Gabrielle Sierra

CFR Staff

Gabrielle Sierra

Director, Podcasting

Gabrielle Sierra is the director of podcasting at the Council on Foreign Relations, overseeing the production of four shows. She is also the host of the Webby Award–winning Why It Matters podcast. Prior to her time at CFR, she spent several years as an editor at Facebook, and has written for a number of publications including InStyle, Billboard, and Gothamist. As a 2020 International Career Advancement Program fellow and current co-chair for CFR’s Employee Resource Group on Diversity of Underrepresented Groups in the Workplace, Sierra continues to make diversity, equity, and inclusion initiatives a crucial focus of her work. She has her master's degree in journalism and is an alumna of Poynter’s Leadership Academy for Women in Media.

Select Work

Global

Trailer: Why It Matters

Podcast
Each episode breaks down an issue that is shaping our world’s future. Join host Gabrielle Sierra as she speaks with the leaders and thinkers who are facing these questions head on. Fueled by the minds at the Council on Foreign Relations, Why It Matters brings some of the world’s most compelling stories home to you.

Podcast with Gabrielle Sierra October 2, 2019 Why It Matters

Artificial Intelligence (AI)

The Year of AI and Elections

Podcast
Billions of people will take to the polls next year, marking the world’s largest-ever electoral field. But this historic scale is not the only thing that will make 2024 unique. As new threats like deep fakes become cheaper and more widespread, these upcoming elections could serve as a test run for democracy in the artificial intelligence (AI) era. What risks does AI pose to elections next year? And will a surge in AI-powered disinformation change the nature of democratic elections?

Podcast with Gabrielle Sierra, Kat Duffy and Yoel Roth December 20, 2023 Why It Matters

Trade

A Turning Point for Global Trade

Podcast
International trade has shaped the world for much of the past century. Countries benefited from the global flow of goods, and the world became richer and safer. At the same time, many Americans lost their jobs to cheaper overseas competitors. Now, a series of compounding challenges, including great power competition and climate change, have led U.S. officials to rethink trade policy. What's next for international trade? And can the United States retain the benefits of trade while protecting critical supply chains and fighting climate change?

Podcast with Gabrielle Sierra, Jennifer Hillman, Inu Manak and Edward Alden November 8, 2023 Why It Matters

Most Recent

Olympics

The Economics of Hosting the Olympic Games
The costs of hosting the Olympics have skyrocketed, while the economic benefits are far from clear. The 2024 Paris Olympics could be a test of whether reforms to the process have made hosting a better deal.

Backgrounder by James McBride, Noah Berman and Melissa Manno July 8, 2024

Lebanon

What Is Hezbollah?
Military experience gained from fighting in Syria’s civil war and decades of clashes with Israel have strengthened the Iran-backed group, but politically, its clout among Lebanon’s populace may be waning.

Backgrounder by Kali Robinson July 2, 2024

Energy and Environment

Global Energy Tracker
As the effects of climate change mount, high-carbon energy sources continue to provide most of the world’s power. On average, 84 percent of tracker countries’ energy comes from high-carbon sources such as oil, whereas 16 percent comes from solar and other renewables. Low-carbon sources, however, are on the rise, particularly in developed countries.

Tracker by Benn Steil July 1, 2024 Greenberg Center for Geoeconomic Studies

Top Stories on CFR

United Kingdom

Britain’s Postelection Foreign Policy
While July 4 elections are likely to end with Labour beating the Conservatives, voters can expect closer ties with Europe and a stronger emphasis on defense regardless of who wins.

Expert Brief by Sebastian Mallaby June 28, 2024 Europe Program

Japan

How Japan Is Viewing the North Korea-Russia Alliance
Russia’s expanding security ties with North Korea raise weighty foreign policy questions for Japan and complicate the geopolitical dynamics in the Indo-Pacific. 

Expert Brief by Sheila A. Smith June 27, 2024 Asia Program

Israel

Visiting Israel, June 2024
In a visit in June, I found a somber mood and many doubts about the current national leadership.

Blog Post by Elliott Abrams July 1, 2024 Pressure Points