Christiane Amanpour to Leave CNN After 43 Years: 'Always Be Truthful, Not Neutral'

CNN's chief international anchor, Christiane Amanpour, has announced she will leave the organisation next year after more than four decades. The network confirmed on Monday that the journalist, who has been with CNN for 43 years, will depart next year.

In a statement, the 68-year-old said: 'After many months of thought and a few sleepless nights, I have decided to separate from CNN, my partner of 43 fantastic years!' She said she looks forward to interesting new projects down the line, will always be rooting for CNN and for maintaining its history of independent journalism. Her message: 'Remember: always be truthful, not neutral.'

CNN chairman Mark Thompson described her as 'one of the most trusted and beloved journalists anywhere' and said the network will take time to celebrate her 43 years before she departs next year.

Amanpour began working for CNN in 1983 as an assistant on the international news desk, and went on to become one of the network's best-known correspondents, often reporting on conflicts and wars.

She has presented her own nightly interview programme on CNN International since 2009, building a worldwide reputation both for war reporting and for interviews with world leaders.

In a memo to staff on Monday, Thompson wrote: 'Christiane has thought carefully about this decision, and she and I have been discussing it for some months. Like so many CNNers who will hear the news today, I'm very sorry to see her go, but I've come to accept that this is the right time for her, both personally and professionally.'

'In the meantime, on behalf of the entire CNN leadership team, I want to thank Christiane for 43 extraordinary years of remarkable journalism, loyalty and friendship,' Thompson added.

In her own statement, Amanpour thanked 'all the amazingly talented people I've worked with throughout this incredible journey — especially my beloved show teams and field crews.'

She reflected on her 'very first big exciting assignment covering the First Gulf War, to the horrors of the Bosnian War, Rwanda, Afghanistan, Ukraine and Iran and all the points in between.' She also covered the US-led peacekeeping operation in Mogadishu in 1992.

'It's the teams and the camaraderie that counted so much,' she continued, 'as we together battled to seek the facts, the evidence and the humanity, so that CNN could always broadcast the truth about the world and to the world, without fear nor favour.'

Her departure announcement comes as the face of international news media changes, with a generation of journalists known for war coverage stepping away one by one. Amanpour herself, however, says this is not the end — new projects lie ahead.

Before her formal departure next year, CNN will celebrate her work, Thompson said. The news world will now watch what the next chapter holds for a journalist who has spent more than four decades everywhere from battlefields to the studio.