2024 Kesterton Lecture: Journalism and Politics with Wab Kinew

The annual honours the memory of Wilfred Kesterton - one of Carleton’s original journalism professors - and usually touches on some aspect of Canadian journalism and public affairs.

Join us on Monday, February 12th at 6:00 PM to hear Premier Kinew reflect on his journey from journalism to politics. After his keynote, Kinew will be joined on stage for a conversation moderated by Carleton Journalism Professor and former CBC broadcaster Duncan McCue, who will also moderate questions from the floor.

The Honourable Wab Kinew, MLA made history last October. His election victory made him the 25th Premier of Manitoba, the first provincial premier of First Nations descent anywhere in Canada, and Manitoba’s first Indigenous premier since Métis premier John Norquay (1878-1887). Kinew was first elected as the MLA for Fort Rouge in 2016, and became Leader of the Official Opposition the following year when he won the leadership of the Manitoba NDP.

Before entering politics with the New Democratic Party in Manitoba, Kinew worked as a broadcaster with the CBC and as an administrator at the University of Winnipeg. He holds a Bachelor of Arts degree in economics from the University of Manitoba and a master's degree in Indigenous governance from the University of Winnipeg. Read Premier Kinew's full bio below.

The Kesterton Lecture is free to attend and open to the public, but registration is required for in-person attendance. The lecture will also be livestreamed via YouTube.

All in-person attendees are invited to a reception to meet Premier Kinew following the lecture.

The Honourable Wab Kinew, MLA's election victory last October made him the 25th Premier of Manitoba, the first provincial premier of First Nations descent anywhere in Canada, and Manitoba’s first Indigenous premier since Métis premier John Norquay (1878-1887).

Before entering politics with the New Democratic Party of Manitoba, Kinew worked as a broadcaster with the CBC and as an administrator at the University of Winnipeg. He holds a bachelor of arts degree in economics from the University of Manitoba and a master's degree in Indigenous governance from the University of Winnipeg.

His career has not been without controversy. In his victory speech on the night of Oct. 3, Kinew addressed his checkered past, including his problems with alcohol and convictions for impaired driving and assault on a cab driver.

“I was given a second chance in life, and I would like to think that I made good on that opportunity,’’ he said. “My life became immeasurably better when I stopped making excuses and I started looking for a reason…if you want to change your life for the better you can do it".

A native of Kenora, Ontario, from the Onigaming First Nation, Kinew moved to Winnipeg with his parents as a child. His career in journalism was launched when a CBC Radio producer noticed a letter to the editor Kinew had written to the Winnipeg Free Press about hockey and he was encouraged to turn the letter into a feature documentary. He worked as a reporter and host for CBC on radio and television, including the weekly arts show The 204 and documentary series 8th Fire. He is also a bestselling author and an accomplished hip-hop and rap artist.

In 2011, he joined the University of Winnipeg as its first Director of Indigenous Inclusion and was later appointed Associate Vice-president of Indigenous Relations, a position he held from 2014-2016. He was also an honourary witness for the Indian Residential Schools Truth and Reconciliation Commission.

Kinew was first elected as the MLA for Fort Rouge in 2016, and became Leader of the Official Opposition the following year when he won the leadership of the Manitoba NDP. He is father to three boys and is married to Lisa Monkman, who is a doctor.

Duncan McCue (moderator for the 2024 Kesterton Lecture) is an award-winning CBC broadcaster and leading advocate for fostering the connection between journalism and Indigenous communities. He joined Carleton University’s School of Journalism and Communication on July 1, 2023. McCue took up a new tenure track position as an Associate Professor, specializing in Indigenous Journalism and (Story)telling. In addition, McCue is working with Carleton colleagues to launch a new journalism skills certificate on the ground in Indigenous communities.

McCue was the host of Helluva Story on CBC Radio and was also the driving force behind Kuper Island, a remarkable eight-part podcast series on residential schools. McCue was with CBC News for 25 years. In addition to hosting CBC Radio One’s Cross Country Checkup, he was a longstanding correspondent for CBC-TV’s flagship news show.

McCue came to Carleton with extensive experience as an educator, having taught journalism and created courses at the UBC Graduate School of Journalism and Toronto Metropolitan University and also as a visiting fellow at Carleton. Over the years he developed a unique online resource, Reporting in Indigenous Communities, which inspired his latest work, a new textbook called Decolonizing Journalism: A Guide to Reporting in Indigenous Communities. McCue is also the author of The Shoe Boy: A Trapline Memoir, which recounts a season he spent in a hunting camp with a Cree family in northern Quebec as a teenager.

McCue studied English at the University of King’s College, then did his law degree at UBC. He was called to the bar in British Columbia in 1998. McCue is Anishinaabe, a member of the Chippewas of Georgina Island First Nation in southern Ontario.

Wilfred Kesterton was born in Regina in 1914. He was a school teacher when he enlisted in the armed forces and served in England and Holland. As a Second World War veteran, he enrolled in Carleton’s fledgling Journalism school and, in 1949, became one of the earliest graduates of the new Bachelor of Journalism program. He was hired on as a journalism lecturer immediately upon graduation, as the School of Journalism’s second full-time faculty member.

In the next four decades, he would help shape the institution. Until his retirement in 1979, he taught virtually every student who went through our program. Through his writing and research, he also helped define Canadian journalism, as he was one of the first to bring serious scholarly attention to the news media in this country. He specialized in media law and journalism history and published important studies in both areas. Kesterton literally wrote the book on journalism in this country with the 1967 publication of The History of Journalism in Canada.

The Kesterton Lecture, Carleton Journalism's signature event, was established in 2001 to honour his pioneering contribution to journalism education in this country.

Event Venue & Nearby Stays

Carleton Dominion-Chalmers Centre, 355 Cooper Street, Ottawa, Canada