After two decades and two separate stints, a major cable news reporter is finally calling it quits.
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On April 17, Stephanie Elam shared some parting words on CNN News Central with her colleague, Sara Sidner, who told her that “everyone here is sad to see” her go.
“I want to say thank you for being my friend, helping me through cancer and being a sister, really,” an emotional Sidner said. “You have been a sister to me. CNN may have brought us together, but ain’t nothing gonna tear us apart.”
“You’re not getting rid of me, I love you,” Elam shot back. “Tell everyone there, every stage manager, everyone there, I love you guys. It’s been a joy working with you all.”
Stephanie Elam First Announced She Was Leaving the Cable Network Earlier This Month
Elam first announced her departure in early April, reflecting on her time at CNN in a statement on social media. “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 wrote, via Variety.
“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,” she added.
In a statement to Variety, CNN praised Elam for her work, saying she “brought clarity, credibility, and heart to every story she touched.”
The Howard University alumna first worked for CNN from 2003 to 2011. She then spent a few years at KNBC before returning to the network in 2013. During her time at CNN, Elam covered the deaths of Michael Jackson and Prince, the eruption of Hawaii’s Kilauea volcano, and large-scale protests across the country.
Elam’s departure comes after anchor Rahel Solomon announced in March that she was also leaving the cable network. Solomon joined CNN in 2022 from CNBC.