Adrienne Arsenault, chief correspondent of CBC News and host of The National, has seen it all in her 30 years of covering the world. From jaw-dropping, terrifying, life-threatening experiences to sitting down with royalty, Canadian celebrities, or political figures, her mission is always the same: to bring us the truth, and she will go to any length to do it.
In 2008, Adrienne was arrested when she and her team, the only broadcast journalists with full accreditation to cover the Zimbabwe elections, were simply doing their job, filming video.
Another incident in Zimbabwe brought her close to death when she and her team came face to face with men wielding weapons, digging up graves. The men angrily shouted 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 even reported from a flying hospital bringing injured Palestinians to safety.
Adrienne is trusted on the international stage for her honesty. She was granted an exclusive interview with Ellen Johnson Sirleaf, the President of Liberia, which brought the heartbreaking misery of the 2014 Ebola outbreak into living rooms worldwide.
Remarkably, she has remained positive through it all. “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.”
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 may seem a surprising choice, given she has no particular religious affiliation, but it is a fitting tribute. It honours her pursuit of knowledge, wherever that may lead, and her compassion and care for others.
She also holds an honorary Bachelor of Applied Studies from Humber College.
Unsurprisingly, she and her team have a long list of other awards. They won a 2015 Emmy for the Ebola coverage, beating out three contenders in the international news category for their heart-wrenching report.
Adrienne, who is based in Toronto, 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 for Best News or Information Program.
Even with all the recognition of her accomplishments, she remains 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’ve 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 okay; you can do hard things.’ And then, afterwards, 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 in landing exclusive interviews. Ukraine’s First Lady Olena Zelenska, Princess Anne, and 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 push a message or agenda. Of course, I am interested in movers and shakers, but my favourite is when you don’t see something coming, and you can gently pull and give people space. You get lost in the conversation, and there is a connection with that person.”
The best advice she ever received?
“Hana Gartner [another CBC correspondent] once told me that a fundamental moment occurs in the time between the question and the answer. Worlds are communicated in those spaces. Learn what is between them.”
She also received another nugget of wisdom from Canadian journalist Anna Maria Tremonti. “I was told to listen for the most interesting word and take it from there. In a delicate answer, there is always one key word.”
Adrienne has perfected the art of storytelling in a way that makes us empathize and see the world in a more compassionate way, sharing the human side of the news.
Those investigative journalism instincts date back to her childhood, growing up in Toronto. “I loved Harriet the Spy and Nancy Drew books. The notion of writing, observing, and flying around was mesmerizing to me. I also loved the physical feel of books, starting young with Richard Scarry’s books in particular.”
She still loves reading. “Today, I try to devour any of José Saramago’s books (Death at Intervals is a favourite) and other works that play with language. I love an imagination that takes me where I never imagined. Books are still treasures to me.”
Her curiosity took her around the world earlier in her career, as a CBC correspondent in Jerusalem, Washington, London, and Vancouver. She has also covered eight Olympic Games, including the Paris 2024 Summer Games.
She holds deep reverence for her parents.
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 fingers when the picture should change.’ He made 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.)
Her mother, she says, “is one of the best-read people I’ve ever met. Her analysis of what happens in the world is something I seek all the time.”
Look closely at Adrienne’s right hand and you will see her dad’s wedding ring, held in place by another beautiful ring she acquired in Jerusalem.
On her arm is also a moving tribute to Nelson Mandela. A bracelet.
“I bought it in South Africa, and it is Nelson Mandela’s prison number. He was the 466th prisoner of 1964.”
It serves as a symbol of inspiration for her. “I wear them because sometimes the world gets crazy and I feel grounded and safe having these with me.”
She is also very funny. Search TikTok, and you’ll see how she can make dinner out of a vending machine. “Chocolate milk and a crushed cookie have 26 grams of protein!” Or, “I look way taller on TV. I have to stand on a box because I’m the size of a fire hydrant.”
Like many, she wishes she were musical, or a singer or dancer, “to feel that freedom to sing and dance without inhibition. I would also love to be much better at languages because I can’t stand being somewhere and not being able to communicate with others.”
One thing she had to learn the hard way? “Everything.”
“Long ago, I was at a career session and was asked what I wanted to do. I said I wanted to be a reporter. The leader of the session responded, ‘Yes, so that is what I mean about managing your expectations.’ I thought I had failed before I even started. I walked home crying, and it made me mad. When I’ve been embarrassed because I felt I didn’t do very well or someone made me feel like I hadn’t done well — those have been the most useful times. They make you sit with yourself and think about what you really want. It wasn’t her place to make me feel that way. I got mad. And it made me want to achieve it even more.”
That spunky attitude of not giving up is inspiring, as is her enthusiasm.
“I don’t think I’m toxically optimistic, but I am aggressively optimistic.” She lives life to the fullest, sharing her optimism and insight into the world, bringing more meaning to life for all of us, one newscast at a time.
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