Hala Gorani

Current occupation: Host of CNN's Hala Gorani Tonight 

Former employers: La Voix du Nord, Agence France-Presse, France 3, Bloomberg TV

Education: Bachelor’s in economics from George Mason University in Washington D.C., master’s from Sciences Po in Paris. 

Nationality: Syrian-American.

Known for covering major political events in the Middle East, award-winning journalist Hala Gorani is the current host of CNN’s Hala Gorani Tonight, a talk show that discusses the latest political and socio-economic developments around the world.

Gorani began her journalistic career as a reporter in France for La Voix du Nord and Agence France-Presse before joining France 3. After a brief position at Bloomberg TV in London, Gorani joined CNN in 1998 as an anchor for CNN International's European breakfast show CNN Today.

Her successful media career culminated by covering major events around the Middle East and the world. She was one of the first TV reporters on the ground in Amman, Jordan after Al-Qaeda suicide bombers attacked two hotels. 

She also covered the 2006 Lebanon War from Lebanon, which earned CNN an Edward R. Murrow Award. Gorani also extensively covered the Arab Spring, most notably the 2011 Egyptian revolution which earned her a News and Documentary Emmy for CNN's coverage. Similarly, she was part of a small team of journalists allowed into Syria for the first time since the protests began in 2011. 

Gorani received another Emmy award for her show’s coverage of “Syria: Gasping for Life in Khan Sheikhoun.”

Internationally, Gorani is known for covering the 2002 and 2007 French elections, the 2015 Charlie Hebdo attacks in Paris, and the 2010 Haiti earthquake for which CNN received a Golden Nymph award. 

Among those interviewed by Gorani are Jimmy Carter, Tony Blair, Rafik Hariri, Ehud Barak, the Dalai Lama, and Carla Bruni.