Kelli Arena

Kelli Arena is an award winning American television journalist and University Professor, known as a former Washington D.C. correspondent for CNN.

Arena is currently the Executive Director of the Global Center for Journalism and Democracy www.shsu.edu/gloal at Sam Houston State University, and holds the Dan Rather Endowed Chair.^[1]

She is also a columnist for the Hunstville Item community newspaper.

Arena also does work as a freelance reporter. ^[2]

Career

Arena started with CNN in 1985, as a production assistant. She quickly worked her way up the ladder and in 1989 was named the executive producer of daytime programming for CNN financial news. In 1990, she produced the program Moneyline with Lou Dobbs. In 1991, she went to work for CNN in London as an executive producer for the program World Business Today. She returned to NYC in 1992 and was named News Director for all of CNN's financial program.

She started her on air career in London as a business reporter in 1993. She covered the formation of the European Union and the London Financial Center bombing. She then moved to Tokyo, where she reported extensively on the Sarin Gas attacks and the trade wars between the U.S. and Japan.

In 1995, she moved to Washington DC and covered Congress, The White House, and The Federal Reserve as a business reporter. Her first big assignment was to cover the government shutdown.

Arena was promoted to Justice Correspondent in 2000. She covered the DOJ, federal law enforcement,and intelligence.

In 2006, Arena added the Supreme Court to her beat.^[3]

She was frequently a reporter for CNN's morning program "American Morning" and its daily evening newscast "The Situation Room".^[4]

She left CNN in January 2009.^[5][6] She appears as a panelist on Tru TV's "In Session".

Awards and Honors

2009 Peabody: Presidential Campaign Coverage

2005 Peabody: Hurricane Katrina

2003 Emmy nomination: CNN ”Live From” Terrorism al-Qaeda documents

2002 New York Festivals: Best Correspondent

2002 Emmy: CNN 9-11 Coverage

2002 Atlantic City Press Club Headliner Award: CNN coverage of the September 11th Attacks

1992-Cable Ace Nomination: Michael Milken goes to Jail

1989-1992 TJFR top financial journalists under 30 (4 consecutive years)

1987 Cable Ace: Stock Market Crash

1987 Peabody: Stock Market Crash

1987 Houston Film Festival: Stock Market Crash

References