Cheryl McKenzie

Cheryl McKenzie is a Canadian broadcast journalist and the Executive Director of News and Current Affairs for the APTN National News. She is of Anishinabek and Cree descent. She is best known as the host of the Aboriginal People's Television Network's half-hour nightly news show APTN National News, and the talk Show InFocus.

Early life Both McKenzie's parents are residential school survivors.

They are from the Hollow Water First Nation and Peguis First Nation in Manitoba.

Cheryl McKenzie grew up in Winnipeg, but frequently visited family on her parents' reserves. The internship ended after 10 months when the funding ran out. Also, her superiors at CBC told her they didn't think she would be successful as a journalist.

APTN Daytime In July 2005 McKenzie was promoted to Host/Producer for the launch of APTN National News: Daytime a second national half hour newscast. Announcing New Host and Producer For APTN National News.

APTN Contact McKenzie assumed the role of host producer on the APTN national call-in show Contact in 2007.

APTN National News and InFocus A new talk format show, APTN InFocus, replaced Contact in 2009, with McKenzie at the forefront as the host-producer.

McKenzie reappeared on the news, this time on the desk as a co-anchor with Michael Hutchison in 2012.

In the fall of 2014, InFocus reverted to a half-hour show. Topics have included: suicide rates, addiction, mental health issues, low income, community violence, high incarceration rates, and self-governance struggles. The current design of the show usually features a three guest panel, and allows viewers to join the conversation via telephone Twitter or Facebook.

Executive Director of news and current affairs McKenzie was promoted to executive director of news and current affairs on July 22, 2019, succeeding Karyn Pugliese, who departed on July 31, 2019.