Hala Gorani facts for kids
Quick facts for kids
Hala Gorani
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Gorani in 2016
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Hala Basha Gorani
March 1, 1970 Seattle, Washington, U.S.
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| Alma mater | George Mason University Sciences Po |
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| Spouse(s) | Christian Streib (2015–present) |
| Awards | Edward R. Murrow Award, 4 Emmy Awards, George Foster Peabody Award, Television Personality of the Year 2016 |
Hala Basha-Gorani (born March 1, 1970) is an American journalist. She is known for her work as a correspondent for NBC News. Before joining NBC, she was a well-known anchor and correspondent for CNN International. She was based in London for many years.
Hala Gorani is also a war correspondent. This means she reports from areas where conflicts or wars are happening. She previously hosted a show called Hala Gorani Tonight on CNN. From February 2022, she reported live from Lviv, Ukraine, during the Russian invasion. She left CNN on April 28, 2022, after her final show. After leaving CNN, she took a break to write her first book. The book, called But You Don't Look Arab: And Other Tales of Unbelonging, was published in February 2024.
Contents
Early Life and Education
Hala Gorani was born in 1970 in Seattle, Washington, in the United States. She has a very international background. Her parents are from Syria and France. They moved from Aleppo, Syria, in 1966.
Hala's father worked as an engineer. When she was four, her family moved to Algeria for two years. After her parents divorced, six-year-old Hala moved to Paris, France, with her mother. She grew up mostly in Paris.
Her first name, Hala, is an Arabic name meaning "halo around the moon." She studied economics at George Mason University in Virginia, USA. She also wrote for the student newspaper there. In 1995, she graduated from the Sciences Po in Paris. Because she lived in many countries, Hala says she feels like a foreigner wherever she goes.
Hala Gorani's Journalism Career
Hala Gorani started her journalism career in France. She worked for newspapers like La Voix du Nord and news agencies like Agence France-Presse. In 1994, she joined France 3, a French TV channel. After working at Bloomberg Television in London, she joined CNN in 1998. At CNN, she became an anchor for their European morning show, CNN Today.
She has reported from many countries, especially in the Middle East. In 2005, she was one of the first reporters to arrive in Amman, Jordan, after a bombing attack. She also covered Israel's unilateral disengagement plan from Gaza that year. In 2006, she reported from Lebanon during the 2006 Lebanon War. This reporting helped CNN win an Edward R. Murrow Award. She also covered the French presidential elections in 2002 and 2007.
Key Reporting Assignments
Hala Gorani was part of the CNN team that won a News and Documentary Emmy Award. This was for their coverage of the 2011 Egyptian revolution. This event led to the country's president, Hosni Mubarak, leaving power. In 2015, she reported from Paris on the Charlie Hebdo shooting and the November ISIS attacks.
She also covered the terrible 2010 Haiti earthquake. CNN's reporting on this event won a Golden Nymph award. This is a very important award in international journalism. Hala often travels to report on big breaking news stories. She was one of the few journalists allowed into Syria in 2011 to report on the situation there. Her reporting on the Arab Spring helped CNN win a Peabody Award in 2012.
In 2008, Hala Gorani attended the World Economic Forum in Davos, Switzerland. She led a discussion with important leaders like Tony Blair.
Inside the Middle East
Hala Gorani used to host a show called Inside the Middle East on CNN International. This monthly show explored important social, political, and cultural topics in the region. During her five years as host, she covered many interesting stories. These included poverty in Bahrain and the daily lives of artists in Iraq.
Interviews and Recognition
Hala Gorani has interviewed many famous people. These include former US President Jimmy Carter, former UK Prime Minister Tony Blair, and the Dalai Lama. She tries not to share her own political or religious opinions. This helps her stay neutral as a journalist.
In May 2015, George Mason University gave Hala Gorani an honorary doctorate degree. She also gave a speech to the graduating students that year.
In November 2015, Hala Gorani was a main part of the CNN team that covered the terrorist attacks in Paris, France. In 2018, she was nominated for another Emmy Award for her reporting on the Manchester Concert Attack. That same year, she and her team won an Emmy Award for their coverage of a chemical attack in Syria.
Hala Gorani has shared her thoughts on journalism. She believes that important moments in a journalist's career are when their work makes a difference. She also advises people to celebrate their differences. She says these differences can make a person memorable and strong.
From November 2017 to April 2022, Hala Gorani hosted Hala Gorani Tonight on CNN International. Since February 2022, she was a special war anchor reporting from Ukraine during the Russian invasion.
Personal Life
Hala Gorani considers Paris, France, her home. Her mother also lives there. From 2004 to 2014, she was based in Atlanta, Georgia, USA. In 2014, she moved back to London.
Hala Gorani married Christian Streib, a German CNN photojournalist, on June 14, 2015. Their wedding took place in Jardin Majorelle, Morocco. While researching her book, Hala found out that part of her family came from Abkhazia.
Awards and Achievements
Hala Gorani has received many awards for her work in journalism:
- 2023: DuPont-Columbia Award for CNN's coverage of the Russian invasion of Ukraine.
- 2018: News and Documentary Emmy Award for "Syria: Gasping for Life in Khan Sheikhoun."
- 2018: News and Documentary Emmy nomination for Outstanding Breaking News Coverage, Manchester Concert Attack.
- 2016: Television Personality of the Year, Association for International Broadcasting.
- 2015: Honorary Doctor of Humane Letters degree from George Mason University.
- 2015: Named one of the most powerful women by Forbes Woman Middle East.
- 2012: News and Documentary Emmy Award for coverage of the Egyptian revolution.
- 2012: News and Documentary Emmy nomination for Outstanding Live Coverage of a Current News Story – Long Form (Anderson Cooper 360).
- 2012: George Foster Peabody Award for CNN's coverage of the Arab Spring.
- 2011–2015: Named among the 100 Most powerful Arab women by Arabian Business Magazine.
- 2007: Edward R. Murrow Award for CNN's continuing coverage of the Middle East conflict.
See also
In Spanish: Hala Gorani para niños
