CNN announced today it had hired France 24’s Melissa Bell, who will join Jim Bitterman in the CNN Paris bureau next month.
“France has always been important to CNN, but since the Charlie Hebdo attack the number of globally important stories from there and its neighboring countries has made it more significant than ever,” said CNN International executive vice president Tony Maddox. “We sought out Melissa for her expertise on many of these stories. She is an outstanding addition to the CNN family.”
Bell has been an international affairs editor and correspondent for France 24, and she has contributed reports to CNN. “I’ve long admired and respected CNN and the exceptional work of its journalists around the world,” Bell said. “The quality of its reporting and the values it represents are there for all to see. I don’t think I could have picked a more exciting time to join this organization.”
Bell joined France 24 in 2008 from the BBC.