Anchor Rahel Solomon bids farewell to CNN’s ‘Early Start’
CNN anchor Rahel Solomon has announced her departure from the network’s weekday morning news show. Her last broadcast date is March 27th.
Longtime CNN correspondent Stephanie Elam is leaving the giant broadcaster after 20 years covering the news.
Elam, 52, officially announced his resignation in an April 18 statement shared by Variety magazine.
“For more than 20 years, I’ve been in CNN’s orbit developing and distributing news stories on everything from the environment and entertainment to business and breaking news of all kinds,” she said. “I’m so proud of my CNN career. Live and taped, writing packages, doing show-and-tell, I’ve done it all, and it’s been a gift to have a front-row seat to record history.”
She did not share any further information about her future plans.
Stephanie Elam’s CNN appearance
Elam began her career at CNN as a freelance anchor and reporter in New York City in 2005, before becoming a business correspondent in 2007, according to her public LinkedIn page. She briefly left the network in 2011-2012 to work for the Los Angeles-based NBC station KNBC, before returning to CNN in March 2013, where she is still based in Los Angeles.
According to LinkedIn, Elam covered a wide range of topics during his time at CNN, from the coronavirus, market crashes, tornadoes and volcanic eruptions to the Emmy Awards, red carpet interviews, and the deaths and lives of celebrities such as Michael Jackson and Prince.
Colleagues and CNN talk about Stephanie Elam’s departure
In an April 18 Instagram post, co-host and friend Sarah Sydnor praised Elam in a clip, saying, “Thank you so much for being my friend, for surviving cancer, for being a sister… CNN brought us together, but nothing can tear us apart. Thank you for your hard work.”
“You’re not going to kick me out, I love you,” Elam replied. “I love you guys… everyone out there, I love you guys, and it’s been so much fun working with all of you.”
Another CNN colleague, Oscar Jimenez, commented on the post: “We are losing authenticity! I loved this moment of broadcast. 🙏🏾.”
“We are grateful for her many contributions,” CNN said in a statement shared with Variety.
“Stephanie brought clarity, authenticity and heart to every story she touched during her 20 years at CNN,” the station told Variety. “Her versatility and natural ability to connect with her audience have made her a trusted voice and a valued colleague.”
Where Stephanie Elam got her start
Mr. Elam began his career in 1995 at Dow Jones Newswires, where he served as a copy editor before moving to Bridge News, where he reported on corporate finance for PBS’s Nightly Business Report, according to LinkedIn.
She then anchored the stock market and business reporting shows Market on the Close and First Business on Webfn, and eventually moved to Black Enterprise Magazine, where she co-anchored the nationally syndicated business, career and financial education show Black Enterprise Report.
She graduated from Howard University with a bachelor’s degree in broadcast journalism, as indicated on LinkedIn.
Stephanie Elam’s departure follows that of another CNN personality.
Elam is the second CNN personality to leave the network in recent months. “Early Start” host Rahel Solomon announced her departure on-air in March, saying only, “I have decided that this week will be my last week at CNN. There will be more details about what I do next… but I’m really excited about this next chapter.”
