"Christiane Amanpour," a key foreign correspondent and news anchor at CNN, has announced plans to leave the television network after 43 years of service. She will reduce her daily program to once a week starting early 2027, then end the show in May and depart the network in June. This announcement comes amid structural changes in CNN's ownership and concerns over media independence due to these shifts.
Christiane Amanpour, senior correspondent and primary international anchor for CNN, announced on Monday her decision to leave the network after 43 years. She said she had spent several months considering this decision and is now looking forward to exciting new projects in the future.
At 68 years old, Amanpour will reduce her CNN International program "Amanpour" from daily to weekly broadcasts starting early 2027, before ending the show in May and leaving CNN in June of the same year. Additionally, she will end her "Amanpour & Co." show on the U.S. public broadcaster PBS by the end of this year but will continue hosting the podcast "The Ex Files" with Jamie Rubin, her former husband and a former U.S. diplomat.
Amanpour emphasized that she will continue to support CNN and uphold its history of independent journalism. She stressed her guiding principle: “The goal is to report the truth, not to be neutral.” She highlighted that independence is especially critical at a time when the media faces pressures from political, financial sources and growing risks in field reporting.
Her departure announcement comes just weeks after Paramount Skydance officially acquired Warner Bros. Discovery, CNN’s parent company, on 6 October 2024, in an $81 billion deal. This merger places major U.S. news networks CBS and CNN under the same corporate group, raising concerns about CNN's independence due to the Ellison family ownership's close ties to former President Donald Trump, who has frequently criticized CNN. However, Amanpour did not indicate that the ownership change influenced her decision to leave.
Amanpour began her career at CNN as an entry-level assistant in Atlanta, Georgia, in 1983, later becoming a correspondent and international reporter seven years afterwards. She gained international recognition for her Gulf War coverage in 1991 following Iraq’s invasion of Kuwait the previous year. Her reporting extended to conflicts in the Middle East, Bosnia, Rwanda, Afghanistan, Ukraine, and Iran, alongside interviews with global leaders and key figures.
She has consistently maintained that foreign news, despite its complexity, can be presented in ways that American audiences understand without diluting the content. She also noted that her upbringing in a family of Iranian and British heritage gave her a unique worldview and a deep appreciation for fostering understanding between people.
CNN CEO Mark Thompson praised Amanpour’s 43-year career, revealing that early on, some supervisors doubted whether she would succeed as a foreign correspondent or anchor. She proved her capabilities and became one of the network’s most distinguished figures. He added that while saddened by her departure, he believes this is the right time for her personally and professionally.
Amanpour expressed gratitude to field reporters and behind-the-scenes teams, emphasizing that their collaboration was vital in uncovering facts, evidence, and human dimensions that enabled CNN to report the truth about the world to audiences globally without fear or bias.
Previously, Amanpour revealed that she was diagnosed with ovarian cancer in 2021 and faced two recurrences. She has used her experience to advocate for public awareness on the importance of screening and health care.
. . .Associated Press/AFP