Hala Gorani

Hala Gorani is an accomplished journalist with a career spanning decades, known for her comprehensive coverage of global events and insightful analysis. After joining CNN in 1998 as an anchor for CNN International’s European breakfast show, CNN Today, Hala Gorani quickly established herself as a leading voice in international journalism. Her foundational career included reporting for La Voix du Nord, Agence France-Presse, France 3 (1994), and Bloomberg Television. Gorani demonstrated frontline reporting, being among the first journalists on the ground in Amman, Jordan, following the 2005 Al Qaeda suicide bombings, and covering Israel’s unilateral disengagement plan from Gaza that same year.

She was instrumental in CNN’s coverage of the 2010 Haiti earthquake, earning the network a Golden Nymph award. In 2012, Gorani’s leading coverage of the 2011 Egyptian revolution resulted in CNN receiving a News and Documentary Emmy Award, the network also earning a Peabody Award for its Arab Spring reporting. She reported live from Paris on the January Charlie Hebdo shooting and the November 2015 ISIS attacks. From November 2017 to April 2022, Gorani anchored CNN International’s flagship program, Hala Gorani Tonight, solidifying her reputation as a prominent international anchor.

Following her departure from CNN in April 2022, her contributions to the network’s Ukraine coverage were recognized with a prestigious DuPont-Columbia Award in 2023. Gorani has since embarked on a new chapter, publishing her highly anticipated memoir, But You Don’t Look Arab: And Other Tales of Unbelonging, in February 2024. Throughout her career, she has interviewed numerous prominent global figures, including Jimmy Carter, Tony Blair, the Dalai Lama, and Shimon Peres, exemplifying her commitment to neutral, incisive reporting, cementing her status as a respected global journalist.