Anna Coren (born 28 October 1975) is an Australian journalist and occasional news anchor who is an international correspondent with CNN based in Hong Kong.

Anna Coren
Coren (right) in Nijrab, Afghanistan, in 2013
Born (1975-10-28) 28 October 1975 (age 49)
NationalityAustralian
EducationBachelor of Arts in Communications Degrees
Alma materCharles Sturt University
OccupationTelevision presenter
Years active1999−present
OrganizationCNN media
Known forNews anchor
International correspondent
Documentary film director
MovementPolitical crises and women's rights
SpouseAdam Upton
Children2
AwardsEmmy Award for International Correspondent
Gracie Award (Alliance of Women in Media)
Breaking News Award from the Royal Television Society (RTS)
Several Asian TV Awards
WebsiteCNN profile Anna Coren

Career

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Coren graduated from Charles Sturt University's Bathurst campus in 1996 with a communications degree and spent time working for regional television networks Prime (12 months) and NBN (18 months). She was picked up by the Nine Network in 1999 and earned a spot as an on-camera reporter for National Nine News in early 2000. In 2002, she began presenting news updates and the National Nine Early Morning News.

Coren's career at the Seven Network began in December 2003, presenting late news updates and presenting the summer edition of Today Tonight in the place of Naomi Robson. She has since presented many one-off events such as Australia's Brainiest Kid, 2005 Edinburgh Military Tattoo, Royal Wedding Night with Seven and Zero Hour – The Bali Bombings. Her role at Seven also involved filling-in as news presenter with the morning news program Sunrise. Coren also presented Seven's factual series True Stories.

In 2005, Coren was appointed United States correspondent for Seven News replacing Mike Amor who returned to Australia to present Seven 4.30 News. In this role she appeared on the Global Notebook segment for Sunrise.

During her tenure as the Seven Network's U.S. correspondent Coren covered the 2006 Israel–Hezbollah War from northern Israel and the 2005 G8 Summit at the Gleneagles Hotel, Scotland.

On 27 January 2007, Coren was appointed presenter of Today Tonight, replacing Naomi Robson who left the show on 1 December 2006.[1] Her role as presenter of Today Tonight saw Coren become the frequent subject of satire by the presenters of the television show The Chaser's War on Everything.

In September 2008, Coren announced that she would be leaving Today Tonight to take up a position with CNN in Hong Kong.[2] She was succeeded by Matthew White, with Coren presenting Today Tonight for the last time on 10 October 2008.[3]

In October 2022, CNN apologised for their coverage of a mass murder in Thailand, after Coren and her cameraman Daniel Hodge were temporarily detained after trespassing and filming a scene without permission. Both were fined $133 and told to leave the country. The Foreign Correspondents' Club of Thailand criticised the action as "unethical" and "insensitive".[4][5][6]

Coren directed the documentary short The Noble Guardian, about Mahbouba Seraj. At the 2023 LA Shorts International Film Festival, it won best documentary.[7]

Coren Contributed author for the book "Through her Eyes – Australia’s Women Correspondents from Hiroshima to Ukraine" write about her own experiences reported from frontline in Afghanistan.

Honours

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Coren received the 2011 and 2012 Asian Television Award for "Best News Presenter or Anchor" for her work on the CNN program World Report.[8]

In December 2013, Coren received her third Asian Television Award-winning the prestigious 'Best News Story 10 minutes or less' for her powerful exclusive report 'Afghanistan Taliban Firefight'.[9]

Coren directed the documentary short The Noble Guardian, about Mahbouba Seraj; at the 2023 LA Shorts International Film Festival, it won best documentary.[7]

Personal life

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She has twins with her husband, Australian hedge fund manager Adam Upton. They married in 2016.[10][11][12]

References

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  1. ^ "End of a casual affair". The Daily Telegraph. Sydney. 27 January 2007.
  2. ^ Reines, Ros (28 September 2008). "Anna Coren quits Seven for Hong Kong". news.com.au. Archived from the original on 2 October 2008. Retrieved 28 September 2008.
  3. ^ Robinson, Georgina (9 October 2008). "Tomorrow Today Tonight is just another yesterday for Coren". The Sydney Morning Herald. Archived from the original on 12 October 2008. Retrieved 9 October 2008.
  4. ^ "Thai nursery: CNN journalists apologise for entering site of deadly attack". BBC News. 10 October 2022. Retrieved 10 October 2022.
  5. ^ "CNN pulls video of Thai massacre site and apologizes for filming crime scene without permission". Fortune. Retrieved 10 October 2022.
  6. ^ "Thai immigration withdraw tourist visas of two CNN reporters". www.thaipbsworld.com. Retrieved 10 October 2022.
  7. ^ a b Riley, Jenelle (4 November 2023). "'The Noble Guardian' Documentary on Afghan Activist Eyes Oscar Chances".
  8. ^ "CNN's Anna Coren named 'Best News Presenter'". Asia-Pacific Broadcasting Union. 12 December 2011. Retrieved 14 January 2012.
  9. ^ "CNN Wins at the 2013 Asian Television Awards". Retrieved 14 November 2024.
  10. ^ Hornery, Andrew (23 October 2015). "Ultimate challenge faces Anna Coren in unfamiliar territory". Sydney Morning Herald.
  11. ^ "It's double trouble for Anna Coren who is pregnant with twins!". Woman's Day. 19 October 2015.
  12. ^ "Anna Coren returns from lengthy maternity leave". CNN. 2 February 2017. Archived from the original on 15 January 2021. Retrieved 8 May 2019.
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