She may not be a CNN original, but Christiane Amanpour is pretty darn close.
CNN’s chief international anchor marked her 40th year at the network on Tuesday. On-air, CNN is recognizing Amanpour’s award-winning career with a series of bespoke promos that acknowledge her various contributions to the network: fearless reporting, bold questions, empowering women, uncompromising interviews, and defending Truth.
She goes where the story takes her. No matter what. No matter where.
AdvertisementCNN celebrates #40YearsofAmanpour. pic.twitter.com/qxas0obiw8
— CNN International PR (@cnnipr) September 11, 2023
Additionally, Amanpour will be fronting this Sunday’s episode of The Whole Story with Anderson Cooper, featuring Ukrainian ballet dancers escaping war. The episode follows members of the Holland-based United Ukrainian Ballet Company, composed of dancers displaced from Ukraine in the fastest-growing refugee crisis in Europe since World War II. CNN’s cameras capture intimate moments of dancers grappling with survivors’ guilt as their families remain on the front lines, all while remaining determined to fight for their culture.
Amanpour, on Tuesday, did the rounds, appearing on various CNN shows throughout the day as they celebrated her anniversary. According to CNN’s Reliable Sources newsletter, Amanpour also received a standing ovation inside CNN’s New York newsroom, with celebrations also taking place at CNN offices in Atlanta, Washington, D.C., London, and Hong Kong.
💖@DanaBashCNN pic.twitter.com/zKpgUODDdY
— Christiane Amanpour (@amanpour) September 12, 2023
The network had special pins made for all CNN Worldwide staff featuring her iconic safari jacket with the following message: September 2023 marks Christiane Amanpour’s 40th anniversary at CNN. Her iconic safari jacket has been her signature throughout the decades. From the first Gulf War to Bosnia, to the frontlines in Iraq, from Lebanon to Afghanistan, to Cambodia, and beyond. This classic piece symbolizes her toughness, versatility, and deep commitment to storytelling.
CNN also partnered with Lingua Franca to design a sweater featuring Christiane’s mantra, “Be truthful, not neutral,” currently for sale on their site. 10% of profits will go to the Committee to Protect Journalists, which Christiane has been close to for many years.
To mark 40 years at CNN, I’m thrilled to say that CNN and @linguafrancanyc have created a beautiful sweater that you can now buy, emblazoned with “be truthful, not neutral”. Even better – 10% of proceeds will go to @pressfreedom. https://t.co/GTK80a8FD2
— Christiane Amanpour (@amanpour) September 12, 2023
Amanpour spoke to CNN’s Oliver Darcy about her career origin story, saying she arrived in Atlanta to discuss a role with a CNN recruiter and only had $100 in her pocket and a single suitcase. “The then-recruiter took one look at me and said, ‘Oh, there’s a vacancy on the foreign desk. You’re foreign. Go fill it,” she said.
She also spoke on how her “be truthful, not neutral” phrase came about, saying, “In situations of gross violations of human rights … you cannot be neutral because then you are an accomplice. All of that came to me, and I distilled it into, ‘We have to be truthful, not neutral.'”