Former East Africa correspondent for ENCA and E News Africa to join CNN’s global network
CNN International today announced that Kenyan journalist Soni Methu is the new host of the network’s longest–running feature programme, ‘Inside Africa’.
In her role on CNN’s award-winning weekly show, Methu will present from countries across the continent to take viewers on a journey through Africa, exploring the true diversity and depth of different cultures, countries and regions.
Methu’s first journey begins on Friday 1 August at 1730 BST in the southern part of a country known for its friendly people as the “Warm Heart of Africa”, Malawi. Here, Methu and the ‘Inside Africa’ team meet a traditional healer developing herbal remedies in a rural village and learn from locals how to prepare Nsima, a staple food in Malawi. She also visits the Liwonde National Park where she finds abundant populations of elephants and birds along the Shire River. The programme concludes with a trip to Lake Malawi, home to many species of fish found nowhere else in the world.
Methu joins CNN International from ENCA and E News Africa, where she was East Africa correspondent for two years, reporting from hotspots Mombasa and Nairobi, including covering the Westgate Mall terrorist attack. During her career with ENCA she also reported from Somalia, South Sudan, Rwanda, Uganda and Tanzania, and was central to breaking key stories for the channel.
Methu, who will be based in CNN’s Nairobi bureau, revealed her excitement about the move: “What an honour and privilege this opportunity is, to be at the forefront of telling positive, uplifting African stories to CNN’s worldwide audience. I can’t imagine a better role than to show the beauty of Africa.”
Mike McCarthy, Senior Vice President at CNN International, said: “We’re delighted Soni is joining CNN and ‘Inside Africa’. She brings a wealth of first-hand experience, knowledge and passion for Africa in all its many facets, and will be a real asset to the ongoing development of the show, a cornerstone of CNN International feature programming.”
‘Inside Africa’ airs at the following times on CNN International each week:
(All times BST)
Fridays 1730 Saturdays 1830 Mondays 0130 Tuesdays 0930 Thursdays 0630Notes to Editors
About ‘Inside Africa’
Each week, ‘Inside Africa’ takes its viewers on a journey across Africa, exploring the true diversity and depth of different cultures, countries and regions.
Focusing on a long, continuous narrative, it tells stories that inspire, inform and entertain, while taking viewers behind the scenes of the actual journey.
‘Inside Africa’ consistently delivers a comprehensive, visual, and story-driven narrative that seeks to expand perspectives around the globe.
In 2014, ‘Inside Africa’ has already covered a diverse mix of stories including: Kinshasa’s thriving art scene; a journey into the world of Uganda’s mountain gorillas; how Madagascar’s natural medicines are growing in popularity worldwide; Mauritius’ coral reefs; South Africa’s finest wines; sand being used as a building material in Lamu, Kenya, and paradise partying in the Seychelles.
‘Inside Africa’ is sponsored by Zenith Bank.
About Soni Methu
Kenyan Soni Methu was formally East Africa correspondent for ENCA and E News Africa for two years prior to joining CNN International.
During this time, she covered stories of various bomb blasts in both Mombasa and Nairobi, and also the Westgate Mall terrorist attack. Methu also reported for the Kenyan election coverage in Mombasa, where violence broke out in a various towns. She broke a number of stories for ENCA, as well as covering various stories in Somalia, South Sudan, Rwanda, Uganda and Tanzania.
Prior to ENCA and E News Africa, Methu worked as a producer and editor for five years at Vivid Features, an international media production company in Kenya. At Vivid, she produced news and documentaries for networks including CNN, National Geographic, Channel 4 and Super Sport, among others.
During her school years, her nickname was Taj, a name she continued to use as her screen name during four years as an actor in Nairobi. She went on to help create an ongoing talk show in Kenya, ‘The Taj Show’, which she also hosted.
Methu has a Diploma in Business information Technology from Strathmore University in Kenya.
For more information, please contact:
Joel Brown Senior Press Officer CNN Europe, Middle East & Africa Tel: + 44 20 7693 0967 Joel.brown@turner.com Twitter: @joelbrowncnn