Dhaliwal

NEW YORK — Daljit Dhaliwal likes to say that her perspective is global and it would be difficult to disagree with her. As a news anchor for BBC, ITN and CNN, Dhaliwal has covered many of the world's major breaking news stories of the last decade from the Irish Republican Army in Northern Ireland to the U.S. war in Iraq.

Still, Dhaliwal's perspective on the world is about to get a little bit more intense. She is returning to anchor PBS's "Wide Angle," a documentary series exploring global issues that is entering its fifth season. The series, which Dhaliwal anchored in its first season, presents 45-minute documentaries on its subject matter — which this season will include El Salvador gangs, Ireland's recent economic boom and female imams in Morocco — and then is analyzed by Dhaliwal and guest experts.

"I absolutely jumped at this opportunity," said Dhaliwal. "We need more shows like this. It shows how interconnected the world is. I feel very passionate about that."

For Dhaliwal, what is most compelling about the show is that the documentaries are done on a "human" level. "The people are speaking on their own," she said. "The people themselves tell their stories and [the show] spends 45 minutes getting into their topic in a serious way."

Dhaliwal's follow up conversation with a guest — usually about 15 minutes — looks at how the news report connects to American concerns. Considering most news anchors only typically a few minutes to spend on each story, the extended time for focus on topics is an indulgence for Dhaliwal. According to her, though, this kind of news approach is vital and in America's best interest.

"This connects Americans to the world," she said. "It shows them what's going on in the world. America is a superpower and is already invested in the world. There seems to be less international coverage now and we need more."

According to Stephen Segaller, executive producer of "Wide Angle," Dhaliwal's "international global flavor" embodies the spirit of "Wide Angle."

"The program is attempting to close the gap and bring the world to America," he said. "We are offering American viewers an experience in what life is like in other parts of the world. It's appropriate for a program that is bringing images of the world, that the face of it should have a global feel. [Dhaliwal] is about as internationally minded a journalist as you could find."

As the daughter of Indian immigrants in Great Britain — Dhaliwal's parents came from Punjab — Dhaliwal certainly has her share of possible identities. "British, Asian, Indian, I don't like to be pigeonholed," she said. "It's hard to define yourself by one background. I have many different identities evolving all of the time."

That sense of being a citizen of the world influenced Dhaliwal's decision to go into broadcast news. "I would sit and watch the news with my dad," she said. "I was very curious about the rest of the world outside of my own boundaries."

Dhaliwal received a bachelor's degree in philosophy and history from the University of East London and a master's degree in politics, history and economics from the University of London. More recently, she was awarded an honorary doctorate of letters from the University of London.

In 1990, Dhaliwal got into the news-training program at the BBC, a highly coveted program. "I wanted to get a thorough background," said Dhaliwal. "I knew I was lucky to get into the BBC."

The BBC program that taught Dhaliwal what she called the "fundamentals of television grammar." "I got a good grounding. It was industry based and it was the BBC," she said.

By 1991, Dhaliwal was sent to Northern Ireland at what was then the height of tension between the IRA and the British. "For any journalist who wants to do serious news, that was the place to be," said Dhaliwal.

Ultimately, Dhaliwal spent the next three years covering news in Northern Ireland, Scotland and back in England, and then she was asked to anchor BBC World.

In 1995, Dhaliwal took an anchor position at England's ITN, which was broadcast on American public television stations, introducing Dhaliwal to an American audience and igniting her relationship with PBS, as well as with the American public. Dhaliwal made People magazine's 1999 list of the 50 most beautiful people in the world. An unofficial Daljit Dhaliwal fan Web site was created. Dhaliwal stayed with the network for six years anchoring its daily news show as well as a weekly show.

CNN lured Dhaliwal on a more permanent basis to the other side of the Atlantic Ocean. She had already started anchoring the inaugural season of "Wide Angle," but was commuting to do the show. "CNN is a well-respected news organization," she said. "It was a natural fit for me. I'd been broadcasting to the United States for so long. It felt right to me." Dhaliwal left "Wide Angle" after a season but stayed with CNN until 2004, during which time she covered the Iraq war. "It was two hours of live television every day," she said. "I loved what I was doing. It was a fantastic time and wonderful challenges. I wish I could have stayed on."

Personal reasons compelled Dhaliwal to move to New York, she said, a city whose multi-ethnic character feels like home to Dhaliwal. She has spent the past two years guest hosting for a variety of shows on PBS and public radio and doing assorted freelance projects. 

Dhaliwal said that in addition to "Wide Angle," she is currently in discussions for some other projects. While she said that it is too early to disclose details, she did say that she'll "never leave the news anchor desk."