Life tends to be cyclical. Everything, fashion, music or
economics -- eventually returns.
And so did Don Canaan -- from a Bronx tenement to marriage,
children, success in television newsfilm, immigration to
Israel, re-marriage, two more children and a return to the
U.S.A. and a new facet of journalism--print.
Canaan's career dates back to his appearance on Mike
Wallace's NightBeat program. His news background covers more
than four decades of history -- from 1960 until his departure
from United Press International to become a Quality Editor for
LexisNexis.
From 1961-1974, Canaan edited newsfilm and documentaries for
NBC News in New York, and in 1974 immigrated to Israel as part
of an American group planning to start the new city of Yamit in
the Sinai.
With unemployment rampant during the late 1970s and early
1980s. he became a statistic -- unable to work in TV newsfilm
because it had been superseded by videotape -- unable to work
in that medium because of a classic "Catch-22" situation; you
had to have a job to be accepted into the union and you had to
be in the union in order to get a job.
This quandary came about because film in TV news had become
an anachronism -- a victim of American technology combined with
Japanese ingenuity. During three years overseas, 22 years of TV
journalism experience disappeared beneath a tidal wave of
progress.
The Ohio State University's School of Journalism in
Columbus, Ohio, came to the rescue with an offer to earn a
master's degree while serving as an assistant in its TV news
workshop.
Then a terrific opportunity came up at the American
Israelite. Canaan was brought on board as staff writer, copy
editor and photographer. He enterprised stories that brought
kudos from the community. His four-part series, "Jews in Ohio's
Prisons: Does Anybody Care?" received a first place award for
best weekly journalism in Ohio from the State of Ohio Bar
Association.
Every evening, Sunday through Thursday, Canaan compiles and
edits Israel News Faxx. This newsletter is provided to a
selective worldwide clientele, as well as being posted at
www.israelnewsfaxx.com.
|