One of CNN’s best-known off-camera journalists, Cynde Strand, has been named executive director of the international desk. The announcement was made Tuesday by CNNI senior vice president Deborah Rayner.
Strand, a 30-year CNN veteran who was a network photographer during the crackdown in Tiananmen Square, and worked in Baghdad with Bernard Shaw, currently directs CNN coverage of international news. Her new role is a newly created position.
“Cynde already directs our coverage to the highest standard, is an expert in breaking news, can stand on her head, support, cajole, lead, innovate, train, communicate,” said Rayner in a memo to staff announcing the promotion. “She has technical, field, management AND insuperable editorial expertise. She just never tires of international news and has excellent relationships across the entire network.”
Here’s the full memo:
NOTE FROM DEBORAH RAYNER, SVP OF INTERNATIONAL NEWSGATHERING FOR CNN:
Throughout 2016 we’ve worked hard to realign the International Desk to make it truly global, following the sun with 24hr senior editorial oversight.
We’ve made it truly digital and social. We have improved our service for our programming colleagues, adding the 24hr live desk and staffing to support new programming schedules.
We have reorganized our futures team; fused, bonded, wrapped our arms around all platforms. We’ve reoriented ourselves towards active story management, focusing on clear network priorities. We’ve shifted to become content providers as well as editorial information providers.
Above all, our terrific news desk producers, researchers and senior news editors are working to improve support for our excellent teams in the field.
The International Desk has been redefined to include the combined muscle of our desks in Atlanta, London, Hong Kong and Abu Dhabi. That muscle is flexed by the DoCs and Managing Editors in each region as they hand the baton around the clock. Our desk staff has been working more closely together, swapping roles and experiences, getting into the field and moving around our production centers. We now have a terrific international editorial team working seamlessly across our hubs.
Phew…. But wait a moment…. That’s a lot to manage.
It’s become evident that a new role is required to oversee all our new International desk’s staffing, training and operations. What’s needed is an outstanding executive to lead and keep this amazing engine running smoothly around the clock.
That person is Cynde Strand.
Cynde already directs our coverage to the highest standard, is an expert in breaking news, can stand on her head, support, cajole, lead, innovate, train, communicate. She has technical, field, management AND insuperable editorial expertise. She just never tires of international news and has excellent relationships across the entire network.
It gives me great pleasure to announce that Cynde has been promoted to the newly created role of Executive Director of the International Desk.
Cynde is just the person to pull together all the work that we’ve done to adapt the International Desk to our changed news environment and continue to drive it forward, while continuing her hands-on DoC role in Atlanta.
We’re lucky to have this total international news addict who exhales breaking news experience. She’ll keep going until there is no sun to follow…
Congratulations Cynde!
Debs