Schams Elwazer is Director of Coverage for CNN International, based in London. In this role, Elwazer is responsible for overseeing the network’s coverage from Europe, the Middle East & Africa, as well as leading news desks in London, Atlanta and Hong Kong during key parts of the day to generate and deliver distinctive and award-winning storytelling for CNN’s TV and Digital audiences.
She has been instrumental in leading the network’s coverage of major breaking news events including the Israel-Hamas war, the earthquake in Turkey and Syria, the climate crisis, the murder of Jamal Khashoggi and the fall of ISIS. Elwazer has also played a crucial role in CNN’s ongoing coverage of Russia’s invasion of Ukraine, contributing to many prestigious journalism wins including an Emmy Award, a DuPont-Columbia Award, and a Royal Television Society Award all in 2023 alone.
Prior to this, Elwazer served as Senior News Editor at CNN, overseeing the day-to-day running of the London news desk to deliver daily coverage and breaking news.
Before moving to London in 2016, she was based in the UAE where she was part of the core team that launched CNN’s Abu Dhabi bureau and, as Editorial Supervisor there, spearheaded the creation of its regional news desk.
Elwazer has also worked as a Senior Producer and Reporter for CNN’s feature programme Inside the Middle East, for which she was deployed regularly to the field.
She joined CNN in 2003 during the Iraq War, working as a field producer covering breaking news and feature stories across the Middle East. Her work in the region contributed to a Peabody Award win in 2012 for CNN’s reporting of the Arab Spring, and an Edward R. Murrow Award in 2007 for the network’s coverage of the Israel-Hezbollah war and of the overall conflict in the Middle East.
Elwazer grew up on four different continents but considers London home. She has a BA in Broadcast Journalism from the University of West Florida and studied abroad at the American University in Cairo. She speaks Arabic and French, in addition to English.
