VANCOUVER (CP) _ The CanWest Global Foundation has pledged $500,000 to fund a visiting professor program at the University of British Columbia's school of journalism.
``We're going to become the premier news organization in the country,'' Leonard Asper, president and CEO of CanWest Global Communications Corp., said after presenting the gift during a tour of the school Monday.
``We're going to invest in the nuts and bolts of that by starting with journalism. We believe in the principles of journalism and their enhancement.''
Asper said the donation is part of a nationwide commitment to bolster news gathering and reporting capabilities that includes an early evening Global Television Network national newscast from Vancouver hosted by television journalist Kevin Newman starting Sept. 1.
CanWest Global is an international media company and Canada's largest publisher of daily newspapers. In the Vancouver area, the company's assets include the Vancouver Sun, the Vancouver Province and BCTV.
The new program, with matching funds from the UBC school of journalism, enables a professorship to be offered to an outstanding Canadian journalist for one term, on an annual basis.
The visiting professor would help educate students about ``life in the trenches'' as a journalist, while also establishing the school as a forum for academic and public discussion dealing with media issues and how they affect society
The professor would also be required to publish and lecture at public events.
Journalism school director Donna Logan said she is delighted with the idea of a visiting professor program.
``The advantage is that we will have a journalist here every year that is working in the field,'' she said. ``We have an experienced faculty, but, as time goes on, we become more and more removed from the industry.''
Logan said the first professorship will commence in January and the first visiting professor will be chosen this fall.
The UBC school, which opened in September 1998, offers a two-year master of journalism program. From 20 to 25 students graduate each year.