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Tag: Christiane Amanpour

  • CNN’s Christiane Amanpour named UNESCO Goodwill Ambassador

    CNN’s Christiane Amanpour named UNESCO Goodwill Ambassador

    NEW DELHI: Renowned journalist and CNN chief international correspondent Christiane Amanpour has been named the UNESCO Goodwill Ambassador for Freedom of Expression and Journalist Safety in a ceremony at the organization’s headquarters in Paris.

     

    UNESCO director-general Irina Bokova named Amanpour “in recognition of her efforts to promote free, independent and pluralistic media, having the right to work free from the threat of violence, and contributing through this to peace, sustainability, poverty eradication and human rights.”

     

    “In the most challenging situations, addressing the most demanding interlocutors, integrity and courage have always guided you, with the conviction that freedom of expression, media freedoms are essential for stronger societies, for healthier democracies, for peace and reconciliation as well as sustainable development – we need to defend these principles more than ever today, at a time when they are challenged across the world,” Bokova said.

     

    In her acceptance speech, Amanpour stressed the important role of journalists as pillars of reform, freedom and democracy whose task was to strengthen civil society. “We’re here to make the world a better place,” she said.

     

    She also made an impassioned plea for the release of all imprisoned journalists, wherever they may be, and condemned the increasing number of attacks and assassinations of media professionals

     

    Amanpour has won every major television journalism award, including eleven News and Documentary Emmy Awards, four Peabody Awards, two George Polk Awards, three duPont-Columbia Awards and the Courage in Journalism Award. She has received nine honorary degrees, has been named a Commander in the Most Excellent Order of the British Empire (CBE) and was this year inducted into the Cable Hall of Fame.

    In a message to mark World Press Freedom Day on 3 May, United Nations secretary Ban Ki-moon said called upon all Governments, societies and individuals to uphold the principles put forward by Member States on the need for the free exchange of information and ideas, both within and among nations.

     

    “We must commit to ensure that the safety and human rights of journalists are protected, independent of the political, socioeconomic or cultural pressures that may threaten, impede or deter their freedom to keep the world informed. Around the globe, journalists are attacked every day as they try to carry out their work. In the last year alone, 61 journalists were killed. Many more languish in jails without charges or any sign of due process, the victims of Governments and others that prohibit free inquiry and use the power of the State to intimidate the press. As we mark World Press Freedom Day this year, let us honour the memory of those who lost their lives and intensify our efforts to uphold the fundamental human right to freedom of expression and press freedom,” Ki-moon said.

     

    This year’s theme, Let Journalism Thrive! Towards Better Reporting, Gender Equality, & Media Safety in the Digital Age emphasizes the importance of ensuring a free and pluralistic media against the backdrop of a fast-paced and ever-changing digital world.

     

    Meanwhile, UNESCO will celebrate World Press Freedom Day in Riga, Latvia, this year with a two-day conference and the awarding of the UNESCO/Guillermo Cano World Press Freedom Prize. The conference in Riga will be held from 2 to 4 May while national celebrations will take place in about 100 countries around the world.

     

    On World Press Freedom Day, the World Press Freedom Prize will be awarded to jailed Syrian journalist Mazen Darwish in a ceremony to be held in the presence of the president of Latvia Andris Berzins. The laureate will be represented by his wife, journalist Yara Bader, who is also the director of the Syrian Centre for Media and Freedom and winner of the 2012 Ilaria Alpi award for brave female journalists.

     

    UNESCO is focusing on three themes for World Press Freedom Day this year: the need for “quality journalism”, reporting that is accurate and independent, remains a constant concern in a media landscape that is changing due to technological and commercial developments; Gender imbalance continues in the media 20 years after the Beijing Declaration and Platform for Change. All too few women journalists are able to reach decision-making positions in the media. For this reason, more than half of all the speakers at the conference will be women, executives and media professionals from all over the world: and digital safety, a topic of growing concern because digital communications makes it difficult for journalists to protect themselves and their sources.

