The Icelandic Canadian - 01.09.2004, Page 10

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THE ICELANDIC CANADIAN
Vol. 59 #1
was humanity in its full scope; over the
years I commented on a myriad of human
situations. Nothing is simple. I lost
patience with rigid, dogmatic ideology. I
am, ultimately, a centrist. I can see great
value in most parts of the political spec-
trum. My experience in journalism made
me practical and pragmatic. I did talk radio
in the late sixties and early seventies for five
years; at the beginning I really enjoyed it. I
always enjoyed the air work. Over time, it
became more difficult for me: in talk radio
you have to be outrageous, sensational. To
do that you need to adopt a black and
white perspective. There can be no ifs, buts
and ands in talk radio, but life is full of its,
buts and ands - full of complexity. I found
talk radio more difficult, because I could
not be just straight on, black and white.
The listening audience loves it when the
talk radio host will brook no doubt; life is
full of doubt. In life you have to make deci-
sions, difficult decisions.
Kevin: This black and white mind-set
was not true to yourself, as you matured
and your vision became more complex?
Mr. Harvard: I have met all kinds of
people in politics. Many people seek shelter
in their ideologies; their ideologies are their
scripts. They come to a problem and look
to their dogma for the pat solution. Here it
is, on page three! In some ways, you can be
almost jealous of them. I resist that; I think
that each problem deserves separate analy-
ses, separate explanations, and separate
solutions. You may not reach the correct
solution, but should remain, as much as
possible, open-minded. With some funda-
mental values, such as our Charter of
Rights and Freedoms, I am closed minded.
These human rights are so fundamental to
me, but beyond this framework of morali-
ty that informs how I treat my fellow citi-
zens, it becomes an intellectual free-for-all
for me.
Kevin: How many years did you spend
in journalism?
Mr. Harvard: I spent my first couple of
years in apprenticeship, learning journal-
ism. I then worked in radio and television
from the fall of 1957 until the late summer
of 1988, so for almost thirty one years. In
the first couple of years I learned how to
use a microphone, and how to express
myself on the air. I never wanted to be sim-
ply a voice on the air, or another pretty
face. I always wanted to do something
much more serious. I worked at the CBC
for eighteen years. They have now changed
the nature of the corporation, but in those
days there was a news division and a public
affairs division. I always worked in public
affairs. Reporting the facts interested me
somewhat, but taking the facts and provid-
ing the audience with some context, some
understanding, some perspective, some
opinion and analysis — that intrigued me. I
do not want to denigrate news, an impor-
tant part of journalism, but a newscaster
simply reports on an event in an impartial
manner, but I wanted to come in later. I
wanted to come in and say, "All right, why
did this happen? Did it have to happen this
way? Is there a better way? Is there fault?"
Pjodraeknisfelag Islendinga f Vesturheimi
PRESIDENT: WALTER SOPHER
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