Andrew Potter is a Canadian author and associate professor (professional) at the Max Bell School of Public Policy in

Montreal Montreal ( ; officially Montréal, ) is the second-most populous city in Canada and most populous city in the Canadian province of Quebec. Founded in 1642 as '' Ville-Marie'', or "City of Mary", it is named after Mount Royal, the triple- ...

, where he is based. He is the former editor-in-chief of the

Ottawa Citizen The ''Ottawa Citizen'' is an English-language daily newspaper owned by Postmedia Network in Ottawa, Ontario, Canada. History Established as ''The Bytown Packet'' in 1845 by William Harris, it was renamed the ''Citizen'' in 1851. The newsp ...

; best known for co-authoring ''

The Rebel Sell ''The Rebel Sell: Why the Culture Can't be Jammed'' (released in the United States as ''Nation of Rebels: Why Counterculture Became Consumer Culture'') is a non-fiction book written by Canadian authors Joseph Heath and Andrew Potter in 2004. The ...

'', with Joseph Heath, and for his 2010 book, ''The Authenticity Hoax''. He was formerly director of the McGill Institute for the Study of Canada.

Early life and education

Potter was born in Teulon, Manitoba, and attended

Glebe Collegiate Institute Glebe Collegiate Institute (GCI) is a high school in the Glebe neighbourhood of Ottawa, Ontario, Canada. Administered by the Ottawa-Carleton District School Board (OCDSB), Glebe Collegiate Institute has approximately 1,700 students and is the di ...

Ottawa Ottawa (, ; Canadian French: ) is the capital city of Canada. It is located at the confluence of the Ottawa River and the Rideau River in the southern portion of the province of Ontario. Ottawa borders Gatineau, Quebec, and forms the core ...

before graduating from

McGill University McGill University (french: link=no, Université McGill) is an English-language public research university located in Montreal, Quebec, Canada. Founded in 1821 by royal charter granted by King George IV,Frost, Stanley Brice. ''McGill Univers ...

with a BA in Philosophy, followed by MA and

Ph.D. A Doctor of Philosophy (PhD, Ph.D., or DPhil; Latin: or ') is the most common degree at the highest academic level awarded following a course of study. PhDs are awarded for programs across the whole breadth of academic fields. Because it is ...

degrees in philosophy at the

University of Toronto The University of Toronto (UToronto or U of T) is a public research university in Toronto, Ontario, Canada, located on the grounds that surround Queen's Park. It was founded by royal charter in 1827 as King's College, the first institution ...

. He also spent three years as an assistant professor at

Trent University Trent University is a public liberal arts university in Peterborough, Ontario, with a satellite campus in Oshawa, which serves the Regional Municipality of Durham. Trent is known for its Oxbridge college system and small class sizes.

. Potter completed postdoctoral work at the Centre de recherches en éthique (CREUM) at the

University of Montreal A university () is an institution of higher (or tertiary) education and research which awards academic degrees in several academic disciplines. Universities typically offer both undergraduate and postgraduate programs. In the United States, ...

after graduation.

Career

Potter taught philosophy at

in Peterborough, Ontario, from 2001 to 2004. He then left academia to become the National Editor at the

, a daily newspaper. In 2010 Potter left the

, when he was appointed Features Editor at

Canadian Business ''Canadian Business'' is the longest-publishing business magazine based in Toronto, Ontario, Canada, and founded in 1927. The print edition terminated in the end of 2016. Beginning in January 2017, the magazine was published online only. In O ...

in Toronto. From 2007 to 2012 Potter wrote a column for the Canadian national weekly news

Maclean's magazine ''Maclean's'', founded in 1905, is a Canadian news magazine reporting on Canadian issues such as politics, pop culture, and current events. Its founder, publisher John Bayne Maclean, established the magazine to provide a uniquely Canadian perspe ...

. Andrew Potter also served as Director of the Montreal-based McGill Institute for the Study of Canada (MISC). Potter returned to the Ottawa Citizen to become Managing Editor in 2011 and was promoted to Editor-In-Chief in December 2013. In 2013, Potter and the Ottawa Citizen were awarded the

Michener Award The Michener Award is one of the highest distinctions in Canadian journalism. The award was founded in 1970 by Roland Michener, who was Governor General of Canada at the time, and his wife Norah. The idea for the award was developed in 1969 with B ...

for reporting that exposed the use of "robocalls" to mislead and harass voters during the 2011 federal election campaign. In March 2017, Andrew Potter published an article in

Maclean's ''Maclean's'', founded in 1905, is a Canadian news magazine reporting on Canadian issues such as politics, pop culture, and current events. Its founder, publisher John Bayne Maclean, established the magazine to provide a uniquely Canadian perspe ...

in which he talks about the lack of solidarity within Quebec society. This article was decried and denounced at the provincial legislature of Quebec, and the administration of McGill tweeted that Potter did not represent the views of the university. A few days after the publication of his article, Potter distanced himself from elements of his article and soon after resigned from his position at MISC, while remaining an associate professor. Distinguished national affairs commentators including Paul Wells and former

national editor

Andrew Coyne James Andrew Coyne (born December 23, 1960) is a Canadian columnist with '' The Globe and Mail'' and a member of the ''At Issue'' panel on CBC's '' The National''. Previously, he has been national editor for ''Maclean's'' and a columnist with ''N ...

questioned or condemned the backlash, specifically the perceived yielding to political pressure by an academic institution.

Academic interests

Potter's academic background is in metaphysics and political philosophy, post-secondary educational policy, branding, consumerism and popular culture. He maintains an interest in technology and the future of the news media.

Selected publications

The Authenticity Hoax

"How a snowstorm exposed Quebec’s real problem: social malaise"

References

{{DEFAULTSORT:Potter, Andrew Living people Ottawa Citizen people Canadian newspaper editors Canadian male journalists Maclean's writers and editors 1972 births Canadian academic administrators McGill University faculty Philosophers of culture 21st-century Canadian philosophers Metaphysicians Canadian political philosophers Branding theorists Popular culture studies Trent University faculty University of Toronto alumni