Leila Fadel Facts: Bio, Age, Height, Weight, Family, and Net Worth

Leila Fadel is an American journalist and morning edition and up first host for NPR.

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Best Known For:The television program Morning Edition and Up First

Breakthrough:Graduated from Northeastern University's journalism programme in 2004

10 Quick Facts About Leila Fadel

Full Name: Leila Fadel
Nationality: American
Profession: Journalist and correspondent
Known For: The television program Morning Edition and Up First
Current Employer: NPR
Place of Birth: Lebanon
Birth Year: 1981
Gender: Female
Specialization: Radio Host / Radio Personality, Journalist, Correspondent, and Reporter
Beats: International / Foreign Affairs and Politics / Government

Leila Fadel Age

Leila Fadel is about 45 years old as of 2026. Leila Fadel was born in 1981.

Education

She attended Northeastern University, where she studied Journalism.

Northeastern University
- Field of Study: Journalism
- Period: Graduated in 2004

Career & Work

Leila Fadel's career includes news and reporting roles with NPR, a public radio network and Fort Worth Star-Telegram.

Organization: NPR

Role: Morning Edition and Up First Co-host

Period: 2022–Present

Details: United States

Organization: NPR

Role: National Correspondent

Period: Before 2022

Details: Los Angeles, California · Covered race, culture, social divisions, public health disparities and American communities.

Organization: NPR

Role: International Correspondent

Period: From approximately 2012

Details: Cairo, Egypt · Reported on the Arab Spring and its aftermath, including events in Egypt, Libya and Tunisia.

Organization: Fort Worth Star-Telegram

Role: Crime and Higher Education Reporter

Period: From 2004

Details: Fort Worth, Texas · Started her professional journalism career reporting on local crime and higher education.

Organization: Knight Ridder

Role: Middle East Correspondent

Period: Historical

Details: Iraq and Middle East · Reported on the Iraq War and its civilian consequences.

Organization: McClatchy Newspapers

Role: Middle East Correspondent

Period: Historical

Details: Iraq and Middle East · Continued war reporting and international coverage.

Rise to Fame

Leila Fadel rose to prominence for her role for the podcast Up First.

Notable Works

Notable media work includes Up First and Muslims in America: A New Generation.

Podcasts

Podcast: Up First (Host, 2022-Present) — NPR's daily morning news podcast

Digital Series

Digital Series: Muslims in America: A New Generation (Reporter, 2019) — Reporting collaboration involving NPR and National Geographic, recognized with the Goldziher Prize

Notable Coverage

Iraq War - Knight Ridder, McClatchy and The Washington Post - Reported on the human consequences of the war over several years, earning a George Polk Award
Egyptian political uprising and military coup - NPR - 2013 - Reported on political unrest and the deadly clearing of protest camps in Cairo
ISIS seizure of Mosul - NPR - 2014 - Covered the fall of Mosul and the experiences of displaced people
Yazidi women held captive by ISIS - NPR - Reported on the experiences of Yazidi women who had been abducted and enslaved
George Floyd protests - NPR - 2020 - Reported from Minneapolis during protests following George Floyd's killing

Awards & Achievements

George Polk Award — Long Island University — 2007 — Reporting on the human consequences of the Iraq War.
Lowell Thomas Award — Overseas Press Club of America — Reporting on the 2013 Egyptian political crisis and its effects on families.
Gracie Award — Alliance for Women in Media Foundation — 2017 — Reporting on a Tunisian family affected by ISIS recruitment.
Goldziher Prize — 2019 — Muslims in America: A New Generation reporting collaboration.
Katie Award — Dallas Press Club — 2006 — Journalism.

Lesser Known Facts

She was born in Lebanon and raised in Lebanon and Saudi Arabia.
She spent years reporting on the Iraq War for American newspapers.
She reported extensively on the Arab Spring and subsequent political upheavals.
She moved from international correspondence and national reporting into morning news hosting in 2022.
She covered the experiences of Yazidi women abducted and enslaved by ISIS.
Her reporting has examined inequalities in American healthcare and community experiences.