Hala Gorani speaks to Forward

From the wonders and spectacles of the Middle East, Hala Gorani brings the humane side of every story to light and puts the world’s greatest events in perspective. Based in Atlanta and endlessly lying from one place to another, 37- years old Gorani coanchors CNN International’s ‘Your World Today’ with Jim Clancy and hosts ‘Inside the Middle East’, a half-hour monthly program that features stories on the most important social and cultural is-sues in the region. She has lived and breathed the journalistic scene for well over a decade, making a name for herself through her neutral coverage of stories in a way that always touched viewers on different levels. From Beirut to Gaza, from Baghdad to Mecca, Gorani has reported from almost every country in the Middle East, and was one of the first television reporters on the air when al-Qaeda suicide bombers attacked hotels in Jordan in November 2005.

As part of her anchoring duties, Gorani has interviewed some of the world’s most influential newsmakers from all walks of life, including Sinn Fein president Gerry Adams, Arab League Secretary General Amr Moussa, the former Lebanese Prime Minister Rafik al-Hariri before his assassination in February 2005, Palestinian negotiator Saeb Erakat, Italian fashion designers Miucca Prada and Donatella Versace, as well as boxing heavyweight Evander Holyield.

With the same passion that she has for her work, Gorani masters the art of living and leads a rich and exciting life. And while covering huge global stories, she relishes small pleasures, appreciates her family ties and has so much fun going out with her friends. Born in Seattle and raised in Paris, lived in Paris, you’d think her looks and blue eyes go back to her American or European ancestor, only that Gorani was born to Syrian parents who instilled in her family values and Middle Eastern norms that have become part of her identity.

Charming when seen, inspiring when heard, brilliant on screen, gripping when read, exceptional and impossible to de-scribe in a paragraph or two, Gorani knows how to tell a story, making sure she covers the very many sides of it.

I want to go right back to the beginning. In most interviews I’ve read it seems telling stories is the thing you were always good at, ever since you were a little girl. Looking back on your childhood and teen years, can you see how your personal characteristics, background and upbringing led to the career you have now? What fascinated you back then and what fascinates you still?

It’s true I’ve always loved writing and telling stories, but that isn’t enough to sustain a career in international television journalism. There has to be a true interest in current affairs and political trends and how they affect ordinary people. My passion for those two things gives me a sense that I am privileged to witness and report on history in the making. The excitement of live television also makes my job thrilling.

Looking back on your early career stages, were female journalists taken seriously when they first start their career? How would you relate to that?

I had decided on a career in journalism long before I graduated from university. I started a small school paper in high school and then wrote for my college newspaper. I am lucky to have started working in this business after several remarkable women, such as Christiane Amanpour among others, who established that women were at the very least equal to men in traditionally male-dominated areas of broadcast journalism.

You’ve worked closely with two distinctive journalists; first the unique business and broadcasting specialist Richard Quest on «CNN Today», and then the veteran correspondent Jim Clancy on «Your World Today». How did each one of them add to your personal and professional growth?

Working with Richard was a wonderful experience. I was very new at co-anchoring and for all is over-the-top on air presence, Richard is a genuine and generous on-air partner. He is the perfect «co-anchor» in that he is always conscious of how the show looks as a whole. It was important to him and to me that we worked well together and allowed our natural chemistry to make the show an enjoyable watch. Working with Jim is very different. We are both passionate about hard news and we have very spirited discussions about what goes in the show. He is one of the best field correspondents I know and his experience and knowledge come through in his anchoring.

TV presenters and anchors are surrounded with an exaggerated glamorous aura, in reality how glamorous is your job?

The fact that you say the aura is exaggerated says a lot about the person asking the question! My life is anything but glamorous, I can assure you. In Atlanta, I spend a lot of time seeing friends and taking care of daily chores at home. When I travel to the Middle East, I work non-stop. I try to stop by Paris on my way back from trips to the region to see my mother and my best friends, many of whom I’ve known for much longer than I’ve been in television.

Going back to the day Rena Golden announced that you’ll be joining Clancy on ‘Your World Today.’ What major challenges did you face? How different is working from London than working from headquarters in Atlanta?

I had already been anchoring for CNN for seven years when I was officially assigned to Your World Today alongside Jim Clancy. Nothing much changed for me. It was a continuation of what I’d been doing from day one at CNN. The sets and the setup in London and Atlanta are very similar.

