Sara Sidner

{{Infobox person

| name = Sara Sidner

| image =

| caption =

| birth_name =

| birth_date = {{birth date and age|1972|5|31}}

| birth_place = Miami Lakes, Florida, U.S.

| death_date =

| death_place =

| education = University of Florida

| occupation = Correspondent (CNN)

| alias =

| title =

| family =

| spouse =

| children =

| relatives =

| credits =

| URL = https://www.cnn.com/profiles/sara-sidner-profile}}

Sara Sidner (born May 31, 1972) is an American TV reporter who is a co-anchor of the morning edition of CNN News Central. She anchored Big Picture with Sara Sidner on CNN+, the network's short-lived subscription service.

Early life

A native of Miami Lakes, Florida, Sidner was born to an African-American father and a British mother.{{cite web |url=https://www.tvguide.com/news/cnn-sara-sidner-1041083/ |title=The Biz: CNN's Sara Sidner Talks War Reporting |access-date=June 3, 2022 |author=Stephen Battaglio |website=TV Guide |date=December 22, 2011|quote=My mother is British. My father is African-American. For me It's been an advantage...Being this color, I can kind of blend in, and I don't get the kind of unwanted attention you might get if I walked in and everyone has dark hair and olive skin and I have blonde hair and blue eyes.}} She graduated from Hialeah-Miami Lakes High School{{Cite web|last= Carter |first= Scott |title=The Flashback Files: Gators Volleyball Player Sara Sidner |publisher=Florida Gators|date=July 5, 2013 |url=https://floridagators.com/news/2013/7/5/25933.aspx}} and the University of Florida with a telecommunications degree. While a student at the university, she played on the women's volleyball team, which made the Final Four during her last year.{{cite web|url=http://www.ktvu.com/station/3301024/detail.html|title=Sara Sidner|publisher=KTVU-TV|location=Oakland, California|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20100804155818/http://www.ktvu.com/station/3301024/detail.html|archive-date=August 4, 2010|url-status=dead|access-date=August 24, 2011|quote=Sidner has received many journalism awards, including a Regional Emmy Award, a Lone Star Award, and several Associated Press Awards for her work at KDFW-TV in Dallas where she reported on the Columbia space shuttle tragedy.}}{{cite web |url=https://floridagators.com/story.aspx?filename=15220&file_date=1-28-2009 |title=Former Gator Sidner Achieves Broadcasting Dream |date=January 28, 2009 |publisher=Florida Gators |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20121004154909/http://www.gatorzone.com/story.php?id=15220|archive-date=October 4, 2012|url-status=live|access-date=June 3, 2022 |quote=In a November 17, 1991 Florida volleyball match-day program, former Gator Sara Sidner (1990–92) was quoted as saying 'Florida has an excellent journalism school, which is one of the reasons why I came to UF. I am interested in broadcast journalism.' }}

Career

Sidner began her on-air reporting career at WUFT-TV in Gainesville, Florida. This was followed by periods at KFVS-TV in Cape Girardeau, Missouri, WINK-TV in Fort Myers, Florida, and KDFW-TV in Dallas, Texas. At KDFW, she spent three years as a consumer reporter/anchor. She also distinguished herself by reporting on the Space Shuttle Columbia disaster. In January 2004, Sidner joined KTVU in Oakland, California, where she served as a weekend co-anchor of KTVU Channel 2 News at 6 and The Ten O’Clock News. She also served as a weekday reporter for the station.

Sidner has received many journalism awards. These include a Regional Emmy Award, a Lone Star Award, and several Associated Press Awards.

=CNN=

Sidner was a national and international correspondent for CNN, based in Los Angeles. She has previously been based in Jerusalem, Abu Dhabi, and New Delhi.{{Cite web|url=https://www.cnn.com/profiles/sara-sidner-profile|title=CNN Profiles - Sara Sidner|website=CNN|access-date=October 11, 2019}} At CNN, Sidner has reported on a wide range of subjects including the 2011 Libyan civil war, the launching of India's first uncrewed lunar probe, and the Mumbai terrorist attacks.{{cite web |url=http://www.cnn.com/CNN/anchors_reporters/sidner.sara.html |title=Anchors & Reporters: Sara Sidner |publisher=CNN |access-date=August 24, 2011 |quote=Sara Sidner is CNN's multiple award winning, Jerusalem-based international correspondent and is responsible for the network’s coverage of India and South Asia. }}{{cite web |url=http://www.hollywoodreporter.com/live-feed/cnn-sara-sidner-libya-226496 |title=CNN's Sara Sidner Hit by Shell While Reporting From Libya |first=Sofia M. |last=Fernandez |date=August 23, 2011 |work=Hollywood Reporter |access-date=August 24, 2011 |quote=CNN reporter Sara Sidner experienced the hazards of covering an unstable region Tuesday when she was hit by a shell of a bullet shot in celebration of the rebel takeover of Tripoli in Libya.}}

On May 31, 2020, while in Minneapolis covering the protests sparked by the murder of George Floyd by police officer Derek Chauvin, Sidner conducted a newsmaking live interview with the city's police chief, Medaria Arradondo, in which Arradondo expressed his opinion that the three other officers who were present during the murder also bore responsibility.{{Cite web|title=Minneapolis police chief says all four officers involved in George Floyd's death bear responsibility|url=https://www.cnn.com/2020/06/01/us/minneapolis-police-chief-floyd-response/index.html|first=Christina |last=Maxouris|website=CNN|date=1 June 2020 |access-date=June 1, 2020}}