     

    During the conference, UNESCO will launch Building Digital Safety for Journalism, a study analyzing key digital threats facing journalists and their sources. This is the most recent in a series of UNESCO publications designed to help journalists improve their professional security.

  • Top TV Presenters Unite to Help Free Detained Al Jazeera Staff

    Top TV Presenters Unite to Help Free Detained Al Jazeera Staff

    MUMBAI: Some of the world’s most prominent presenters from multiple news organisations have highlighted the importance of journalism by asking their viewers to “imagine a world where reality is distorted, imagine being kept in the dark about major world events, and imagine being silenced when speaking out could save your life”. The broadcast of the message comes ahead of the court appearance in Cairo on 24th March of three of the four Al Jazeera journalists who have been detained in Egypt for 85 days.

     

    The rare coming together of news organisations in one film features CNN’s Christiane Amanpour, ITN’s Mark Austin and Julie Etchingham, Channel Seven Australia’s Mark Ferguson, and Al Jazeera English’s Shiulie Ghosh. The 40 second film ends with a collage of photos of journalists around the world muted as part of the Free AJ Staff campaign. The hashtag #FreeAJStaff has now had over 786 million impressions since it was launched during a day of action in Nairobi on 4th February.

     

    Al Anstey, Managing Director of Al Jazeera English said: “we are very grateful to our colleagues around the world for their support of our staff detained in Egypt. Mohamed, Baher, and Peter are world-class journalists and are in detention for simply doing their job. We have seen massive support for them and for journalism from all corners of the globe, so the message of this film is clear – journalism matters and people have a right to be heard and to be informed.”

     

    The broadcast comes just days after Egyptian President and Chief Justice Adly Mansour sent a letter to the parents of Peter Greste, telling them he will “spare no effort to work towards the speedy resolution of the case”. Al Jazeera English journalists Peter Greste, Baher Mohammed and Mohammed Fahmy have been detained by the Egyptian authorities since December 29th 2013. Al Jazeera Arabic’s Abdullah Elshamy has been detained since August 14th 2013.

     

     

    The film is available for all media organisations and supporters to broadcast and upload online in support of media freedom worldwide. 

  • Hyundai Motor signs global sponsorship deal with CNN

    Hyundai Motor signs global sponsorship deal with CNN

    MUMBAI: CNN Worldwide has signed a large-scale global sponsorship deal with automotive producer Hyundai Motor Company (HMC). The deal includes sponsorship of the new nightly ‘Amanpour’ show and the interview program ‘Piers Morgan Tonight’. The duration of the sponsorship deal is six months.

    It will involve HMC’s ‘Live Brilliant’ campaign airing across the CNN International, CNN US and CNN en Español networks. The collaboration represents one of CNN’s most comprehensive global auto sponsorship deals to date.

    CNN International EVP and MD Tony Maddox said, “This exciting collaboration with an influential global brand like HMC reinforces the unique value and quality of our content.”

    The agreement encompasses both billboards and spots around signature programming, in addition to daily segments within shows.

    CNN International Ad Sales EVP Jonathan Davies said, “This deal represents a remarkable endorsement of the unmatched quality and scale of our global audiences and we are delighted to once again work alongside HMC to connect them with our discerning and influential viewers. It is also indicative of our commitment to fostering and strengthening high quality and long-term relationships with our clients, with HMC first having partnered with CNN back in 2000.”

    HMC CMO Won Hong Cho added, “CNN provides insights into today’s shifting global environment, empowering viewers with the knowledge they crave. We saw a perfect fit with Hyundai’s brand direction of ‘Modern Premium’ through ‘New Thinking. New Possibilities.’ and are delighted to once again work with CNN through this truly global collaboration. Hyundai Motor Company launched a new worldwide brand campaign called “Live Brilliant” as part of its efforts to reinforce its brand management activities and fulfill its vision to become the most beloved automotive company in the world.”

    The new ‘Amanpour’ show, airing every weeknight, was launched on 16 April and sees Christiane Amanpour deliver insights through vital conversations, tenacity and holding those in power to account. ‘Piers Morgan Tonight’ is a candid, in-depth, personality-driven interview program that uses his inimitable style to uncover the most fascinating details about his newsmaker guests.

