Deana Sumanac-Johnson is an arts and entertainment reporter for CBC News, appearing on The National, CBC News Network, CBC Radio and CBC.ca.
My job has taken me around the word, from the Cannes Film Festival in France and Oscars in Los Angeles, to events here at home, including the Toronto Film Festival. Beyond interviewing actors and other artists, I report for The National on all aspects of culture.
My undergraduate degree in History (and Comparative Literature) from McMaster played an integral part in allowing me to pursue this exciting career. It taught me to look for links between the arts and socio-political issues of the day, a crucial element in making arts stories relevant to people from all walks of life. In fact, I’m proud to say I have acquired a bit of a reputation as a “history buff” at CBC News. One of the most interesting stories I’ve worked on was one that highlighted the destruction of historical artefacts in Syria, and whether this justified keeping artefacts in Western museums. There was a story my degree in history prepared me to tackle: a complex intersection of arts, culture, shared human heritage and ethical questions.
During my history degree, I also learned the fundamentals of conducting thorough research, writing convincingly, and speaking clearly to a diverse public. With these skills, I was prepared to turn my personal passion for cultural expression into a professional goal – after graduating from McMaster I attended Journalism school at Ryerson, and everything came together.