In January 2023, CNN announced plans to revamp its daytime programming. Sidner was named a co-anchor along with John Berman and Kate Bolduan from 9 a.m. until noon on their new program titled CNN News Central, which later debuted on April 3, 2023.{{Cite web |last=Johnson |first=Ted |date=2023-03-29 |title=CNN Sets April Premiere Dates For Daytime 'News Central' |url=https://deadline.com/2023/03/cnn-daytime-news-central-chris-licht-1235312601/ |access-date=2023-05-18 |website=Deadline |language=en-US}}

On October 11, 2023, Sidner was accused of streaming false information spread by the Israeli Prime Minister office regarding victims of the Kfar Aza massacre carried out by Hamas in Southern Israel.{{Cite web |title=CNN correspondent apologizes for spreading misinformation regarding infant beheading |url=https://en.royanews.tv/news/45288/2023-10-13 |access-date=2023-10-16 |website=en.royanews.tv |language=en}} She had reported that "babies and toddlers were found with their (quoted) heads decapitated in Kfar Aza in southern Israel after Hamas' attacks in the kibbutz over the weekend, a spokesperson for Israel's prime minister says."{{Cite tweet |title=Babies and toddlers were found with their "heads decapitated" in Kfar Aza in southern Israel after Hamas' attacks in the kibbutz over the weekend, a spokesperson for Israel's prime minister says. |user=CNN|number=1712132220809298163 |access-date=2023-10-16 |language=en}}{{Cite web |author=The New Arab Staff |date=2023-10-14 |title=CNN journalist apologises for claiming Hamas beheaded babies |url=https://www.newarab.com/news/cnn-journalist-apologises-claiming-hamas-beheaded-babies |access-date=2023-10-16 |website=www.newarab.com/ |language=en}} CNN later reported that the Israeli government cannot verify the claim that Hamas beheaded infants, but indicated that Hamas murdered the babies by other means.{{Cite web |last=Berlinger |first=Matthew Chance,Richard Allen Greene,Joshua |date=2023-10-12 |title=Israeli official says government cannot confirm babies were beheaded in Hamas attack |url=https://www.cnn.com/2023/10/12/middleeast/israel-hamas-beheading-claims-intl/index.html |access-date=2023-10-16 |website=CNN |language=en}} U.S. President Joe Biden initially claimed that he had seen evidence of Hamas fighters beheading children, before the White House clarified that they cannot confirm whether any beheadings took place.{{Cite web |date=2023-10-12 |title=White House clarifies Biden's claim he saw photos of terrorists beheading children in Israel-Hamas war |url=https://www.nbcnews.com/politics/white-house/biden-deliver-remarks-roundtable-jewish-community-leaders-rcna119865 |access-date=2023-10-16 |website=NBC News |language=en}}{{Cite web |last=Tomazin |first=Farrah |date=2023-10-12 |title=White House walks back Biden's claims over Hamas baby beheadings |url=https://www.smh.com.au/world/north-america/white-house-walks-back-biden-s-claims-over-hamas-baby-beheadings-20231012-p5ebob.html |access-date=2023-10-16 |website=The Sydney Morning Herald |language=en}}{{Cite web |author=ToI Staff |title=White House: Biden has not seen or independently confirmed Hamas beheaded Israeli children |url=https://www.timesofisrael.com/liveblog_entry/white-house-biden-has-not-seen-or-independently-confirmed-hamas-beheaded-israeli-children/ |access-date=2023-10-16 |website=www.timesofisrael.com |language=en-US}} Sidner then apologised via her personal Twitter account and alleged that she had been misled by other parties.{{Cite tweet |title=I would argue we were mislead. I am going to report on what heads of governments say. That is what new orgs do. |user=sarasidnerCNN|number=1712771033961275567 |access-date=2023-10-16 |language=en}}{{Cite tweet |title= The Israeli government now says today it CANNOT confirm babies were beheaded. |user=sarasidnerCNN|number=1712415116363169884 |access-date=2023-10-16 |language=en}}{{Cite web |title=CNN reporter apologizes for defending Israeli claims that Hamas beheaded babies |url=https://www.aa.com.tr/en/world/cnn-reporter-apologizes-for-defending-israeli-claims-that-hamas-beheaded-babies-/3019286 |access-date=2023-10-16 |website=aa.com.tr}}

Health

On January 8, 2024, during the end an episode of CNN News Central, Sidner revealed that she had been diagnosed with stage III breast cancer.{{Cite web |title=CNN anchor Sara Sidner reveals stage 3 breast cancer diagnosis: 'I love my life more now' |url=https://people.com/sara-sidner-breast-cancer-diagnosis-exclusive-interview-8423441 |author=Kyler Alvord|access-date=2024-01-09 |website=People.com}} She underwent treatment while maintaining her journalistic duties, regularly updating her followers on social media about her treatment progress and raising awareness about breast cancer. She had a double mastectomy, 16 rounds of chemotherapy and 25 rounds of radiation, completing her treatment on October 10, 2024.{{Cite web |title=Inside CNN's Sara Sidner's Final Breast Cancer Treatment (Exclusive) |url=https://www.etonline.com/media/videos/inside-cnns-sara-sidners-final-breast-cancer-treatment-exclusive-231744 |access-date=2024-10-16 |website=Entertainment Tonight |language=en-US}}{{Cite news |date=2024-10-15 |title=Personal fight is public for CNN anchor: 'I have thanked cancer for choosing me' |url=https://www.washingtonpost.com/wellness/2024/10/15/sara-sidner-cnn-breast-cancer/ |access-date=2024-10-16 |newspaper=Washington Post |language=en}}