Samuel Burke

CNN Correspondent

What is Samuel Burke known for?

Samuel Burke, a proud alumnus of Phoenix's North High School, has made his mark as a celebrated business and technology correspondent for CNN. Born and raised in Phoenix, Arizona to a Greek Sephardic Jewish family, Burke's academic journey saw him graduate from Arizona State University with a BA in Spanish and a master's degree in journalism from the Walter Cronkite School of Journalism and Mass Communication. His prowess in Spanish was nurtured from a young age with frequent travels to Mexico and summer language college stints.

Launching his career in 2008, Burke started as a co-anchor for the Spanish college news program Cronkite Newswatch, which was broadcast on PBS and Telefutura. Gaining experience as an intern for CNN's Anderson Cooper 360°, he soon landed his first job as Christiane Amanpour's digital producer. Burke's determination, even considering a security guard position at the CNN headquarters, paid off when he was offered a full-time position just before the show's start.

Since then, Burke has anchored various CNN programs including Europa Hoy and the daily Cyber Café on CafeCNN. Further accolades include an Outstanding Entertainment Program Emmy Award in 2014 for his work on the technology show CLIX, and the Daytime Emmy for Outstanding Morning Program in 2016 for Café CNN.

In an unexpected twist, Burke found out via an at-home DNA test that he wasn't actually related to the Burke family. This discovery led him to host the 2021 CNN series "Suddenly Family - DNA Discoveries with Samuel Burke," documenting the lives of individuals whose lives have been transformed by such DNA testing revelations.

For more on Samuel Burke's life and career, visit his Wikipedia page. Learn more about his birthplace, Phoenix, Arizona here.