Treaties 4 and 6 - the territories of the nêhiyawak, Anihšināpēk, Dakota, Lakota, and Nakoda peoples, and the homeland of the Michif/Métis nation. We seek to grow our relationships with Indigenous communities to build a more inclusive future.

Let’s go far, together.

Curious to learn more?

Find 135 articles written by Minifie at the Archer Library and copies of his books, including Homesteader: a prairie boyhood recalled. 

View videospast lecturers including Terry Milewski, Wab Kinew, Anna Maria Tremonti, and more.   

Find 30: Thirty Years of Journalism and Democracy in Canada The Minifie Lectures, 1981-2010 at the Archer Library (online version available). 

Discover program offerings from the School of JournalismSupport the Minifie fund through Faculty of Arts Giving.