Who Am I?

Hala Gorani was born in Seattle, Washington, but was mainly raised in Paris, France, by her Syrian and French parents. She became an award-winning journalist with over 25 years of experience, covering history-defining stories around the world. As an anchor for CNN’s Hala Gorani Tonight, she became the first Arab American to host a primetime show. Hala speaks three languages fluently: English, French and Arabic. She is also an Emmy Award-winning journalist and author of the memoir, But You Don’t Look Arab: And Other Tales of Unbelonging.

What Am I Known For?

Hala Gorani has covered some of the world’s most important events, including elections, revolutions and conflicts across five continents. She has interviewed major world leaders, and her brave reporting earned CNN an Edward R. Murrow Award, particularly for her coverage of the 2006 Lebanon War.

Throughout her career, Hala has shown courage in her reporting from dangerous war zones. On a personal level, her courage helped her persist in journalism despite facing early career discrimination because of her Arabic background. This discrimination led her to change her name and hide her language skills. Her resilience has helped her not to give up but find ways to succeed. Her memoir, But You Don’t Look Arab, explores the complex experience of never quite belonging anywhere. It demonstrates her empathy in helping others who feel like outsiders to understand that they can find strength in their unique identity. She turned her feelings of unbelonging into a superpower that makes her a better storyteller and journalist.

Photo: Association for International Broadcasting, CC BY 2.0, via Wikimedia Commons