When I worked in French television, I wrote every word I read on the air. I write all of my fields stories and most of the script for Inside the Middle East, my monthly feature show from the region.

As for Your World Today (and in American television networks in general), we have a team of writers and copy editors who put the show together. Anchors definitely have a say as to what goes in the show and what they think about the writing. We don’t always get our way, but we never shy away from voicing our opinions!

How much of the stories you report / cover are driven by what the management at CNN wants?

CNN is about covering the news of the day. That is what dictates what we cover on a daily basis. As for Inside the Middle East, I would say my team and I pretty much decide what stories we file. Stories are never mandated by management.

How do you measure success in your field; what does it take to be a successful news anchor and reporter? Do you consider yourself successful?

There are many definitions of success in television journalism. In a breaking new environment, such as the Hezbollah/Israel war last summer, success is about getting all sides of the story on the air in a balanced way, in a live rolling news format. It’s about being alert, responsive and able to relate a sometimes complex story with very little preparation time. It’s also important to be able to spend hours on air without a script. As a reporter, I feel I’ve done my job when I tell a story that puts events in perspective. I never forget that whether it’s a war or an election, the news is about people. When I feel that I have shown the impact of worldwide events on ordinary people, then I have done my job. I never allow myself to feel «successful». I always feel I can do better.

What are the challenges that broad-casters and reporters face when re-porting from the Middle East?

Quite frankly, reporting in the Middle East can be very challenging. In many countries in the region, journalists are required to file for permits; journalist visas can take a long to time to be processed. Also, access to government officials for interviews in some countries is very limited.

Do you think there is a certain ceiling that women can’t penetrate in the media? Is there one for Arabs in international TV channels, such as CNN, BBC…etc?

I don’t see it anymore. My boss is a woman and many of the top jobs at CNN are held by women. I don’t know if there is a ceiling for Arabs in international TV channels. There aren’t many journalists of Arab origin but I hope that the younger generation of English-speaking journalists from the region will change that over the next few years.

In your opinion, what’s the difference between CNN/International’s perspective & news coverage and CNN/US’s way?

CNN International and CNN USA are both American-owned, but CNNi is a 100% international operation. We have dozens of nationalities among our staff, three international broadcast centers and a worldwide news agenda. CNN USA is more focused on America, in the same way a French network is more focused on France. That said, CNN USA airs many more international news stories than other American cable news networks. After all, we use the same journalists and many of their reports are on both networks.

Since its foundation in 1996, Al-Jazeera Satellite Channel has been praised, vilified and described as both highly objective and highly irresponsible. What do you think of Aljazeera’s news cover-age? Do you agree with the saying that Aljazeera revolutionized television in the region?

Al Jazeera most definitely revolutionized television news in the Middle East. There is no denying it. From having only state-run channels with state-approved newscasts, AJ gave Arabs in the region a choice. It is not my place to say what I think of their coverage, but it is undeniable that that network, as well a few others, changed TV news in the Middle East.

You draw the world’s attention to so many problems and tragedies happenning. Were there cases where you went back to follow up with the people whose stories touched you?

I have. In Gaza three years ago, I profiled a family who hadn’t seen their relatives in the West Bank for several years. Recently, we called them to shoot a follow-up. We wanted to know how the crisis in the Gaza strip had affected them. They still hadn’t seen their daughters in Ramallah and two sons based in Gaza, both government employees, hadn’t received a salary in over a year. I hope to shoot the follow-up story this year.

How important is drawing attention to a problem and bringing into light, if do-ing so won’t necessarily result in finding solutions or serious reactions?

That is the primary reason I do this job.

‘Inside the Middle East’ reflects to the world the human side and beauty of the often-misunderstood region. Do you try to change some of the misconceptions about this region and bridge some cultural gaps?

I don’t set out to do that, but if it is a by-product of the show, then I am very happy.

In 2004, you did a story on the new generation of Syrians, to see what where tomorrow’s men thinking as neighboring Iraqis went to the polls. What insight did you get back then? Do in the world.

People are flooded with information in our globally connected modern world, and many of them either don’t know how to make discriminating judgments about the credibility of that information, or simply don’t want to be bothered. Do you agree with that? Does it concern you, and how?

