By Gigi Marino

Sara Sidner comes from a family of secret-keepers —reserve from her mother’s British side and hold-your-business-tight wisdom from her father’s Black side — two very different cultures but both expressing an ethos of discretion, self-reliance and a deep respect for privacy that Sidner would later challenge in pursuit of truth as a journalist.

“There are mysteries and secrets in my family that I wanted to know, to understand,” she said. “That certainly had an influence on why I chose to do what I'm doing.”

In her longtime career as a national correspondent and anchor for CNN, Sidner has spent a lifetime uncovering secrets for the sake of understanding the human condition in all its grandeur and disgrace as she has reported on some of the world’s biggest stories — wars in Afghanistan and Libya, the 2008 Mumbai terrorist attacks, the George Floyd protests and the COVID-19 pandemic, among others.

But the most important truth that Sidner has learned in all this time is that it’s imperative to be an empathetic human first, and a journalist second.

Hands-on Journalism

Sidner’s path to journalism was shaped in part by her time at the University of Florida College of Journalism and Communications (UFCJC). A telecommunications major, she gained hands-on experience working at WUFT, the local NPR affiliate, where she first developed the skills that would serve her throughout her career. She credits UFCJC’s rigorous training with preparing her for her first reporting job, giving her the confidence to step into a newsroom and hit the ground running.

“I was terrified, but I was able to do my first job without thinking, ‘Oh no, I have no idea what I’m doing,’” she said. “UF gave me both the practical experience and the foundation in ethics and media law that made a huge difference.”

Among the professors who left a lasting impression on her were Catherine Harwood, then the news director at WUFT, and Charles Burke, a former ABC war correspondent and investigative journalist. Burke, who passed away in 2019, taught Sidner how to methodically dig for information, instilling in her the investigative instincts that have defined her reporting. “He was a curmudgeon,” she recalls, “but he made us understand what an investigation looked like.”

Heartbreak of the News

Her pursuit of truth led her to some of the most emotionally and physically grueling assignments in modern journalism. During the George Floyd protests, she spent months on the ground in Minneapolis, witnessing firsthand the frustration, grief and reckoning that followed Floyd’s murder. It was during this time that she stopped trying to suppress her emotions as a reporter.

“I finally accepted that I was going to feel all of it,” Sidner said. “I stopped fighting myself and pretending I wasn’t affected. We are human beings first. There’s no getting around that.”

Cancer On-Air

Her personal reckoning with truth and vulnerability took on a different dimension when she was diagnosed with Stage 3 breast cancer in 2023. Initially, her instinct was to keep the diagnosis private, a reflex shaped by the very ethos of secrecy she grew up with. But she ultimately chose to disclose her illness on air, framing it not just as a personal struggle but as a public service.

“I wanted people to understand the reality,” she said. “One in eight women will be diagnosed with breast cancer, and Black women are 40% more likely to die from it. That statistic hit me in the gut.”

Sidner’s decision to go public was met with overwhelming support, but she also faced cruel attacks online, including messages from people who wished her dead. She took it in stride. “If I could do more good than harm by sharing my story, then it was worth it,” she said.

Citizen-Advocate

As part of her advocacy, Sidner joined forces with other women to share their cancer experiences. In October 2024, she participated in a candid conversation with former MTV VJ Ananda Lewis, who is living with Stage 4 breast cancer, and their mutual friend, CNN's Stephanie Elam. The hope is that their discussion, which explored their different approaches to treatment and coping, will encourage others to find a supportive community where people can have open conversations about cancer.

Sidner also emphasized the importance of self-advocacy, admitting that she had not always practiced what she now preaches. “I am terrible at advocating for myself,” she said. “So, this has been a real lesson for me to self-advocate.” She hopes that by sharing her experience, she can help others feel empowered to take control of their health.

Now cancer-free, Sidner acknowledges that the mental toll of her illness lingers. But just as she did in war zones and protests, she finds purpose in resilience. Her experience has deepened her commitment to telling stories that matter, whether they unfold in the streets of Minneapolis or in the corridors of a hospital.

Reflecting on her career, Sidner has a pragmatic view of journalism: “Do you like holidays? Do you enjoy being with your family? Do you like staying in one place?” she asks with a laugh. “If all those things are true, maybe think twice. But if you love the work — the actual reporting, the writing, the digging for truth — then there’s nothing else like it.”

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