Tuesday, September 15, 2009

EXCLUSIVE. Part II - Christiane Amanpour: 'People want more understanding'

''People want more understanding.'' So says Christiane Amanpour, the world's foremost TV journalist of our era when I spoke with her about her brand-new weekday show entitled Amanpour that will debut this Monday, 21 September at 21:00 on CNN International (DStv 401).

I asked her why now?

''I can and want to use this opportunity to go further in depth and give more context and perspective to some of the many stories that I have covered over the last 20 years as a CNN correspondent,'' she says.

And for those who fear that the intrepid TV journalist is kicking off and putting away her well worn boots and passports, guess again. She says she's not changing the muddy boots, crazy connecting flights and hard to reach places under difficult circumstances for bright studios lights in New York, studio make-up and a teleprompter completely.

''I will still be in the field. I will still travel the world.''

''I've spend many years travelling and reporting from around the world, from countries like South Africa, and in Africa and Bosnia and Afghanistan, Iran and all these kinds of places,'' says Christiane. ''What people are always asking me is that they want more information and more details about the stories that we've been covering.''

''What we've found is that that what people really mean is not that they want more information, people want more understanding.''

Check back all week this week, as I share some more of what Christiane had to say in the run-up to the debut of Amanpour on Monday, 21 September at 21:00 on CNN International (DStv 401).

Part I - Christiane Amanpour: 'Yes. I cry.'