Christiane Amanpour announced on Monday that she will depart CNN next year, ending a 43-year tenure that began in 1983. The 68-year-old chief international anchor, based in London, rose to prominence reporting from the Persian Gulf War and later from conflict zones including Bosnia, Rwanda and Afghanistan. She said her decision followed "many months of thought and a few sleepless nights." Her CNN International show "Amanpour" will be reduced to once weekly in January before concluding in June, and her PBS program "Amanpour & Co." will also end.
She plans to pursue "interesting new projects" and will continue her podcast "The Ex Files" with ex-husband Jamie Rubin. Mark Thompson, CNN's chief executive, said he and Amanpour had discussed her future "for some months" and praised her legacy, noting that early doubters were proven wrong. Amanpour was born in London to an Iranian father and British mother, spent time in Tehran as a child, and began her journalism career at local Rhode Island news affiliates before joining CNN in Atlanta.
She recently expressed concern about CNN's parent company being acquired by Skydance, citing editorial changes at CBS News since David Ellison took over in 2025. Neither Amanpour nor Thompson referenced the acquisition in their statements. She concluded by urging: "always be truthful, not neutral.".
Source: New York Times Business · Summarized by HeadlinesBriefing