Lisa Ling Biography
Lisa Ling is a well-known American journalist, television host, and documentary storyteller who most recently, contributed to CBS News, where she delivered in-depth feature stories for shows like CBS News Sunday Morning. She was laid off in October 2025.
Over the years, Ling has earned a reputation for her immersive reporting style, tackling social, cultural, and human-interest topics. She previously hosted the acclaimed documentary series This Is Life with Lisa Ling on CNN, diving into a variety of issues that impact communities across the United States.
Ling first caught the national spotlight as a reporter for Channel One News before stepping into the role of co-host on the ABC daytime talk show The View from 1999 to 2002. She then took the helm of National Geographic Explorer from 2003 to 2010, traveling the globe to cover pressing global issues, diverse cultures, and current events.
Additionally, Ling served as a special correspondent for The Oprah Winfrey Show, further solidifying her status as a respected documentary journalist. From 2011 to 2014, she hosted Our America with Lisa Ling on the Oprah Winfrey Network, a series that focused on underreported communities and social issues in the U.S.
On May 31, 2023, CBS News announced that Ling had joined their team as a contributor, where she produced long-form reports and feature stories for various CBS News programs. However, on October 30, 2025, it was reported that Ling was among several on-air personalities laid off due to broader staffing changes at the network.
Lisa Ling Age
How old is Lisa? She is 52 years old as of 2026. Lisa was born on August 30, 1973, in Sacramento, California, in the United States of America. Besides, she celebrates her birthday on the 30th of August each year.
Lisa Ling Education
Lisa was enrolled and graduated from Del Campo High School located in Fair Oaks, California in the year 1991. She later joined the University of Southern California but left the campus before graduating and beginning her career.
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Lisa Ling Nationality
Lisa is of American nationality and citizenship. In addition, Ling was born and grew up in Sacramento, California, in the United States of America. Besides, she belongs to the white heritage.
Lisa Ling Height | Measurements
Ling stands approximately at the height of 5 feet 5 inches (Approx. 1.65 m) tall, and Lisa is a woman of average stature. However, she has not disclosed any details regarding her other body measurements in the public domain.
Lisa Ling Family | Parents
Lisa was born and grew up in Sacramento, California, in the United States under the loving care of her father Chung Teh Douglas, and her mother Mary Mei-yan. In addition, her mother, Mary served as the head of the Los Angeles office of the Formosan Association for Public Affairs. Besides, Mei-yan is a Taiwanese descedant from Tainan, Taiwanwhile her father originated from China. Nevertheless, her parents broke up when she was seven years old. Furthermore, Lisa was raised along with her sister Laura Ling. Her sister currently works as a host and a journalist at E! Network.
Lisa Ling Sister
Lisa Ling’s sister is Laura Ling, a talented journalist and television reporter. Laura is best known for her work with Current TV and later with E! News.
She gained international fame in 2009 when she and fellow journalist Euna Lee were detained in North Korea while covering stories near the China–North Korea border. Thankfully, the two were released after diplomatic negotiations that involved former U.S. President Bill Clinton. Throughout this challenging time, Lisa Ling was a vocal advocate for her sister’s release.
Both Ling sisters have carved out impressive careers in journalism and documentary storytelling, often shining a light on global and humanitarian issues.
Lisa Ling Husband | Children | Partner
Ling is happily married to her loving and caring husband Paul Song. In addition, her husband works as a radiation oncologist. Besides, the pair got engaged on January 3, 2007. The couple tied their wedding bunch on May 26, 2007, in Los Angeles, California, United States. The pair share two childre together. Their children are Jett Ling Song who was born on March 8, 2013 and Ray Ling Song born on June 6, 2016.
Lisa Ling Salary
Lisa works as a anchor and reporter at CNN News. Therefore, Barbara earns a decent salary as a CNN News journalist and reporter. Her annual average salary is $110,000.
Lisa Ling Net Worth
Ling serves as a CNN News anchor and reporter. Therefore, there is no doubt that she has accumulated decent wealth over the years. Her average net worth is $3 million.
The View (1999–2002)
Lisa Ling kicked off her television journey as one of the hosts of Scratch, a teen magazine show that was nationally syndicated and based in Sacramento, California. At just 18, she made her mark at Channel One News, quickly becoming one of the youngest reporters and anchors in the network’s history. During her time there, Ling tackled significant international stories and even served as a war correspondent in places like Iraq and Afghanistan. Her impactful reporting and documentaries garnered her several journalism awards, solidifying her reputation as a bold and fearless young journalist.
