Christiane Amanpour to Leave CNN after 43 Years

Veteran journalist Christiane Amanpour is leaving Cable News Network (CNN) after 43 years with the broadcaster, ending a long career that made her one of its most prominent international correspondents.

Amanpour, 68, announced her decision on Monday, saying she had spent several months considering whether to leave before making the decision.

“After thinking carefully for several months and experiencing a few sleepless nights, as you can imagine, I’ve decided to separate from CNN,” Amanpour said in a statement.

She did not directly refer to the recent takeover of CNN’s parent company, Warner Bros. Discovery, by Paramount Skydance, but reaffirmed her commitment to maintaining editorial independence.

The deal has raised concerns about CNN’s independence because the Ellison family, which owns Paramount Skydance, has close ties to United States President Donald Trump, a frequent critic of the network.

Amanpour said independence was particularly important at a time of increasing political and financial pressure, as well as growing risks for journalists working in conflict zones.

“That’s especially important today as we face unprecedented pressures from all sides, political, financial, and also from the rising dangers in the field,” she said.

The British-born journalist rose to international prominence through her coverage of the 1991 Gulf War following Iraq’s invasion of Kuwait in 1990.

Over the course of her career, she has interviewed numerous world leaders and other major newsmakers and reported from conflict zones and crises in Iraq, Afghanistan, Pakistan, Somalia, Rwanda and the Balkans.

Her daily CNN programme will be reduced to a weekly format until June next year, while her programme on US public broadcaster PBS will also come to an end.

Amanpour said she planned to pursue new projects while continuing to support CNN and its tradition of independent journalism. She also urged journalists to remain committed to truth rather than neutrality.

CNN Chief Executive Mark Thompson praised Amanpour for her decades of journalism and service to the network, describing her departure as a loss for CNN while acknowledging that she had decided it was the right time to move on.

“Like so many CNNers who will hear the news today, I’m very sorry to see her go, but I’ve come to accept that this is the right time for her, both personally and professionally,” Thompson said.