Christiane Amanpour, CNN’s chief international anchor and one of its best-known war correspondents, is set to leave the network after 43 years. Her departure marks the end of a long career covering conflicts, political upheavals and major international events.
Amanpour announced her decision in a statement released through CNN, according to The Associated Press. Her daily programme, Amanpour, on CNN International will transition to a weekly broadcast early next year, with its final episode scheduled for May.
The veteran journalist has not publicly disclosed the reason for her departure. However, the announcement comes as Skydance takes over Warner Bros. Discovery, CNN’s parent company, prompting questions about the potential implications for the network’s editorial direction.
US President Donald Trump has repeatedly criticised CNN and other news organisations over what he describes as biased coverage. Last month, his administration barred CNN and two other news outlets from White House access. Skydance chief executive David Ellison’s reported close relationship with Trump has added to speculation about whether the ownership transition could influence CNN’s coverage of the administration.
A career spanning wars and global political upheavals
Amanpour joined CNN in 1983 and became an international correspondent in 1990. She rose to prominence during the Gulf War in the early 1990s, reporting from conflict zones across the Middle East and subsequently covering wars and political crises in Africa and other regions.
Over the course of her career, she became known for her frontline reporting, interviews with world leaders and coverage of major geopolitical developments. Her work helped establish her as one of the network’s leading international journalists.
Beyond conflict reporting, Amanpour has also attracted attention for her stance on press freedom and journalistic independence.
In 2022, she declined to wear a headscarf for a planned interview with then-Iranian President Ebrahim Raisi in New York. The interview was cancelled after Raisi’s team insisted that she cover her head. The incident occurred amid nationwide protests in Iran following the death of Mahsa Amini, who had been detained over alleged non-compliance with the country’s headscarf rules.
Amanpour also disclosed in 2021 that she had been diagnosed with ovarian cancer and later revealed that the disease had returned.
Her impending exit comes at a significant moment for CNN as its parent company undergoes an ownership transition. While no direct link between the change in ownership and Amanpour’s decision has been established, the timing has intensified scrutiny of the network’s future leadership, programming and editorial approach.
