Daryn Kagan Biography

Daryn Kagan
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Daryn Kagan

Daryn A. Kagan (born January 26, 1963) is an author and creator and host of the award-winning [1]DarynKagan.com that serves as the base of her media company that provides reports on inspirational, motivational and other hopeful news stories. [2]DarynKagan.com has been described by Oprah & Friends as a destination "that offers daily webcasts hosted by Daryn, as well as positive stories from television journalists and everyday people" [3]. The 2nd anniversary of DarynKagan.com was marked with the launch of Kagan's Social Network on Ning[4]. Her first book, "What's Possible: 50 True Stories of People Who Dared to Dream They Could Make a Difference" was released by Meredith Books in 2008 [5].

Before creating DarynKagan.com, Daryn was a CNN main news anchor and correspondent from 1994 to 2006 and was based in CNN's world headquarter of Atlanta, Georgia. For eight years was the news anchor of the CNN news show CNN Live Today shown from 10am-12pm Eastern Time. Kagan has been described by the Los Angeles Times as a "CNN mainstay." [6]

A 2008 New York Times profile of Ms. Kagan that discussed her own career reinvention as well as the launch of DarynKagan.com, offered, "Ms. Kagan had a few things in her favor . . . plenty of skills after 12 years at one of the world’s best news organizations." [7]

Contents

Biography

Early life

Kagan grew up in Beverly Hills.[8] She is a 1981 graduate of Beverly Hills High School [9] and a 1985 graduate of Stanford University[10].

Career

After graduating from Stanford, Kagan sent out hundreds of demo tapes. Kagan was hired for an on-air job at a Santa Barbara television station, KEYT-TV. Kagan's next move was to a general assignment reporting position at KTVK in Phoenix. Wanting to do something other than report typical local news stories, she took on the additional role of weekend sports anchor, reporting sports news each weekend in addition to her weekday reporting duties. [11]

After KTVK did not renew Kagan's contract [12], Jim Walton, the head of CNN/SI, hired Kagan as an anchor and a news reporter. She went on to cover events including the Super Bowl, the NBA Playoffs, and international figure skating championships from Russia. Kagan was later hired by CNN's news division and as a news anchor and a reporter. She also served as host of People in the News when that show first debuted.

After becoming a CNN news anchor, Kagan reported on presidential and mid-term elections. She reported on-site from the Middle East during the second Gulf War and the Washington, D.C. sniper attack investigation. Kagan traveled to Africa with musician Bono where she reported on AIDS and famine for all of the CNN networks. While in Africa, Kagan maintained a daily blog on CNN.com of her reports and experiences. Additionally, she reported live, from the red carpet, of several Academy Award ceremonies and from the Monterey Jazz Festival. She also served as the first host of the CNN/People magazine news entertainment program, People in the News

Kagan is one of a handful of national news anchors who was on the air live during the terrorist attacks on the morning of September 11, 2001. She reported throughout that day and, in later days, covered the unfolding story from CNN headquarters in Atlanta and from the network's Washington, D.C. bureau.

After CNN declined to renew her employment contract [13], Kagan left CNN on September 1, 2006 to launch DarynKagan.com. In November 2006, Kagan discussed leaving CNN for the first time with U.S News & World Report [14]

Kagan launched DarynKagan.com, on November 13, 2006. Two days later, Kagan featured an author whose book moved from 100,000th position in the Amazon.com book sales list to 646th position in one day after a single media interview with Kagan. [15]. The Boston Globe has described Kagan's site as having an "emphasis on stories that illustrate the triumph of the human spirit."][16] The Times-Picayune newspaper in New Orleans calls the site a "Web of Hope." [17]. In a Style section cover story on Kagan, the Washington Post noted she "has remade herself like a phoenix rising from the ashes." [18] In an interview with the Los Angeles Times, Kagan said "I think it's really important to be informed. I just also think it's important to be inspired." [19].

In addition to her online venture, Kagan has extended her brand of inspiring news stories to television news documentaries and books. [20]. Inspired by her popular website, www.DarynKagan.com,Kagan's first documentary film, Breaking the Curse with Daryn Kagan,which won the 2008 Gracie Award for Best Documentary, aired on PBS stations in 2007. Kagan produced and narrated the film which told the story of one American woman who fought for and changed the lives of thousands of people living with leprosy in India. Kagan's first book, What's Possible!(Meredith Books) was described by the Associated Press as "50 stories about people who overcame obstacles to achieve dreams — starting with her own." [21] [22] [23]. Her next film is called "Solartown USA," and is about "a Wisconsin town that made a commitment to solar power in the 1970s." [24]

Awards

Kagan's post-CNN projects have been honored with awards that include the 2008 Gracie Award for Outstanding Documentary for her 2007 film Breaking the Cursethat aired on PBS, [25], as well as the 2007 Interactive Media Award for DarynKagan.com which serves as the base of her media company.

Personal life

Kagan sees her story as one of "reinvention," [26] and she speaks around the country on that topic.

Kagan is Jewish. [27] Her great-grandfather was a Russian immigrant named Eiser Cohen who came to the United States through Ellis Island.[28] Cohen settled in Milwaukee, Wisconsin. Her grandfather, Jack Kagan, later moved to the Los Angeles area.[29] Her mother, Phyllis Kagan, is a breast cancer survivor who has appeared on CNN discussing the disease. [30] Kagan has a younger sister named Kallan Kagan, the co-owner of a Brooklyn coffee shop, and an older brother named Mark Kagan.

Kagan is an athlete. She was on her high school track team and remains an avid runner. [31] Kagan has driven in the annual Toyota Pro/Celebrity Race. [32]

As a former sports reporter, Kagan retains a strong interest in professional sports. She has been on ESPN sports radio providing her insight.

In September 2004, Kagan became romantically involved with radio talk show host Rush Limbaugh, and they broke up in February 2006.[33]

Kagan has adopted two three-legged cats, Tripod (whom she has had for 14 years [34] ) and I-Lean, and a dog, Darla Louise, from rescue shelters. [35]

External links