    The campaign further extends to the primetime shows ‘World Report’ airing in Asia-Pacific and ‘Panorama Mundial’ airing on CNN en Español.

  • CNN opens new production centre in the Middle East

    CNN opens new production centre in the Middle East

    MUMBAI: A pivotal part of CNN’s content ownership strategy has come on stream with the launch of a new state-of-the-art production center and newsgathering hub in the heart of the Middle East. This was announced today in Abu Dhabi by CNN International MD, executive VP managing director Tony Maddox.

    He was joined for the announcement by Turner Broadcasting System chairman and CEO Phil Kent and by CNN Chief International correspondent Christiane Amanpour.

    Maddox says, “The Middle East has played a significant role in CNN’s heritage and is part of our DNA, two of our earliest bureaus were in Cairo and Jerusalem. This region unquestionably plays an integral part in world affairs, and the new hub in Abu Dhabi gives us the opportunity to get to the heart of the rich and diverse stories across the political, business, social and cultural spectrums.

    “The establishment of a permanent broadcast and production center in the Middle East by CNN is a significant and unique move by a Western news broadcaster. It gives CNN a powerful base from which to coordinate seven regional bureaus and showcase a new daily news show from the Middle East.”

    The new online and TV production facility sits alongside CNN’s existing 32 international newsgathering operations which also includes digital production centers in Hong Kong, London, Mexico City and Atlanta.

    Overseen by CNN’s managing editor for the Middle East Tom Fenton, CNN Abu Dhabi will also coordinate newsgathering for the seven CNN operations in the region: Baghdad, Beirut, Cairo, Dubai, Jerusalem, Kabul and Islamabad.

    With more than two dozen staff, CNN Abu Dhabi not only consolidates CNN Worldwide’s investment in global newsgathering, but it also underlines CNN’s growth strategy that includes the commercial launch of the CNN Wire, the unveiling of the new CNN.com and the addition of new prime-time shows across HLN and CNN International.

    Built as a fully high definition and online production facility, CNN Abu Dhabi houses a four-camera digital studio with 24/7 live capability, edit suites and fully integrated newsroom.

    First Daily News Show From the Region: For the first time in its history, CNN will broadcast a daily live news show from the Middle East. ‘Prism’, presented by Stan Grant, will air Sunday to Thursday at 12p ET/9p GST. CNN Abu Dhabi will also be the home to CNN’s perennially popular feature shows Inside the Middle East, now in its sixth year, and Marketplace Middle East which launched two years ago.

    Prism is the 10th new show to be launched on CNN International in the past 12 months. It joins the network’s new primetime line-up, uniting Stan Grant, Christiane Amanpour, Richard Quest, Becky Anderson, Fionnuala Sweeney, Michael Holmes and Hala Gorani in a schedule that between them covers off business and current affairs programming, breaking news and behind-the-scenes reportage in distinctive formats.

    Content Ownership : CNN’s content ownership strategy has provided a wealth of new material for all of CNN’s platforms across TV, online, mobile and CNN’s commercial wire service, while also allowing that content to be aggregated to affiliates.

    Since early 2008 CNN has opened seven new editorial operations across Africa, Asia, Latin America and now the Middle East, as well as placing additional correspondents in many existing operations.

  • Amanpour looks to set the agenda with new show on CNN

    Amanpour looks to set the agenda with new show on CNN

    MUMBAI: CNN’s chief international correspondent Christiane Amanpour will launch a new global interview programme on 21 September that will air live on weekdays on CNN International from New York.

    Says Amanpour, “I want this show to stir the global conscience. I have witnessed so much that it is time to start making real sense of it all. I learned to seek facts and to tell the truth no matter how difficult or unpopular and to not accept a false moral equivalence when none exists. I want to provide a forum for others to do the same.”

    After spending nearly 26 years of reporting around the globe for the CNN, Amanpour will take on a new role as host of this half-hour weekday programme. The new programme will set the agenda for a new global conversation about the dramatic issues gripping the world.

