TORONTO — CBC News has taken disciplinary action against journalist Wendy Mesley in light of her admission that she used a racist slur on two separate occasions during editorial meetings in the past year.
Chuck Thompson, CBC’s head of public affairs, said an internal review confirmed Mesley “used offensive language” last fall and again recently, but a statement from Mesley has made it clear she used the N-word.
Thompson wouldn’t specify what disciplinary action is being taken against Mesley, who has been off the air for about three weeks during the review.
On her Twitter account Thursday, Mesley said she “used a word, and yes, it’s the word people think” during a call with colleagues while preparing for a segment of “The Weekly” about anti-racism earlier this month.
Mesley said she used it “not as a slur,” but while quoting a word that a journalist had been called — a journalist they were considering as a panellist on the show.
She said she thought by saying the full word, she “was somehow exposing the truth,” but now realizes her “abuse of the word was harmful” and she’s “deeply sorry and ashamed.”
Mesley said she also used the word last September while quoting a book title during preparation for an episode of “The Weekly” on Quebec’s Bill 21, which bars some public-sector employees from wearing religious symbols while at work.
She said she “wanted to add some context about why Bill 21 might have got the support it’s had.”
“I referenced one of the more influential tomes of Quebec political thought called ‘White (N’s) of America,'” Mesley wrote in her Twitter post.
“The book uses the full word, and argues that white francophones are victims of discrimination. The book was written in French, but the title is in English. I said the full title in the meeting.”
Mesley said shortly after, a colleague told her that using that word “had made people deeply uncomfortable.”
“I wish I’d treated that more seriously, instead of assuming it was OK because my intentions had been to share outrage and understanding, not to offend,” she said.
“It is in the same context that I used the word while preparing our recent episode in the wake of the killing of George Floyd. I thought that by using the word in reference to journalism I was shining a light on anti-Black racism. I now realize that I did the opposite and I am now one example of the problem.”
Mesley said she’s now going to “spend time listening and learning,” and won’t be commenting further.
Thompson said the CBC will not be commenting “on any aspect of the review” or any details pertaining to the disciplinary action.
It’s been said that the left always ends up eating itself. How true. I’ve stopped reading and listening to CBC and my life is now so much more uncluttered and peaceful.
Bet you she is a conservative
Brandon Riggs no but they tend to follow conservatives government propaganda which Is directed to them
When saying the name of a book makes people uncomfortable, your organization is doomed.
Who actually watches CBC. They have, at the most, 5% ratings on the TV side. #DefundCBC
People over 50 sadly. Who still vote.
Bill Kennedy That’s not very many voters and I know of no one over 50 who watches CBC. But I also know that is not statistically significant. I do watch one Lawyer based series out of Winterpeg made by CBC on Neftflix which isn’t too bad but it doesn’t warrant $1.5 billion in taxpayer $.
65 + has the highest voter turnouts though. I hear them all repeating fake news all day every day. It’s sad really. CBC is doing to Canada what CNN and MSNBC have done to the US.
Doesn’t matter if you watch, it’s still a crown corporation and it gets funded, just like many other government funded entities
This is total nonsense, making an issue out of a non issue it’s what the Left loves to do.
Sticks & stones may break my bones, but names will never hurt me. Isn’t it time everyone grew up and quit with the racism nonsense. We are all of the same race, the human race. The color of a person’s skin is irrelevant, we are all the same race regardless of skin color. We may have many cultural differences, amongst humanity that we don’t agree with, but that doesn’t make us racists. People use the race card the victim card, and the phobia card much too much , just to get what they want, or control others. Please grow up society, and quit with all the B.S. over words. jmo
Good bye Wendy.. finally
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