Wendy Mesley

Award-Winning Broadcast Journalist

Wendy Mesley is one of Canada's most recognized and respected broadcast journalists. Noted for her energy, tenacity and wit, she is regarded as one of the best interviewers in television. A provocative speaker, who addresses challenging issues with an edgy, entertaining and informative presentation style, Mesley is also an outstanding moderator, host or master of ceremonies.

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Wendy Mesley's work as an award-winning journalist has immersed her in the big issues of the day including the governments of René Lévesque and Mulroney, the introduction of Free Trade, the GST, Meech Lake and the first Gulf War.

Mesley contributes a popular regular section for CBC News The National, asking provocative questions about the news of the day. She is also the regular back-up anchor for the programme. Until recently she was the co-host of CBC News: Marketplace, the award-winning prime-time investigative consumer show. In 1994, she helped create and hosted CBC Television's Gemini Award-winning Undercurrents, a program that examined the media/marketing world. Lasting six seasons, Undercurrents was relevant, intelligent, fast-paced and fearless – a weekly journalistic program that brought the traditional hard reporting of a current affairs show to the media culture. Mesley has been honoured with many awards including three Gemini Awards for Best Host.

Noted for her energy, tenacity and wit, she is regarded as one of the best interviewers in television. She also has some provocative things to say about her own craft, the media and how the public can be cheated. Mesley addresses challenging issues with an edgy, entertaining and informative presentation style; she is also an outstanding moderator, host or master of ceremonies.

1. Who Can You Trust? And ... Who Can Trust You?

Trust is one of the most powerful currencies we have. Whether it's in business, politics, the community, or our personal lives, the strength of our relationships depends on trust. It's an essential quality ... yet it's also one of the least examined human characteristics.

Trust is a topic that has fascinated Wendy Mesley throughout her career, and often defined the stories she's told. Issues of trust - winning it, losing it, and abusing it - have come up consistently through her years as a political reporter for CBC's national news, host of the media savvy program "Undercurrents", and as host of the consumer advocacy show "Marketplace". Often, the issues she's explored have come down to a single question: who should you believe?

In this engaging, irreverent, and ultimately invaluable presentation, Wendy shares anecdotes from her own experience, and the world at large, to explore some of the most important questions about trust. What exactly is it? Why does it matter? Who has it? Who had it, but blew it? Why are we more likely to trust individuals than the institutions they represent? How has this "trust gap" led individuals to create new communities to rebuild the ties that bind us together - and what does it mean for our future?

With her customary humour and famously direct approach, Wendy's presentation leaves the audience with a clear understanding of how mastering trust makes a measurable impact in all areas of their lives.
2. Making a Difference ...A Matter of Trust

In this provocative and humourous presentation Wendy will talk about how we live in a confusing time. It's almost seen as cool these days to be cynical. CEOs , politicians and even journalists! are no longer held in the same esteem. We are even suspicious of the little boy who comes to our door selling chocolate bars. And yet, most of us still hope to help make a better world.

We may have lost faith in some of the institutions we used to trust without question. But a new phenomenon is emerging...new networks of individuals, who are rebuilding businesses and other organizations and re-establishing trust. Whether you're in health, education or technology, big business or small, trust is the key.
3. The Truth is Out There. Or is it?

Whether it's politicians, corporate leaders, or health experts, it's getting increasingly difficult to know who to believe these days. Even journalists can't always be trusted!

Well-known TV journalist Wendy Mesley takes you behind the scenes for an insiders' look at how media , marketing and politics influence how we are informed.

Full of anecdotes from her years as a political reporter for CBC's National News, her time as host of the media savvy program Undercurrents, and now as host of the consumer advocacy show Marketplace, Wendy offers informed and humorous take on the challenges of trying to figure out what's right.

Wendy's interest in these issues is longstanding, but took a different angle two years ago when she was diagnosed with breast cancer. Again, politics, business and media issues were found to complicate the information available. You may have seen her documentary called Chasing the Cancer Answer.
4. Women with power, Women with Influence

Join well known tv journalist Wendy Mesley as she takes you behind the scenes for an insiders' look at how media , marketing and politics influence the choices we make as women, parents and consumers trying to keep ourselves and our families healthy and safe. Full of anecdotes from her years as one of the first female political reporters for CBC's National news, her time as host of the media savvy programme "Undercurrents", as host of the consumer advocacy show Markeptplace, and now as the anchor of the CBC National News on Sunday Wendy offers an informed and humourous take on the challenges of staying informed and staying in charge! .

Wendy's interest in these issues is longstanding but took a more personal angle 2 years ago when she was diagnosed with breast cancer . Again, politics, marketing and media issues were found to complicate the information available.

Newsrooms are full of women these days..But all of us, men and women, businesspeople and customers are still overwhelmed with often conflicting messages and expectations. Wendy offers her experiences in staying alive and staying informed.
5. The Wonders and the Horrors

Imagine being born now. In their world , will wireless be old hat? Will television be obsolete? Will people trust the news media again?

Every generation is so different from the one before it. And a big part of the difference has been the influence of media and technology.

And the influence begins early. Marketers now target consumers starting at age 2! By the time they're tweens, products are pitched with violent and sexual images that were banned , even by advertisers, just a few years ago. The outlets of easily accessible information have exploded. That's the good news. It's also the bad news. Citizen journalism is a wonder, but would you hire a citizen dentist? Sometimes a little background is a good thing. In a world where everyone has an opinion, how on Earth does one determine value?

Many young people think Jon Stewart is more believable than network anchors or the big newspapers. What does this say? The good news is that these satirists are dealing with serious issues. The bad news is that we only listen when it comes in the form of a joke. And as news audiences dwindle, the solution seems to be to make the news more entertaining.

Wendy Mesley has been a reporter, a news anchor, and a professional trouble maker for 25 years. She is both thrilled and horrified by how media and technology are changing the world we live in.
6. Current Events
7. Celebrity Appearances

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I can't tell you how well the evening went...of how happy we were to have Wendy Mesley as our guest speaker. We were thrilled with Wendy's speech. It was perfect. The response has been overwhelming.

Girls Incorporated
Wendy was fabulous! She was a huge hit of the day. She was extremely candid with her talk. We had trouble getting her out the door because everyone wanted to personally speak with her! ...It was a great success.

Ontario Association of Medical Radiation Technologists
A truly heartfelt thank you to you for your wonderful speech at our breakfast yesterday. You were entertaining, funny and wise all rolled into one, and the audience loved it. We had many positive comments about your speech.

Canadian Women's Foundation