Carol Off (born 1954/1955) is a

Canadian Canadians (french: Canadiens) are people identified with the country of Canada. This connection may be residential, legal, historical or cultural. For most Canadians, many (or all) of these connections exist and are collectively the source o ...

journalist, commentator, and author associated with CBC Television and

CBC Radio CBC Radio is the English-language radio operations of the Canadian Broadcasting Corporation. The CBC operates a number of radio networks serving different audiences and programming niches, all of which (regardless of language) are outlined below ...

Early life

Off was born in Winnipeg, Manitoba, in 1954 or 1955. She moved to Ottawa at ten years old and later moved to London, Ontario. As a child, she kept a diary and enjoyed going to libraries. She dropped out of high school to go traveling and hitchhiked around Canada for 2 years. After returning, she finished high school and married for the first time. She attended the University of Western Ontario and studied English, which began her career.

Career

She got her start in journalism as a staff writer for ''The Gazette'', the student newspaper at the University of Western Ontario. She graduated with a

B.A. Bachelor of arts (BA or AB; from the Latin ', ', or ') is a bachelor's degree awarded for an undergraduate program in the arts, or, in some cases, other disciplines. A Bachelor of Arts degree course is generally completed in three or four years ...

degree from Western in 1981. Off was a host of

CBC Radio One CBC Radio One is the English-language news and information radio network of the publicly owned Canadian Broadcasting Corporation. It is commercial-free and offers local and national programming. It is available on AM and FM to 98 percent of Ca ...

's ''

As It Happens ''As It Happens'' is a Canadian interview show that airs on CBC Radio One in Canada and various public radio stations in the United States through Public Radio Exchange. Its 50th anniversary was celebrated on-air on November 16, 2018. It has been ...

'' from 2006 to 2022. Previously a documentary reporter for '' The National'', where she covered international affairs, Off also hosted the political debate series ''

counterSpin Fairness & Accuracy In Reporting (FAIR) is a progressive left-leaning media critique organization based in New York City. The organization was founded in 1986 by Jeff Cohen and Martin A. Lee. FAIR monitors American news media for bias, inaccurac ...

'' on

CBC Newsworld CBC News Network (formerly CBC Newsworld) is a Canadian English-language specialty news channel owned by the Canadian Broadcasting Corporation (CBC). It broadcasts into over 10 million homes in Canada. As Canada's first all-news channel, it is th ...

. She served on the board of directors of

Canadian Journalists for Free Expression Canadian Journalists for Free Expression (CJFE) is a Canadian non-governmental organization supported by Canadian journalists and advocates of freedom of expression. The purpose of the organization is to defend the rights of journalists and ...

from 2001 to 2007. Off has been honoured for her journalism with a Gemini Award (2002), the

John Drainie Award The John Drainie Award was an award given to an individual who has made a significant contribution to broadcasting in Canada. Although meant to be presented annually there have been years where it was not presented. Originally created by ACTRA in 1 ...

for distinguished contributions to Canadian broadcasting (2008), and a Gabriel Award (2016). Off has also written books on the Canadian military, including ''

The Lion, the Fox, and the Eagle ''The Lion, the Fox & the Eagle: A Story of Generals and Justice in Rwanda and Yugoslavia'' is a non-fiction book by Canadian journalist Carol Off. The hardcover edition was published in November 2000 by Random House Canada. The writing was fav ...

'' (2000) and ''The Ghosts of Medak Pocket: the Story of Canada's Secret War'' (2005, ). In 2006, she released ''Bitter Chocolate'', a book about the corruption and human rights abuses associated with the

cocoa Cocoa may refer to: Chocolate * Chocolate * ''Theobroma cacao'', the cocoa tree * Cocoa bean, seed of ''Theobroma cacao'' * Chocolate liquor, or cocoa liquor, pure, liquid chocolate extracted from the cocoa bean, including both cocoa butter an ...

industry. She wrote that French-Canadian journalist

Guy-André Kieffer Guy-André Kieffer (born 25 May 1949) is a journalist of dual French and Canadian nationality who worked in West Africa generally, and in Côte d'Ivoire specifically. On April 16, 2004, he was kidnapped from an Abidjan parking lot and has not bee ...

, who was kidnapped in

Abidjan Abidjan ( , ; N’ko: ߊߓߌߖߊ߲߬) is the economic capital of the Ivory Coast. As of the 2021 census, Abidjan's population was 6.3 million, which is 21.5 percent of overall population of the country, making it the sixth most populous city p ...

Côte d'Ivoire Ivory Coast, also known as Côte d'Ivoire, officially the Republic of Côte d'Ivoire, is a country on the southern coast of West Africa. Its capital is Yamoussoukro, in the centre of the country, while its largest city and economic centre is ...

in 2004, had been murdered for exposing Ivorian government corruption in connection with cocoa. Her latest book, ''All We Leave Behind: A Reporter's Journey into the Lives of Others'' (2017) , won the B.C. National Award for Canadian Non-Fiction and the 2018 Ontario Historical Society Huguenot Society of Canada Award. Off has received honorary degrees from both Western University and the Royal Military College of Canada. On January 18, 2022, Off announced her retirement from ''As It Happens'' on-air, effective February 25."Carol Off to sign off from CBC's 'As It Happens'"
''Mississauga News'', January 18, 2022. She is expected to continue with the CBC as creator and host of a new weekly series for the network's summer schedule.

Personal life

Off married painter Fred Harrison after she graduated from high school, and her only child, a son named Joel Harrison, was born in 1976. She divorced Harrison and left their son with him when she moved to Toronto after graduating from the University of Western Ontario. Later, Off married fellow CBC broadcaster and former host of ''The Fifth Estate''

Linden MacIntyre Linden Joseph MacIntyre (born May 29, 1943) is a Canadian journalist, broadcaster and novelist. He has won ten Gemini Awards, an International Emmy and numerous other awards for writing and journalistic excellence, including the 2009 Scotiabank ...

in 2000.

References

External links

Carol Off biography
at CBC Radio
Carol Off - On Hosting ''As It Happens'', The Importance of Public Space & Her Beginnings in Journalism
at Broadcasting Canada, July 20, 2013 {{DEFAULTSORT:Off, Carol 1950s births Canadian television reporters and correspondents Canadian radio news anchors Living people Canadian women non-fiction writers Canadian women radio hosts Canadian talk radio hosts CBC Radio hosts Journalists from Manitoba Journalists from Ontario University of Western Ontario alumni Canadian women radio journalists Canadian women television journalists Canadian war correspondents Women military writers Writers from London, Ontario Writers from Winnipeg 20th-century Canadian journalists 20th-century Canadian women writers 20th-century Canadian non-fiction writers 21st-century Canadian journalists 21st-century Canadian women writers 21st-century Canadian non-fiction writers Year of birth missing (living people)