Legendary foreign correspondent and news host Christiane Amanpour is widely regarded as one of the most significant broadcast journalists of our times, distinguished by a career defined by fearless reporting from conflict zones and incisive interviews with global leaders. As chief international anchor for CNN and host of CNN's Amanpour and Amanpour & Company on PBS, she has influenced international journalism through a distinctive approach that blends moral balance with meticulous reporting.
Born in London on January 12, 1958, to an Iranian father and British mother, Amanpour spent her first 20 years in Tehran, which was home amid boarding school in the UK. She went on to study journalism at the University of Rhode Island, where she earned a summa cum laude degree. In 1983, she began her career at the Atlanta headquarters of CNN as an assistant on the international assignment desk and was promoted to producer-correspondent in New York by 1986. She departed on her first assignment as foreign correspondent in 1989, when she was posted to Frankfurt to report on the pro-democracy movements sweeping Eastern Europe.
But Amanpour's breakthrough came during the Persian Gulf War of 1990, when her frontline reportage brought the realities of war to audiences worldwide. Her candid reporting of atrocities and humanitarian crises from Sarajevo during the Bosnian War in 1992 galvanized international attention. Coverage from these conflicts helped redefine expectations of war reporting. Her status as a top international correspondent was further cemented when she covered the 2003 invasion of Iraq and reported from the trial of Saddam Hussein in 2004.
Throughout her career, Amanpour has maneuvered formidable personal and professional challenges, including operating in high-risk environments where journalists are frequently targeted. Her advocacy for press freedom has been a defining feature of her work, particularly through her long-standing involvement with the Committee to Protect Journalists. In her 2008 preface to Attacks on the Press, she spotlighted the systemic dangers facing reporters, noting the prevalence of impunity in journalist killings. Her insistence that “there are some situations one simply cannot be neutral about" has become emblematic of her ethical stance in journalism.
Amanpour has had significant media partnerships alongside CNN. She contributed to CBS 60 Minutes (1996-2005). She hosted This Week on ABC News (2010–2011) and continues to anchor her CNN AND PBS global affairs programs. In 2025, she launched the podcast The Ex Files with her ex-husband Jamie Rubin, a former US diplomat and assistant secretary of state, offering nuanced conversations on international affairs. Her written contributions include In the Beginning: A Modern Journey Through the Holy Land and a foreword to Our Women on the Ground, highlighting the experiences of Arab women journalists. She has consistently used her platforms to advocate for frontline reporters, particularly those in war zones.
In the past decade, Amanpour has reported on the major warfare crises in the Middle East. Her recent coverage has focused on the devastating toll on journalists in conflicts across Gaza, Lebanon, and Iran, drawing attention to what has been described as one of the deadliest periods on record for the press.
Amanpour has garnered 16 News and Documentary Emmy Awards, four Peabody Awards, multiple George Polk and duPont-Columbia Awards, and the Courage in Journalism Award. She has further been honored with the Columbia Journalism Award, inducted into the Cable Hall of Fame, and named a Commander of the Order of the British Empire (CBE). In addition, she is a UNESCO Goodwill Ambassador for Freedom of the Press and the Safety of Journalists and an honorary citizen of Sarajevo.
Amanpour's legacy is firmly established in modern journalism. Her corpus of work demonstrates the timeless value of speaking the truth, accountability, and courage in the midst of conflict.