CNN

Robyn Curnow anchored the International Desk with Robyn Curnow and Newsroom with Robyn Curnow on CNN

She anchored CNN International’s daily coverage of the Obama, Trump and Biden presidencies. She covered the 2016 and 2020’s Presidential elections for an international audience, charting the growing divisions in America.

She was on air during the US troop withdrawal of Afghanistan and the fall out over the decision. She also anchored CNN’s rolling coverage of the coup in Myanmar, the explosion in Beirut and the wildfires in Sydney and California. She was on air for the fall of Mosul and charted the rise of ISIS.

Curnow anchored live coverage from Havana, Cuba during President Obama’s historic visit to the island. When Fidel Castro died she returned to Havana and reported on his funeral.

Curnow hosted her shows from CNN studios in Atlanta during the covid pandemic. Curnow broke the news that President Trump had covid on both CNN USA and CNN International.

During her twenty CNN career in the studio and in the field, Curnow interviewed Nelson Mandela, Archbishop Desmond Tutu, President’s Bush, Clinton and Carter as well as First Lady Michelle Obama. She fronted CNN’s exclusive coverage of the Oscar Pistorius trial. (see BIO)

Awards

Curnow was part of the team that won a DuPont Columbia award in 2020 for CNN’s coverage of the murder of Saudi activist Jamal Khashoggi.

She fronted CNN’s coverage of the fall of President Robert Mugabe, breaking the news that his regime was over. Curnow together with the team on the ground won the Royal Television Society’s award for Best Breaking News Coverage. The judges said,

“A model of how to cover an unpredictable breaking news story – from the heart of the action. It was a journalistic and technical triumph that caught the excitement of the moment but kept a cool head and ensured that tough questions about the future were asked as well”

Robyn first reported from Zimbabwe during the land invasions in 2000. Later she and the CNN team were banned from entering the country. She was detained during a later trip for reporting on the streets of Harare.

Curnow led breaking news coverage of a number of terror attacks including the attacks in Tunisia, Stockholm, Ivory Coast, Egypt and the aftermath of the Paris and Nice attacks. Curnow’s shows charted the rise and fall of ISIS over a number of years, including the devastation of the Syrian war, including the Russian targeting of civilians. She was on air for the beginning stages of the fall of Mosul which earned her an Emmy nomination with the teams on the ground.

Curnow also earned an Emmy nomination for CNN’s coverage of the war in Yemen and Saudi Arabian aggression towards civilians. She earned another Emmy nomination for CNN’s team coverage of China’s repressive measures against the Uighers. The rise of Xi Jinping, his grip on power and his threats towards Taiwan and what that means for the Biden administration’s decision making featured regularly on her shows.

Expert analysis

Curnow charted Russia’s increasing belligerence in recent years, leading up to the war in Ukraine. She hosted many discussions on Putin, NATO, the Skripal poisonings and the Wagner group.

Curnow has also interviewed intelligence operatives and former spies, on air and off-the-record, about the threats facing the globe and has an in-depth understanding of the issues involved in the intelligence worlds.

Curnow always enjoyed anchoring segments about country music, Dolly Parton and the International Space Station - once doing a live interview with the astronauts from the ISS and another time interviewing Buzz Aldrin about his wish to ‘Get the @&*% to Mars.’