CNN loses Bianna Golodryga, who is in talks with CBS and Politico

Journalist Bianna Golodryga has left CNN after nine years and is in talks with CBS News and Politico, according to Variety. She announced her departure on Thursday, Oct. 22, three days after Christiane Amanpour said she would also leave the network.

In a social media post, Golodryga said she was leaving for “an opportunity that I couldn’t pass up.” She also promised news “very soon,” but did not say where she is going.

Where is Bianna Golodryga going?

Bianna Golodryga is negotiating two roles at once, Variety reported, citing three people familiar with the talks. At Politico, she would cover global affairs. At CBS News, meanwhile, she could serve as a contributor.

However, the talks are not final and may not come to fruition, according to the magazine. CBS News and Politico did not comment. As of publication, neither company had announced a hire.

A return to CBS would carry symbolic weight. Golodryga co-anchored “CBS This Morning” alongside Gayle King, John Dickerson and Norah O’Donnell. She left the show in April 2019 after a shake-up of the morning program, the New York Post reported.

Why did she leave CNN?

Golodryga has not explained her decision. However, one person who spoke to Variety said she may have had little room to grow at CNN, because the network is cutting back the hours it gives Christiane Amanpour.

That matters because Golodryga regularly filled in for Amanpour and Fareed Zakaria. Since September 2023, she had also co-anchored CNN International’s “One World” with Zain Asher, who remains on the program.

According to the New York Post, CNN chief Mark Thompson told staff before Golodryga posted the news online. She signed off on her final broadcast on Friday, Oct. 23.

Christiane Amanpour leaves CNN in June 2027

Christiane Amanpour announced on Oct. 19, 2026, that she will leave CNN in June 2027, after 43 years at the network. She joined CNN in 1983 as an assistant on the international assignment desk, according to the Poynter Institute.

Her exit will be gradual. First, her daily CNN International show becomes weekly in early 2027 and ends in May. Meanwhile, “Amanpour & Company,” which airs on the U.S. public broadcaster PBS, ends in December.

Amanpour said she reached the decision “after many months of thought and a few sleepless nights,” HuffPost reported. She gave no reason, but spoke of “unprecedented pressures from all sides.”

Thompson, for his part, told staff the two had been discussing her departure for months. He called her a “CNN icon” and said he was sorry to see her go.

What is changing at CNN under Skydance

The departures come shortly after David Ellison’s Paramount Skydance completed its acquisition of Warner Bros. Discovery on Oct. 6. As a result, CNN and CBS News now belong to the same group, renamed simply Skydance.

Still, there is no indication that the new owner prompted Amanpour’s decision, according to Poynter. Ellison has pledged to preserve CNN’s editorial independence, and Thompson remains in charge of the network.

Before the deal closed, however, Amanpour criticized changes at CBS News under the new management. In addition, columnist Kara Swisher has also said she is leaving CNN and does not want to work for the Ellison family, Adweek reported.

Frequently asked questions

Why did Bianna Golodryga leave CNN?
Golodryga said she left for an opportunity she could not pass up. According to a source cited by Variety, she saw little room to grow at the network.

Where is Bianna Golodryga going?
She is in talks with Politico to cover global affairs and with CBS News to work as a contributor. As of publication, nothing had been confirmed.

When is Christiane Amanpour leaving CNN?
Christiane Amanpour leaves CNN in June 2027, after 43 years at the network.