| Cal Perry | |
|---|---|
| Born | Cal Perry October 6, 1979 Washington, DC |
| Education | Skidmore College (B.A.) |
| Occupation | Al Jazeera correspondent |
| Notable credit(s) | Al Jazeera |
Cal Perry (born October 6, 1979) is a journalist currently working as Middle East Correspondent for Al-Jazeera English, based in the network's Jerusalem bureau.[1] Perry served as CNN Bureau Chief in Baghdad, Iraq for two years (2005–2007), as CNN Bureau Chief in Beirut, Lebanon (2007–2010) supervised CNN’s relationship with Middle East nations (from 2007–2010), covered the wars in Lebanon (2006), Georgia (2008) and Pakistan (2008), and the aftermath of the devastating cyclone in Bangladesh in 2007.
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Cal Perry began his career at CNN as an international assignment editor on the network’s foreign desk in Atlanta, Georgia. In his role as international assignment editor, Perry was responsible for all aspects of network news gatherers, coordinated the international coverage for all of CNN’s networks, produced reporter live shots and determined editorial content for CNN news packages. Prior to his career at CNN, Perry served as program officer for Vietnam Veterans of America Foundation in Hanoi, Vietnam and as chief researcher at the National Veterans Legal Services Program, in Washington, D.C.
Perry’s duties in Iraq began as an embedded producer in 2003, and finished as the network’s lead correspondent based in Baghdad. During that time he reported from nearly all of Iraq’s provinces; he covered the U.S. war in Iraq with numerous embeds which included producing and directing a report on U.S. special operations forces – the first international correspondent to do so. During his time in-country, Perry produced, directed and reported the award winning CNN documentary "Combat Hospital." The documentary provided viewers with an inside look into one of the U.S. military's busiest combat hospitals in Iraq.
In November 2004 Perry organized CNN’s West Bank coverage of the death and funeral of Palestinian President Yasser Arafat – which stemmed from his service as press officer for the European Union’s Reconciliation Program during the Second Palestinian Intifada. In this press officer position, Perry participated in a discussions with broad spectrum of policy makers on public relations issues relating to the Israel-Palestinian conflict.
Cal Perry and correspondent Karl Penhaul won the Edward R. Murrow award for "Continuing Coverage: CNN, Coverage of the Middle East Conflict" for their coverage of the 2006 war between Israel and Lebanon. Perry and Penhaul were the first journalists to arrive in Tyre, Lebanon amid the early fighting in 2006.[2] As only a few journalists from some networks in Southern Lebanon during the first five days of the war, they provided coverage during the first week of the war. Perry published the article "The True Cost of War" for cnn.com, describing his experiences in Lebanon during that time.
In 2007, Perry was among the first reporters to appear live from Bangladesh during the massive cyclone Sidr providing both on-air coverage and still photographs.
As CNN liaison for the Middle East and CNN’s bureau chief in Lebanon, Perry conducted a series of first-time interviews with prominent world leaders. In August 2007 he conducted an exclusive interview with the exiled Hamas leader Khaled Meshaal from a safe house in Syria. Perry, one of the first reporters from Western media to interview Meshaal, published a well-known article entitled "Face to Face with top Hamas Leader in a Secret Location". In 2008, Perry became one of the first reporters in more than three years to interview the President of Syria, Bashar Al-Assad in English. Additionally, Perry interviewed Syrian first lady Asma al-Assad in 2009, and Saad Hariri, in the first interview with him after his election as prime minister, in 2008.
Perry won a Alfred I. duPont–Columbia University Award for his work in the networks coverage of the "capture of Saddam Hussein."
Perry was involved in the reporting that won CNN the "Edward R. Murrow" award for Excellence in Journalism for the network's coverage of the 2006 war between Lebanon and Israel.
Perry is also a photojournalist. He has published a series of exclusive still photographs of combat action with the Marine Corps in Ramadi, Fallujah and other cities in Iraq.