By Jennifer Hartley
Photos courtesy of CBC
“I don’t think I am toxically optimistic, but I am aggressively optimistic ” says Adrienne Arsenault, chief correspondent of CBC News and host of The National, who has been bringing us the world for over three decades.
It is quite something to hear that from a journalist and foreign correspondent who has, over the years, been in unbelievably dangerous situations. In 2008, she was arrested when she and her team, the only journalists to have full accreditation to cover the Zimbabwe elections, were just doing their job and taking photos. In another incident in Zimbabwe, a case of being in the wrong place at the wrong time, she and her team came face to face with men wielding weapons, digging up graves. The men angrily screamed at them. “Thankfully, one of the gang intervened, he was clearly someone of importance, and that is the only reason why we are here today.”
She has reported on conflict and war in Ukraine, Syria, Mali and the Middle East. She has even reported from a flying hospital bringing injured Palestinians to safety.
Through it all, she stays positive. “I cover disasters and see a lot of terrible things, but I am inspired by the people I have the privilege to meet and their stories. Many times, it is people who have the least who give the most. Those who fight for justice and democracy when they are most threatened fight the hardest. They inspire me.”
Adrienne highlighted the misery of the 2014 Ebola virus outbreak when she and her team headed to Liberia, the African country hardest hit with the disease, to bear witness. She had an exclusive interview with the President of Liberia, Ellen Johnson Sirleaf, which brought it all into focus not only for Canadians, but people all over the world. She and her team won an Emmy Award, beating out three contenders in the international news category, for the heart-wrenching report.
Curiosity is a word she mentions when describing herself. Whether serving as a CBC correspondent in Jerusalem, Washington, London or Vancouver, covering eight Olympic Games, including this summer’s Paris 2024 Games, or reporting on the FIFA World Cup in South Africa, her desire to learn and understand is obvious. She enjoys sharing and celebrating the achievements of others.
Compassionate Search for Truth
That quest for the truth has earned Adrienne academic accolades. It’s no surprise that her alma mater, Huron University (affiliated with the University of Western Ontario), and Western itself have presented her with honorary doctorate degrees. The 2023 doctor of divinity bestowed at Huron at first may seem a strange choice, given she has no particular religious affiliation, but it is a perfect tribute. It honours her pursuit of knowledge, wherever that may lead, and her compassion and caring for others. She also holds an honorary bachelor of applied studies from Humber College.
In addition to that 2015 Emmy for her Ebola coverage, the Toronto-based reporter has been named the Commonwealth Broadcasting Association’s Journalist of the Year, has earned two Gracie Awards from the Alliance for Women in Media and has received a Golden Nymph Award from the Monte Carlo Television Festival for her coverage of the Zimbabwe election. There have also been various Gemini and Canadian Screen Awards (CSAs). This year at the CSAs, she was named best national news anchor and her show Adrienne Arsenault Reports: Inside Ukraine won the CSA best news or information program award.
And yet, even with all the acknowledgment of her accomplishments, she is disarmingly humble. “Pride is a funny word. What does that even mean? I feel pride for what people in my life have done. I don’t feel pride about stuff I have done. I am fundamentally pretty shy and I wonder, how did this all happen? I don’t consider myself a particularly brave person either. When faced with difficulty, I gently tell myself, ‘It’s ok; you can do hard things. And then, after, I say to myself, `Look, you did a hard thing.’ But I don’t sit comfortably with the concept of pride.”
Her show, Adrienne Arsenault Reports, has been very successful landing exclusive interviews. Ukraine’s first lady Olena Zelenska, Princess Anne and most recently Céline Dion have all sat down with her. “Believe it or not, I find the process difficult,” she admits. “My favourite interview is when someone isn’t trying to get some message or agenda across. Of course, I am interested in movers and shakers, but I think my favourite is when you don’t see something coming and you can gently pull and give people space and you get lost in the conversation and there is a connection with that person.”
While Adrienne is not afraid to bring us the difficult realities, she also shares the human side of the news. She has perfected the art of storytelling in a way that makes us empathize and see the world in a more compassionate way.
Those investigative journalism instincts date back to her childhood growing up in Toronto. “I loved Harriet the Spy and Nancy Drew books and the notion of writing, observing and flying around were mesmerizing for me.” Today, she still loves reading. “I just love an imagination that takes me where I never imagined. Books become treasures for me. I try to gobble up any of Jose Saramago’s books (Death at Intervals is a favourite) and other books that are nimble with language.”
Any regrets? “I left a diary on a plane once in Tel Aviv. I tried to recreate it, but I let go of the practice and I wish I had not. Ultimately, I don’t want to live a life that leads to regret and I don’t want to live a life that dwells on regrets.” She hopes to learn more languages. “I can’t stand being somewhere and not be able to communicate with others.”
All in the Family
While both her parents inspire her, her father, Ray Arsenault, was a television director whose credits included King of Kensington and Hockey Night in Canada. “He would sit me in front of the TV. ‘I want you to tell me what is live. I want you to snap your figures when the picture should change.’ He would make games out of lessons, and it all stayed with me. He was kind and loyal and never said anything he couldn’t honour.” (Clearly, she was listening.) Look closely at her right hand and you will see his wedding ring, held in place by another beautiful ring she acquired in Jerusalem.
She is also very funny. Search TikTok and you will see how she can make dinner out of a vending machine, no doubt from experience on the job. “Chocolate milk and a crushed cookie have 26 grams of protein!” This, from someone who loves boot camp and working out.
In 2023, she told the Huron University graduating class: “What kind of people are we going to be? Just doing the right thing can be what we need to achieve.” Frankly, these are words for all of us, with a pinch of her aggressive optimism.
