Octavia Nasr

Octavia Nasr is the founder of Bridges Media Consulting, a firm that helps businesses and media organizations synchronize traditional and digital strategies. Based in the USA, Bridges Media Consulting specializes in global and local newsroom management, reporter/anchor training and social media integration.

Nasr is a 26-year-veteran of the news industry and leader in integrating social media with news-gathering and reporting. She is CNN’s former Senior Editor of Mideast Affairs and Co-Creator of the network’s digital international news-gathering strategy.

During her 20-year tenure at CNN, Nasr served in several high profile positions including Executive Producer of Ted Turner’s brainchild CNN World Report and Anchor of CNN International’s World News.

Nasr’s experience and deep knowledge of the Middle East put her in the spotlight during CNN’s coverage of every major news story from the Gulf War in 1990 to the Iranian Elections of 2009. Shortly after the September 11th terror attacks, she became CNN’s Resident Expert on Middle East affairs offering on-air and off-air analysis across all platforms of CNN Worldwide. Her weekly Mideast Voices segment and her blogs offered a glimpse into the region rarely discussed on U.S. television.

Nasr is the recipient of the 2010 Congressional Achievement Award as well as the 2010 NAAP-NY Professional Excellence Award and NY City Council Citation. She is the recipient of the Lebanese-American Chamber of Commerce 2006 Excellence in Journalism Award and the CNN World Report 2003 Achievement Award. Her work has also brought her with her CNN colleagues recognition and many prestigious awards including: Edward R. Murrow for Continuing Coverage of the 2006 war in Lebanon; Golden Cable ACE Award in 1993 for CNN’s coverage of the Gulf War; and Overseas Press Club Award in 2002 for CNN’s post 9-11 coverage.

Before joining CNN, Nasr was a war correspondent for the Lebanese Broadcasting Corporation. She holds a Bachelor of Arts degree in communication arts. She is fluent in Arabic, English and French.