Stephanie Elam, a longtime correspondent for CNN, has announced she is leaving the network after more than two decades on and off air, delivering a heartfelt sign-off in which she reflected on a career she said has taken her everywhere.
‘For more than 20 years I’ve been in the CNN orbit developing and delivering news stories on everything from the environment and entertainment to business and breaking news of all kinds,’ Elam said in a statement.
‘I’m so proud of my CNN career. Live or taped, writing packages or doing a show-and-tell, I’ve done it all – and having a front row seat to document history has been a gift.’
The departure marks the end of a long-running presence at the network, where Elam became a familiar face reporting from Los Angeles, covering everything from natural disasters to celebrity deaths to the economy.
She gave an emotional on-air goodbye with her colleague Sara Sidner, who praised Elam not just as a journalist but as a close friend.
‘I want to say thank you for being my friend, helping me through cancer and being a sister, really,’ Sidner said during a segment shared online.
‘You have been a sister to me. CNN may have brought us together, but ain’t nothing gonna tear us apart.’
Elam looked visibly moved by her friend’s glowing tribute.
Stephanie Elam is leaving CNN after more than 20 years across two stints at the network
Her departure also saw an emotional on-air goodbye with her colleague Sara Sidner, left, who praised Elam not just as a journalist but as a close friend
Elam first joined CNN in the early 2000s and returned in 2013 after a brief period working at KNBC in Los Angeles
‘You’re not getting rid of me, I love you,’ she said. ‘Tell everyone there, every stage manager, everyone there, I love you guys. It’s been a joy working with you all.’
Her colleagues Jake Tapper also delivered a pointed and personal farewell to Elam on-air, recalling some of her most demanding assignments in the field.
‘I first met you covering the tornadoes in Oklahoma, 2013 or 2014. And I saw you in Ferguson. You and Sidner were just like two of the gutsiest reporters I’d ever seen during all that craziness,’ Tapper said, referencing her reporting during both natural disasters and civil unrest.
He went on to acknowledge her departure more directly, telling her: ‘We’re really gonna miss you.’
‘I do not know what’s going on. But when I take over the company, I will bring you back,’ he joked.
CNN, in a statement, praised her tenure in similarly glowing terms.
‘Stephanie brought clarity, credibility, and heart to every story she touched over her two decades at CNN,’ the network said.
‘Her versatility and natural ability to connect with audiences made her a trusted voice and a valued colleague. We are grateful for her many contributions and wish her continued success in her next chapter.’
Elam worked alongside prominent CNN figures over the years, including former anchor Don Lemon, during her long tenure at the network. The pair are pictured together earlier this year
CNN said Elam brought ‘clarity, credibility, and heart’ to her reporting over two decades
CNN colleagues have praised working with Elam. Pictured, from left, CNN journalists Elie Honig, Sara Sidner, Stephanie Elam and Jake Tapper having dinner together in Washington D.C.
Elam’s career at CNN saw her joining the network in the early 2000s, working as a business correspondent based in New York broadcasting on CNN International and HLN.
During that time, she reported on major financial developments and breaking news, including the death of Michael Jackson.
After a brief stint away from the network at KNBC in Los Angeles, she returned to CNN in 2013, this time as an LA-based correspondent.
In the years that followed, she covered high-profile events including the eruption of Hawaii’s Kilauea volcano and the death of the pop star Prince.
She also covered red carpet events, public health crises, and national breaking news.
Her journalism career began long before CNN, starting at Dow Jones Newswires as a copy editor in 1995 before moving into reporting roles covering corporate earnings and financial markets.
She went on to anchor business programs and contributed to nationally syndicated shows focusing on finance.
