McCue created the Reporting in Indigenous Communities course
CBC journalist and UBC Journalism adjunct professor Duncan McCue has been recognised for his contribution to journalism and journalism education with an Indspire Award for Public Service.
He is among 14 Indigenous Canadians named in the 2017 Indspire Awards which celebrate the significant contributions of Indigenous people in Canada.
“For years, I’ve admired and celebrated the tremendous achievements of Indspire award recipients and I feel humbled to stand alongside them,” said McCue.
“It’s a recognition of the critical importance of public service journalism and journalism education in Canada, and moreover, a recognition from Indigenous peoples, which to me is the highest of honours.”
“Journalism matters, Indigenous stories matter, and we’re only getting started in changing the media landscape in this country for the better,” said McCue.
The Indspire Awards are the highest honour bestowed by Indigenous people on their own achievers. The 2017 ceremony will be held in Ottawa on March 24, 2017. It will air at a later date on Global Television and the Aboriginal Peoples Television Network (APTN).
“The 2017 Indspire Awards recipients personify the successes Indigenous people have achieved and the significant impact we have made in all areas of life in Canada,” said Roberta L. Jamieson, President and CEO of Indspire, in a statement.
Journalism education pioneer
In his role as adjunct at UBC, McCue developed a groundbreaking course, Reporting in Indigenous Communities, the first journalism course in Canada to focus exclusively on Indigenous news stories.
McCue (left) most recent journalism honour was a Jack Webster Award (Photo Dave Thomson)
The project on Indigenous sexuality by last year’s cohort, co-taught with UBC Journalism senior instructor, Kathryn Gretsinger, was a finalist in the student category of the Online Journalism Awards.
“Duncan’s commitment to Indigenous issues has and continues to inspire young journalists in a profession that is often rightfully criticised for turning a blind eye to the colonial legacy suffered by Canada’s Indigenous peoples,” said School of Journalism director and associate professor Alfred Hermida.
“Not only has Mr. McCue applied his skillful, indomitable and highly ethical attention to these issues, he has committed himself to training future generations of journalists.”
Distinguished career
McCue started his career in journalism as a video journalist and producer in the early 1990s. He was a reporter for CBC News in Vancouver for over 15 years, with his news and current affairs pieces featured on CBC’s flagship news show, The National. Earlier this year, he was named as the new host of Cross Country Checkup on CBC.
Among the impressive list of achievements in journalism are five national and four regional awards from the Radio Televisions Digital News Association. His most recent journalism award was a Jack Webster for Best Feature Story on TV for his reporting on The Hooker Monologues for CBC.
McCue is also a published author. In June 2016, McCue released his first book, The Shoe Boy. The book is a memoir of a season spent hunting on a Northern Quebec trapline as a teenager.
