Veteran international journalist Christiane Amanpour is set to leave CNN in June 2027, bringing an end to a 43-year relationship with the American news network that saw her rise from a news desk assistant to one of its most recognisable international correspondents.
Amanpour, CNN's chief international anchor, announced her decision on Monday, October 19, 2026, saying she had spent several months considering her future before deciding to move on.
In her departure statement, the journalist expressed gratitude to the colleagues and production teams who worked with her throughout her career. She reflected on assignments covering major international conflicts, including the First Gulf War, the Bosnian War, Rwanda, Afghanistan, Ukraine and Iran.
Amanpour said the teamwork and commitment to finding facts, evidence and humanity had been central to her years at CNN. She also urged her colleagues to continue defending independent journalism, ending her message with the words: “Always be truthful, not neutral.”
The journalist's departure will take place in stages. Her daily programmes on CNN and PBS are scheduled to end at the close of 2026. From January 2027, her CNN International programme, Amanpour, will move to a weekly schedule before concluding in May. She will continue reporting and travelling on assignments for CNN through June 2027.
Amanpour joined CNN in 1983, initially working as an assistant on the international assignment desk in Atlanta. She gradually moved into reporting and became internationally recognised for her coverage of wars, humanitarian crises and major political developments.
Her reporting from Bosnia during the 1990s helped bring international attention to the conflict and its human consequences. She subsequently covered events in Rwanda, Afghanistan and other parts of the world, building a reputation for interviewing influential political figures and reporting from areas affected by conflict.
In 2010, Amanpour briefly left CNN to present ABC News' This Week before returning to CNN in 2012. She later became a leading face of the network's international interview programming. Since 2017, she has also hosted Amanpour & Company on PBS, where her programme has featured interviews with political leaders, diplomats, academics and other prominent figures.
CNN chairman and chief executive Mark Thompson informed staff of her decision and praised her contribution to the network. He said the two had discussed her plans for several months and acknowledged the significance of her departure after more than four decades of work.
The announcement comes shortly after CNN's parent company, Warner Bros. Discovery, came under the ownership of Skydance following a major corporate transaction. The change in ownership has raised questions among some media observers about the future direction of the network and editorial independence.
Amanpour previously expressed concerns about what she described as an ideological shift at CBS News, another broadcaster affected by the wider corporate changes. However, she did not directly identify the new ownership as the reason for leaving CNN, and the network has not confirmed a connection between the two developments.
Following her departure, Amanpour plans to continue her podcast, The Ex Files, and has indicated that she is interested in pursuing other projects. Her statement also expressed continued support for CNN and its history of independent journalism.
Her exit will mark the end of a significant chapter in CNN's international reporting history. Over more than four decades, Amanpour has reported on conflicts, political upheavals and humanitarian emergencies that shaped global affairs, becoming a familiar presence to audiences following international news.
As the transition approaches, CNN is expected to recognise her contribution before she leaves in June 2027. Her next professional projects have not yet been fully announced.
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