Before retiring, Don Newman was Senior Parliamentary Editor for CBC News and the host of CBC Newsworld's daily program Politics, an intelligent analysis of major political news stories and newsmakers in Ottawa and around the country.

Newman was also the chief political and special events broadcaster for CBC Newsworld, providing special live coverage of Canadian political conventions, hearings, news conferences, first ministers' meetings, provincial and federal elections and referenda.

In 1989, Newman helped launch CBC Newsworld with live daily broadcasts from Ottawa. At the same time, he hosted and produced a nightly program, Capital Report. As well, Newman continued to do This Week in Parliament, a half-hour weekly program on CBC, which he hosted from 1981 to 1993.

Newman came to work for CBC's Parliamentary bureau in 1981, following a two-year stint as CBC News: The National's senior western correspondent based in Edmonton. Before joining CBC in 1976 as its Washington correspondent, Newman worked for CTV. He opened its Washington bureau in 1972, where he covered Watergate. Since moving to the Parliamentary Bureau in 1981, Newman has covered such major national political stories as the Canada-U.S. free trade agreement, the GST, the failed Meech and Charlottetown accords, budget releases, political scandals and resignations, crucial debates over major public policies, legislation in the House and Senate and major decisions of the Supreme Court of Canada.

Newman has served as president of the National Press Gallery and president and treasurer of the National Press Club. He was instrumental in negotiations to bring Canadians live television from the Supreme Court and in expanding coverage from the House of Commons. His contribution to CBC Television coverage of the Meech Lake negotiations led to its Parliamentary Bureau winning a Gemini Award in 1990.

In 1999, Newman was named to the Order of Canada. In 1997, the National Press Club made Don Newman the first recipient of the Charles Lynch Award for outstanding coverage of national affairs. Don Newman was also the recipient of the 2005 Hyman Solomon award for Public Policy Journalism and in 2007, her received and Honorary Doctorate of Laws degree from the University of Winnipeg.

Newman is a native of Winnipeg. He was schooled in England, Montreal and Winnipeg.