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Raya Quttaineh

Meet WBIR weekend morning anchor and reporter Raya Quttaineh.
Credit: WBIR
Raya Quttaineh

I was born in the country of Jordan, raised in the Twin Cities of Minnesota and am lucky enough to now be living in East Tennessee.

My family and I moved to Saint Paul, Minnesota when I was five years old. Most of my childhood summers were spent overseas in Jordan. I speak Arabic fluently, still have family overseas and am fortunate enough to have enjoyed my mother’s Middle Eastern recipes growing up. Sadly, her cooking skills never stuck with me.

I have always known I wanted to use my voice to help others. I was introduced to storytelling and the world of news reporting from a young age as my parents kept up with current events from back home. Growing up, they were adamant that my siblings and I would never forget our roots. They taught me the most valuable things in life are kindness, humility and sincerity—which are the exact qualities that drew me to the team at WBIR.

I studied journalism at the University of Minnesota in Minneapolis. During that time, I interned at WCCO, wrote for The Century Times newspaper and spent a summer in London working and writing for a nonprofit helping young people make informed decisions about their physical and mental wellbeing.

After graduating in 2019, I began my reporting career in Fargo, North Dakota. There, I covered everything from the COVID-19 pandemic to snowstorms, agriculture and urban development.

I joined WBIR in November of 2021 after spending two years as a reporter and weekend anchor in Fargo.

Through my work, I hope to share historically marginalized voices and capture the important moments shaping people’s lives. At WBIR, I am blessed to share stories "straight from the heart" of East Tennessee.

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