Staying updated on the news is often quite difficult for students new to the world of international relations or politics. Carl Azuz, the anchor of The World from A to Z, and former anchor of CNN10 has dedicated his career to educating and informing young audiences through entertaining and quick video content. With his engaging personality and commitment to objective reporting, Azuz has built a loyal following and has become an internet personality.

Starting His Career

In his conversation with The Teen Magazine, Azuz shares the inspiring story of how he stumbled into the world of journalism, gradually working his way up to become a respected on-air personality.

Azuz first started his career studying Telecommunication Arts Production in college. In the crossroads between pursuing film and joining the Navy, CNN was recruiting, and he took that opportunity.

“My very first job was handing scripts to people. I walked about 12 feet away to a director, and 14 feet away to a producer, so they could see live show scripts updating in real time. During the other half of the day, I operated a teleprompter,” said Carl Azuz, “It wasn't long before I found myself writing some of those scripts, before I found myself producing some of those segments that were making air. I was bit by the bug and loved broadcasting right from the get go.”

As Azuz continued to work for CNN, opportunities widened and he was introduced to CNN student news. This is when he realized his passion for informing students, and the impact he could have on the next generation.

“I found a younger audience, more engaging and more honest. A lot of times, with adult audiences, people are watching to criticize. With students, they’ll give you the good, bad, and ugly. They'll correspond on social media. They'll send emails,” said Carl Azuz, “It was really a good fit for somebody who was just starting to get on air in broadcasting.”

He started his position on CNN news as a Video Journalist. A CNN anchor he worked with named Brian Nelson eventually asked Carl Azuz if he thought about being in front of the camera himself. This moment began a transition from behind the scenes work to constantly practicing and perfecting his public speaking. He notes that practicing public speaking began all the way in high school, as he was participating in his school’s theater program.

“In high school, I chose to do drama on a whim and was given major roles by my teacher, who believed I could handle parts with heavy memorization. Performing these roles helped me come out of my shell and gain public speaking experience,” said Carl Azuz.

Preparing to be a host was no easy feat, staying up late after hours to practice scripts to record audition tapes. It was hard work, spending months perfecting his public speaking and getting comfortable on set.

“When it was first time on live air, I was visibly shaking, so I had to put my hands under the desk so people couldn't see it. There were some jitters to be worked out, but I was in a place where I was confident I could make an impact,” said Carl Azuz.

Behind CNN10 and The World from A-Z

As the writer and anchor for CNN10, Carl Azuz sharpened his skills in network news and increasingly prioritized objective coverage. As the executive producer and host of The World from A to Z, he established the primary goal of offering a non-partisan source of information as a jumping-off point for students to be informed.

The 9-10 minute format ensures accessibility, delivering news in an engaging and easy to digest format. The World from A-Z has been featured not only in classrooms, but supporting other communities, shared in adult transition programs, autism programs, and juvenile detention facilities.

“If you see our show and we're reporting on a controversy, I never want to take a side. It's one thing to say, we're objective, but we actively make sure that we're giving people multiple perspectives helping them understand.” said Carl Azuz, “We want people to be able to have civil discourse about these stories, be able to share multiple perspectives without judging each other, without jumping down each other's throats.”

Acknowledging that many students are not consistently caught up on current events, his goal became to present the news in a way that builds foundational understanding without being condescending. Additionally, he wanted to make it entertaining for viewers, encouraging them to come back for more. The key to standing out to students was maintaining authenticity on camera – staying true to his personality helped him connect and grow his audience.

“If you're trying to pretend to be somebody else or to act cool, students can see right through you,” said Carl Azuz. “I learned that I've got to be myself even if I'm making puns that many people find ‘pun’ (un) funny. They're part of my own personality, and people responded to that. Even people who hate puns will write to me on days I don't do them and say that the show just isn't the same.”

As for selecting what goes into each episode, he aims to have a balance between world news and more “fun” sections geared towards students such as the trivia or history segments, and featuring slices of life from different cultures. For the 2024 US election, Azuz added a section “Is it Constitutional?” exploring if certain issues or actions are actually addressed in the Constitution. There is also a focus on the show to be truly international instead of having a US focus.

“I want people, even those who are really well versed in what's happening, let's say, in the US politically to hear something they can learn from in the world from A to Z so we're looking beyond the United States,” said Carl Azuz.

The World from A-Z is an independently produced program, meaning that the team has full control over daily content and coverage. The show aims to cover significant global events—such as wars in the Middle East, Ukraine, and Sudan, or natural disasters—without avoiding major issues, but also without overwhelming their younger audience. This means being mindful of the program's tone, opting to report serious news while avoiding overly graphic images.

Advice for Teenagers

As a professional news anchor who works with teenagers, Carl Azuz has become a recognizable figure among students. He acknowledges the fame that comes with the job such as unusual rumors, even rumors of people mistakenly thinking he died. He uses this as a chance to educate and caution teenagers on media literacy, an important topic to discuss as social media is on the rise.

“In May of 2023 the top search result for my name on Bing still had me as having died at age 87 of skin cancer” said Carl Azuz, “As a news reporter and someone who writes and produces my own show, I see how all of this ties into media literacy. I have to know where my information is coming from, assess whether it’s factual, and be aware of any political biases that might influence it. It’s a helpful process, but also a cautionary tale.”

Additionally, Carl Azuz offers advice to aspiring journalists and news hosts. Carl explains that being well rounded by starting his career in a variety of jobs allowed him to learn valuable skills like writing, producing, editing, and understanding camerawork, which are all skills he uses today as a producer. This versatility will make a person a standout candidate.

“There's going to be a lot of grunt work. There are going to be a lot of tasks that maybe you didn't sign up for but so many of the things can help you,” he explained, “I would be hired for freelance work by folks who expected me to write and produce. Those tasks I had to do in the past came together to help me a great deal in the present.”

Carl Azuz also advises aspiring journalists to always be themselves – to bring their own personalities into their reporting without playing the role of someone else – and to learn how to present multiple sides of controversies without indicating what they agree with.