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“The Daily plays a vital role in McGill’s life”

McGill alumni discuss what the paper taught them and its place at McGill

I signed up as a young reporter for The Daily back in 1970 and hardly left the basement offices for the next few years of my university education. It remains among my fondest memories of my McGill years. I knew I wanted to be a journalist and I figured that was best way to learn – it was a journalism school every day and every night.

I learned how to write, how to edit, how to lay out pages. More importantly, I learned how to question (everything!), how to raise controversial issues, and how to combine fairness and accuracy with a passion for story-telling. We did some great things, we did some foolish things – and we became better journalists for it.

My years at The Daily helped prepare me for a career at the CBC and for my work since, as an investigative book author and freelance TV writer and director. From covering Afghanistan to the Iraq war, from the Hells Angels to child predators, I still carry with me the lessons I learned at The Daily.

Love it or hate it, agree with it or disagree with it – it doesn’t matter. The Daily plays a vital role in McGill’s life and in the formation of the next generation of journalists.

Keep it going and keep it strong.

Julian Sher is an investigative journalist and book author. He has written for the New York Times, USA Today, and the Globe and Mail. Visit him at juliansher.com.

Read more alumni letters here.