The curriculum vitae of CNN International Asia Pacific managing editor Ellana Lee reads like an aspiring journalist’s dream: graduated from Georgetown University with a double major in international relations and history, graduated from New York University with a master’s in broadcast journalism, started working at CNN in 1997 and still going strong. Sporting a pressed ebony suit, a cascade of ebony hair and a pair of piercing eyes, Lee looks as professional in real life as she does on paper.

There was a time, however, in her wee early days at CNN, when she was just a newbie and about to make one of the most memorable blunders of her career.

“I was working at CNN financial news. I just started. I needed to call someone to verify a fact. I called a market analyst. I said, ‘What is market capitalisation?’”

Lee, who is now in charge of production and the news gathering division at CNN International Asia Pacific, recalls that the market analyst did not deign to provide confirmation to a person who was clearly a financial greenhorn.

“She hung up on me. That was almost the best thing that happened.”

After the incident, Lee made sure to read the Wall Street Journal everyday and to be prepared before picking up the phone again.

Not a fan of the limelight—Lee said she’s “never had a desire to be in front of the camera”. This 37-year old Korean-American started off as one of what she calls “the silent supporters in the background” and has maintained her backstage status. Working her way from an entry-level position as an associate producer at CNN to a position as a show producer to one as a senior planning producer, Lee became a managing editor in 2007.

“I find working at CNN very honourable,” the accomplished young executive said, before revealing why she has stayed at the same news network for more than a decade. “I believe it is a news organisation without competition in its class.”

“Many people who are journalists stay in it for life. There’s a sense of adrenaline feel. I think it’s priceless.”

When asked what it takes to make it in this industry, Lee, in reference to the field of journalism, answered: “You have to live it, breathe it.”

Lee, who was named a Young Global Leader by the World Economic Forum in 2008, certainly seems to stick to her own adage. When she wakes up in the morning, she checks out CNN, the local paper and skims the web for news before heading into CNN’s Hong Kong headquarters where she skims more newspapers. After she leaves the office, she gets two hours of downtime before fielding conference calls. And this, said Lee, is an improvement from the schedule she had when she first took on the managing editor gig.

As managing editor of the Asia Pacific region, Lee makes it her job to prevent the lumping together of the region into one homogenous mass.

“It’s really critical to me that Asia is represented as diverse to the world.”

Part of her job includes overseeing programming, including the Eye on South Korea series and the interview series Talk Asia, which, Lee said, will feature Hallyu star Lee Byung-hun later this year.

When asked about the current movement towards the global promotion of Korean cuisine, a topic that was touched in an episode of Eye on South Korea, Lee answered: “I think it’s long overdue. I think it’s about time, to be honest.”

“It’s a lovely delicacy that’s really underrated,” said Lee. “This is a country with four distinctive seasons and four distinctive types of food.”

Lee speaks from knowledge. Since the majority of her family is based in Korea, Lee tries to visit once every several months, affording her plenty of opportunities to enjoy authentic Korean fare.

Throughout the interview, Lee maintained a grounded ease, giving articulate answers, save for several occasions when she displayed an earnest intensity, a deep, emotional dedication to her work.
It is a quality most accurately captured by Lee’s own words: “I’m very passionate about what I do and feel strongly doing what I do correctly.” (By Jean Oh in Seoul / The Korea Herald/ Asia News Network)