While some spend their lives wondering what their dream job would be, others seem to be born with it. Mrs. Rania BAROUD, talk show host and presenter, TV producer, social activist and academic, is without a doubt, the perfect example.
As young as she can remember, Rania would stand in front of every mirror in the house and repeat the texts, she proudly learned by heart, to her imaginary crowd. At school, the microphone rarely left her hand as she pretended to present a talk show or to be a member of the jury in a talent show. Was she born with it or was she strongly influenced by the daily news her father used to listen to? It was probably both. From an early age, she discovered the power of the media as her father used to tell her that the only way to know the truth is to listen to every side of the story. And so, she would hear what each channel had to say about that same event, to make sure all opinions were heard.
She grew up wanting to listen to people’s opinions and stories, but more importantly to share them, and try to fix them. Before she blew her 18th candle, she was already part of 11 foundations where she helped those in need. That experience gave her a strong background for what was coming ahead in her career.
Mrs. BAROUD majored in journalism, hoping that this field would allow her to reach the crowd with real stories and daily issues few other journalists dared to tackle. And as much as she loved the media, being seen and listened to did not matter to her as much as being able to make a change through her appearances. The microphone quickly turned from a device to her best ally, as she embarked on her mission to make a difference in society. She developed many programs for the little screen, where she hosted on her shows, those who were rarely heard and seen, like social victims and children, and gave a voice to those who didn’t have one.
Her road to success wasn’t at all easy; to this day, Rania remembers the many times she would go back home crying after work. However, the experience she acquired, good and bad, helped her reach her career goal. The highlight of her work is, indisputably, her 2006 episode of “El Hal Andak†TV Show, where she invited children on set, each representing a known political figure. That episode was talked about everywhere, made it to schools and universities, and reached the UN Headquarters in New York. As for her worst moment, they are quite a few, but the one she still learns from, is when she failed to conduct an important interview because of the negative thoughts she made herself believe.
Mrs. BAROUD joined the Université Antonine’s staff 11 years ago as a teacher. She has been the Head of Journalism Department for the last 8 years. Though she misses the creative part of her old career, the connection she has with her students today is priceless as well as the pride to see them excel in life.
She might have given up on her role as a TV Host but the biggest role of her life is just around the corner. She will become a mother in a few months and counts on this new beginning to keep her passion for life as strong as can be.​
