Entertainment • Journalist

Brianna Keilar

Brianna Marie Keilar is an American journalist and CNN anchor.

By Ethan Anderson| Reviewed by Olivia Bennett, Standards & Fact-Checking Lead| Updated July 26, 2026|2 min read| Fact-checked

Brianna Marie Keilar is an American journalist and CNN anchor who co-anchors the afternoon edition of CNN News Central. She previously hosted CNN Right Now and co-anchored New Day, and has covered major political stories from Washington, D.C.

Early life and education

Brianna Keilar was born in Canberra, Australia, on September 21, 1980. She later studied at the University of California, Berkeley, where she graduated Phi Beta Kappa with bachelor’s degrees in mass communications and psychology.

CNN career

Keilar joined CNN and worked in multiple reporting roles, including national correspondent for CNN Newsource, general assignment correspondent, Congressional correspondent, White House correspondent, and senior Washington correspondent. She later became an anchor on New Day, hosted CNN Right Now, and currently co-anchors the afternoon edition of CNN News Central from the network’s Washington, D.C. bureau.

On-air style and coverage

CNN has described Keilar as a host who conducted interviews on major news stories and used recurring segments such as Roll the Tape to focus on political accountability. Her reporting has included extensive coverage of U.S. politics and the coronavirus pandemic.

Personal work and writing

Keilar writes the CNN column Home Front, which focuses on military families and the civilian-military divide. This work has been presented by CNN as part of her broader interest in public service and national issues.

Key facts

Keilar co-anchors the 1–4 p.m. ET block of CNN News Central from CNN’s Washington, D.C. bureau.
She previously anchored CNN’s New Day and hosted CNN Right Now with Brianna Keilar.
Before becoming an anchor, she worked as CNN’s senior Washington correspondent and earlier held roles including White House correspondent and Congressional correspondent.
She graduated from the University of California, Berkeley with degrees in mass communications and psychology.
Keilar is the author of the CNN column Home Front, focused on military families.

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Canadian context

Keilar’s work is relevant to Canadian readers as part of CNN’s coverage of U.S. politics and international news, which is widely followed in Canada.

Frequently asked questions

Who is Brianna Keilar?

She is an American journalist and CNN anchor who co-anchors the afternoon edition of CNN News Central.

Where was Brianna Keilar born?

She was born in Canberra, Australia, on September 21, 1980.

What show does Brianna Keilar currently anchor?

She co-anchors CNN News Central’s afternoon block, airing from 1 p.m. to 4 p.m. ET.

What did Brianna Keilar do before CNN News Central?

She previously anchored New Day and hosted CNN Right Now, and before that served in several Washington-based reporting roles at CNN.

What did Brianna Keilar study?

She earned bachelor’s degrees in mass communications and psychology from the University of California, Berkeley.

References

Wikipedia — https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Brianna_Keilar
Supports: Birth date, birthplace, and career timeline including CNN News Central, New Day, CNN Right Now, and earlier CNN reporting roles.
CNN — https://www.cnn.com/profiles/brianna-keilar-profile
Supports: Current role on CNN News Central, prior roles at CNN, education, and Home Front column.
Georgetown University Institute of Politics and Public Service — https://politics.georgetown.edu/profiles/brianna-keilar/
Supports: Current role, prior senior Washington correspondent role, and political coverage background.
Amazon — https://www.amazon.com/prime-video/actor/Brianna-Keilar/amzn1.dv.gti.c6488e83-28a2-478c-a830-54c948b91121/
Supports: Birthplace, marriage information, and basic biographical details.