James Travers (journalist)

James Travers (1948 or 1949 – March 3, 2011)[1] was a Canadian journalist, best known as an editor and political correspondent for the Toronto Star.[1]

Born in Hamilton, Ontario,[1] Travers began his journalism career in 1972 with the Oakville Journal Record in Oakville.[2] He later joined Southam Newspapers, working as a foreign correspondent covering Africa and the Middle East.[3] He served as the editor of the Ottawa Citizen from 1991 to 1996, when he resigned shortly after Southam sold the paper to Hollinger.[2]

He joined the Toronto Star as an editor the following year, later returning to column writing as the paper's national affairs columnist. He won a National Newspaper Award in 2009 for a column titled "The quiet unravelling of Canadian democracy".[1]

Following the announcement of his death, tributes were delivered in the House of Commons of Canada by several political figures, including Stephen Harper, Michael Ignatieff and Bob Rae.[2]

Friends and colleagues of Jim Travers have established a fellowship fund to finance significant foreign reporting projects by Canadian journalists – staffers, freelancers or students – working in any medium. The fund has been established to make an annual award of $25,000 to cover travel, reporting and research expenses and a stipend for a journalist.