On May 3, 1999, Ling joined The View, triumphing over more than 12,000 hopefuls who auditioned to take over from former co-host Debbie Matenopoulos. In a memorable audition moment, she even got a navel piercing, which longtime co-host Barbara Walters famously called “disgusting.”
After three and a half years on the show, Ling decided to leave towards the end of 2002 to dive back into international journalism and documentary work. While on The View, she introduced segments that highlighted issues like women and investing, often aiming to ignite thoughtful conversations among the audience. In the wake of the September 11 attacks in 2001, Ling stirred both criticism and admiration when she questioned why extremist groups targeted the United States, a remark that sparked a significant national dialogue.
National Geographic and Oprah Winfrey (2003–2010)
After wrapping up her time on The View, Ling took on a new adventure as the host of National Geographic Ultimate Explorer. This show eventually returned to its original name, National Geographic Explorer, when it made the switch to the National Geographic Channel in 2005.
During her tenure with National Geographic, Ling tackled a wide range of global issues and faced some pretty intense assignments. She delved into Colombia’s drug war, looked into the violent actions of the MS-13 gang, and investigated the conditions within American prisons. One of her standout assignments was a trip to North Korea with a medical missionary team, where she and her crew managed to capture some rare footage inside the secretive nation. This experience later inspired the acclaimed 2007 documentary, Inside North Korea.
Ling then transitioned to become a special correspondent and investigative reporter for The Oprah Winfrey Show. In this role, she produced impactful investigative reports on significant humanitarian and social issues worldwide. Her stories covered a variety of topics, including bride burning in India, sexual violence in the Democratic Republic of the Congo, the activities of the Lord’s Resistance Army in Uganda, child trafficking in Ghana, and the troubling conditions of puppy mills in Pennsylvania. She also reported on the aftermath of Hurricane Katrina in New Orleans and covered the tragic events of the 2007 Virginia Tech shooting.
Planet in Peril and Our America (2008–2014)
In 2008, Lisa Ling became part of CNN’s acclaimed documentary series, Planet in Peril, for its second chapter, Battlelines. As a correspondent, she delved into pressing environmental and humanitarian issues across the globe, tackling topics like shark overfishing in Costa Rica, elephant poaching in Chad, and the violent conflicts linked to oil production in Nigeria.
Two years later, in 2010, Ling co-founded SecretSocietyOfWomen.com, a unique online space where women could share their personal challenges and life stories anonymously.
On February 16, 2011, her Emmy Award-winning documentary series, Our America with Lisa Ling, made its debut on the Oprah Winfrey Network. The show ran for five seasons, shining a light on underrepresented communities, social issues, and fascinating subcultures throughout the United States.
This Is Life with Lisa Ling (2014–2022)
Fast forward to April 14, 2014, when CNN announced that Ling would be hosting a new primetime documentary series called This Is Life with Lisa Ling. The show premiered later that year on September 28 and quickly became one of CNN’s standout original documentary productions.
This series took a deep dive into a wide array of social, cultural, and political topics, with Ling immersing herself in communities often ignored by mainstream media. Throughout its run, the show tackled issues like addiction, religion, incarceration, sexuality, immigration, and economic inequality.
However, in November 2022, the series was canceled after CNN’s then-CEO Chris Licht decided to end partnerships with outside production companies as part of a broader shift in programming at the network.
HBO Max Deal (2019–Present)
Back in October 2019, Ling struck a significant development deal with HBO Max to produce original documentary content. One of the first projects to be announced under this collaboration was Birth, Wedding, Funeral.
Fast forward to April 2021, HBO Max greenlit Ling’s six-part documentary series Take Out, which delved into the realm of Asian takeout restaurants across America, shining a light on the immigrant families and workers who make it all happen. The series explored themes of culture, identity, food traditions, and the hurdles faced by restaurant owners during the COVID-19 pandemic.
Lisa Ling CBS News (2023–2025) | Fired
On May 31, 2023, CBS News revealed that Ling would be joining their team as a contributor. In this role, she crafted in-depth feature stories and investigative reports for shows like CBS News Sunday Morning.
However, on October 30, 2025, it was reported that Ling was among several on-air personalities who were laid off during a restructuring phase at CBS News.
CBS Massive Layoffs and Lisa Ling
In late 2025, news broke about significant layoffs at CBS News, impacting several on-air personalities and contributors. Lisa Ling was reportedly among those affected after joining CBS News as a contributor in 2023.
During her tenure at CBS News, Ling produced long-form feature stories and in-depth reports for programs like CBS News Sunday Morning. These layoffs were part of a larger restructuring effort within the network, reflecting the ongoing changes in the television news landscape, including a shift towards digital media and cost-cutting measures across major broadcast organizations.
