160: Dr. Caroline Faraj - Enabling Change Through Storytelling: A Conversation with Dr. Caroline Faraj, CNN Arabic

Our guest on this episode is Dr Caroline Faraj, CNN VP and CNN Arabic Editor-in-Chief. Caroline is an award-winning journalist who was named Arab Woman of the Year in Media for 2022 and received the Arab Woman Awards in 2021. She holds an Honorary Doctorate from City, University of London, recognizing her outstanding leadership and dedication to advancing opportunities for women and young people in the Arab world. Additionally, she was honored with the Distinguished Jordanian Medal by King Abdullah II. In 2002, Caroline launched CNN Arabic and has since guided it through numerous major regional events. A staunch advocate for women's empowerment, she mentors individuals at CNN and throughout the industry, always staying true to her journalistic roots.

"My grandfather used to tell me that whenever I asked him a question, he would tell me a story.  And when he was done, he would say, 'What did you understand from that story? My grandparents played a crucial role in planting the seed of storytelling in my character, in my life, in my career, which actually became my everything. I was raised by two grandparents, and two of them from different cultures, but both of them indirectly planted the seed of storytelling.

 

Storytelling is a powerful tool, transcending barriers to communicate messages and promote learning. It captures imagination, makes abstract concepts tangible, and lessons memorable through engaging narratives and relatable characters. Linking complex ideas to real-life experiences, it improves understanding and retention by contextualizing information within familiar scenarios. Storytelling's ability to evoke emotion, build connections, and inspire action makes it a powerful communication method both in the analog and digital world. In this fascinating conversation, Caroline shares her journey from being the first woman to study journalism at her university to becoming a powerful storyteller, offering insights into journalism's future, digital skills, and the importance of empowering the younger generation.

 

From the value of patience in finding the right platform for your story, via the importance of focusing on the truth, to the necessity of enabling rather than empowering—since people already possess power and just need enablement to use it wisely—one thing is certain: it is each individual's responsibility to make small changes to create a better future. This is how remarkable change happens.

 

By the way, who turned the word "impossible" into "I am possible" and how do you go from playing a beautiful bird on children's TV to being a key reporter at the palace, launching CNN in Dubai in just 16 days and becoming the Arab Woman of the Year in Media? 😊 - tune in!