RTDNA Canada congratulates Eric Rankin as a recipient of the Lifetime Achievement Award in the West Region
Vancouver, BC – (May 18, 2021) -RTDNA Canada is pleased to recognize Eric Rankin who has distinguished himself through outstanding service and continued excellence during the course of his career in journalism and news broadcasting.
RTDNA President Fiona Conway said, “Although Eric retired in 2020 it is not said lightly that he has had a major role in journalism in Canada. Throughout his career he has represented the best of investigative journalism. Holding power to account, initiating change, and seeing results that have a lasting impact. Congratulations to Eric for this well-earned recognition.”
The indomitable Eric Rankin has been terrorizing lawyers, browbeating politicians, and confronting ne’er-do-wells on behalf of the Canadian Broadcasting Corporation for 35 years.
Eric’s history in broadcasting goes back to 1974, when he entered BCIT’s broadcast program and in 1975 started working at CJOR part time. His CV also lists stints at CFVR in Abbotsford, CKVU, and KVOS TV before joining the CBC as a TV reporter in August of 1984.
Eric’s experiences within CBC included covering the 1st Gulf War for the Journal and CBC News. He and his team went into all kinds of dangerous places that no one at CBC would approve today. Here’s a direct quote from one of his coworkers – “they carried wads of cash, some basic survival equipment and had no danger training. We were in awe.” At one point he was held as a spy while trying to leave Iraq, and not only did he escape unscathed but managed to land himself on Nightline with Ted Koppel.
Eric has covered the Oka conflict in 1990, the war in Sarajevo, the Westray mine disaster in 1992, and the Sandinistas in Nicaragua in 1993. He came back to Vancouver as a producer where he worked on Pacific Rim Report and Hemispheres, before finally returning to daily news as a gifted reporter and quickly piling up the hardware, from a Canadian Screen Award to RTDNA awards and a Jack Webster award. Much of this is due to his sensitive touch as an interviewer and ability to get even the most reticent people to tell him their stories.
His attention to detail is legendary. Eric once spent hours using a colour photocopier to create fake $20 and $50 bills to fill a briefcase and a box to illustrate the $27 million laundered through casinos in 2014, stories that were cited in Peter German’s report on money laundering in this province.
About RTDNA Canada
RTDNA Canada is the voice of electronic and digital journalists and news managers in Canada. The members of RTDNA Canada recognize the responsibility of broadcast and digital journalists to promote and to protect the freedom to report independently about matters of public interest and to present a wide range of expressions, opinions and ideas. The RTDNA Canada Journalistic Code of Ethics, adopted by the Canadian Broadcast Standards Council, is used to measure fairness and accuracy in our profession.
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Contact Information
Fiona Conway
President, RTDNA Canada
president@rtdnacanada.com
Kathryn Stewart
Co-chair, Central Region, RTDNA Canada
kathryn@cknw.com
Peter Wagner
Co-chair, Central Region, RTDNA Canada
peter.wagner@vancouverradio.rogers.com
RTDNA Canada
awards@rtdnacanada.com
http://www.rtdnacanada.com