It’s true we are flooded with news and in-formation and that has changed the way we consume news. Instead of relying on a single outlet, many viewers and readers will watch more than one channel, or read several newspapers online.. It doesn’t concern me because it forces everyone to be educated and skeptical. So despite the explosion of news source, the tried and tested brand names of journalism, such as CNN, are still where most people get their news.

you expect to see a change in their attitude now?

What young people say on camera and what they say in private are sometimes two different things. The young people I interviewed were unhappy about the situation in Iraq and were critical of US foreign policy. They were more reluctant to discuss internal problems, however.

I’m fascinated by your unconventional perception of beauty and how you find it and depict it through the complexity of this region. Could you tell me of one beautiful thing you discovered in Syria, which many people fail to see and appreciate?

Syria is one of the most beautiful countries in the world. It is also a place very few international travelers visit. My family is originally from Aleppo and I find that city captivating. The old market, the citadel, the old city and the century-old traditional homes. I have a true passion for Aleppo.

One of my most enduring memories was of an impromptu visit to Mount Saint Sime-on in 1987. My cousin Nabil and I jumped in a yellow cab in Aleppo and asked the driver to take us somewhere he thought was worth seeing. We drove for close to an hour. We arrived at Saint Simeon at sunset. We walked up a steep hill to the top of the mount. The ruins of the castle were red with the light of the setting sun. I climbed on the highest stone of the highest wall and looked out onto the valley below and then into the distance, toward Turkey. If there was ever a time I felt surrounded by overwhelming beauty, that was it.

“Someone You Should Know” is a new section that you introduced to ‘Inside the Middle East’. Tell us a bit more about it. If you were to choose one per-son from your life to host on this section, who would it be?

«Someone you should know» is a segment we just launched. The idea is to introduce viewers to someone who, despite not being a household name, is doing something to change the world or people’s perception of it. We have someone from Syria lined up in the next few months, so watch this space!

What story/ experience affected you most profoundly during your career?

Probably seeing the aftermath of some of the bombings in Lebanon last summer. But there are many times I have profoundly moved by the hardship and tragedy of others while reporting from the Middle East. It is a rich and beautiful region, going through a very difficult time.

In an article at the Daily Star, Ben Sadler, CNN’s correspondent in Beirut, refers to Lebanon as «the country he calls home». With your multicultural background and ongoing traveling, what’s the one place you call home?

Paris is my home. It’s where I was raised and where my mother lives. It’s also where I have most of my lifelong friends.

Hala, I read in an interview that though you spent your childhood bouncing between France & the US "your heart has always been a Middle Easter one". What does it mean to have a Middle Eastern heart? Isn’t there a Parisian side to your heart?

What I meant by that is that I was raised in France and born in the US, but my origin is Middle Eastern. I am very close to my family and that - along with the other cultural influences in my life - will always be a part of my identity.

Do you feel that there is a globally preconceived image of Middle Eastern women? If so, what sort of an image is it? Is it changing at all?

In Western countries, the image some people have of Middle Eastern women is not always a dynamic and modern one. In our last «Someone you should know» segment, we featured an Iraqi war photographer, Farah Nosh. Airing those types of stories certainly exposes viewers to a Middle Eastern woman who is creative, modern and successful.

I read that one of your New Year resolutions was learning how to write and read Arabic. So are you over the alpha-bet yet? How hard and how important is it for you to read and write Arabic?

I am definitely over the alphabet! I can read basic texts and I am still studying to improve those skills because it is important to be able to read Arabic fluently.

Happy belated birthday Hala! You turned 37 a couple of weeks ago. What was the best birthday present you received this year? How did you spend your birthday?

I had plans to go out to dinner with friends but there were tornado warnings over Georgia that day so I had to delay my plans! I had a lot of fun in Paris a few days later where I celebrated with friends and family. I told my friends that I have everything I want and to only give me perishable or in-tangible presents. I ended up with lots of gift cards and a few dinners. Not bad!

You don’t like to talk much about your personal life, but I really connected with what you once said about your grandmother in Aleppo watching you, mainly analyzing the way you look, and loving your short hair. How does she feel about you putting your personal life on hold and being single at the age of 37? How do you feel about that?

My grandmother, and my entire family for that matter, are very proud of me and do not consider I am putting my personal life on hold. I have a very rich and exciting life, many loyal friends and a wonderful, tight-knit family. There truly is not a day that goes by that I am not thankful for all I have.

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