Anderson Cooper
Host of CNN’s Anderson Cooper 360°, Anderson Cooper has redefined what it means to be a news anchor today.
Host of CNN’s Anderson Cooper 360°
Anderson Cooper has redefined what it means to be a news anchor today. Into a staid medium -- the evening newscast -- he has inserted his fierce intelligence, a deeply felt emotional side, a charm and a sense of humor rarely found on television news, and a shock of silver hair that has made him a pop culture icon around the world. Add to this a record of journalistic integrity that ranks with the greats, and you have an influential new voice in American journalism. "I think the notion of a traditional anchor is fading away, the all-knowing, all-seeing person who speaks from on high," he says. "I don't think the audience really buys that anymore. As a viewer, I know I don't buy it. I think you have to be yourself."
Cooper is the Emmy-winning host of CNN's Anderson Cooper 360, a contributor to 60 Minutes II, and the author of the best-selling memoir, Dispatches from the Edge. He's also a much-requested public speaker. With his trademark intelligence, his common touch, and countless anecdotes from the newsmakers and personalities of the day, he affords us a rare insight into the stories both making the headlines and those behind them. He also looks at how news is sourced, written and delivered in our age of 24 hour news cycles. The closest thing evening news has to a rock star, Cooper packs lecture halls and fills convention centers around the country.
Since joining CNN, Anderson Cooper has reported live from many of the decade's major news stories: from the Sri Lankan tsunami to the war in Iraq to the lead up to our 2008 Presidential election. In 2005, he became a household name for his non-stop live coverage of Hurricane Katrina: a feat of heroic reporting that won him the admiration of his peers and the respect of the American people.
Previously, he was a New York-based correspondent for ABC News, reporting primarily for World News Saturday/Sunday. Cooper joined ABC from Channel One News, where he served as a reporter and producer. During that time, he was a chief international correspondent, reporting and producing stories from Bosnia, Iran, Israel, Russia, Rwanda, Somalia, South Africa and Vietnam. He also reported national stories that were broadcast over the Channel One News school television network and seen in more than 12,000 classrooms nationwide.
Cooper has won several awards for his work, including an Emmy Award for his contribution to ABC's coverage of Princess Diana's funeral; a Silver Plaque from the Chicago International Film Festival for his report from Sarajevo on the Bosnian civil war; a Bronze Telly for his coverage of famine in Somalia; a Bronze Award from the National Educational Film and Video Festival for a report on political Islam; and a GLAAD Media Award for Outstanding TV Journalism for his 20/20 Downtown report on gay high school athlete Corey Johnson.
Cooper graduated from Yale University in 1989 with a bachelor of arts degree in political science. He also studied Vietnamese at the University of Hanoi. Cooper is based in New York City.