    Each show will primarily focus on one topic – newsworthy and often provocative – and will feature guests who challenge and deconstruct conventional wisdom. Amanpour will mobilise conversation, encourage debate and facilitate change through these interviews and analysis.

    CNN International executive VP, MD Tony Maddox says, “Now, in this fragmented media world, Christiane’s powerful brand will serve as the hub for a global community of inquiring minds – people who are hungry for a more daring perspective and a fresh, thoughtful take on international stories.”

    Kathy O’Hearn, who has more than 30 years of experience producing for both broadcast and cable networks, will be at the helm as the show’s executive producer.

    The repositioning of CNN International includes an ambitious programming schedule that is being bolstered by the launch of six new prime-time programmes this year including the Amanpour launch in September and culminating with the opening of the network’s new production center in Abu Dhabi in November.

  • CNN’s new docu screams Bloody Murder

    CNN’s new docu screams Bloody Murder

    MUMBAI: From ethnic slaughters in Armenia to the Holocaust and systematic terror and violence in Cambodia, Rwanda, Iraq and Darfur, CNN Chief International Correspondent Christiane Amanpour reports on the recurring nightmare of genocide and the largely unknown struggles of the heroes who witnessed evil – and “screamed bloody murder” for the international community to stop it.

    As the 60th anniversary of the United Nations’ Convention on the Prevention and Punishment of the Crime of Genocide approaches, a new two-hour documentary, CNN Presents: Scream Bloody Murder will air on 5 December at 7:an, 3:30 pm, 10:30 pm on 6 December at 5:30 pm and on 7 December at 7:30 am and at 11:30 am.

    Amanpour, who just celebrated her 25th year at CNN, has reported on most crises and human events from around the globe, including events in Iraq, Afghanistan, Iran, Israel, North Korea, Pakistan, Somalia, Rwanda and the Balkans. She has interviewed world leaders at the key moments of history as they happened and leverages this direct experience and depth of knowledge in Scream Bloody Murder. Her first-hand insights provide context to the key decisions before and during the heinous events that continue to shock the world.

    Raphael Lemkin, a Polish Jew and lawyer, narrowly escaped the Holocaust, but his parents and 40 other members of his family perished in the slaughter. In the 1940s, Lemkin coined the term “genocide” and lobbied the then-fledgling UN for an international convention compelling nations to prevent and stop genocide.

    CNN Productions VP, senior executive producer Mark Nelson says, “Lemkin hoped that the international community would ensure that genocide never happened again, but other crusaders against genocide met the same indifference and resistance Lemkin encountered. This film is about their stories – and what we can learn from them.”

    Just one generation later, Father François Ponchaud, a Catholic missionary working in Cambodia, tried to alert the world to the torture and mass executions following the rise of the brutal Khmer Rouge regime. Ponchaud published articles, a book, and even spoke before the U.N. to urge action to stop the killing.

    “No one believed us,” Ponchaud tells Amanpour in the documentary. In fewer than four years, the Khmer Rouge’s reign of terror claimed the lives of nearly two million men, women and children – one fourth of Cambodia’s population.
    “No one defends human rights,” the priest says in the documentary. “Governments are cold beasts looking out for their own interests.”

    Amanpour also reports on what many consider to be the first genocide of the 21st century: Darfur. Eric Reeves, a Smith College professor and one of the founders of the grassroots activism to end genocide in Darfur says, “There was no lack of information, there was no lack of understanding, there was a lack of will to stop genocide – year after year after year.”

  • CNN announces finalists for ‘CNN Heroes: An All-Star Tribute’

    MUMBAI: US news broadcaster CNN has announced the names of 18 finalists for CNN Heroes: An All-Star Tribute. This marks the culmination of a five-month audience nomination process through which ordinary people will be recognised for accomplishing extraordinary things.

    Hosted by CNN’s Anderson Cooper and Christiane Amanpour, “CNN Heroes: An All-Star Tribute will air live globally on CNN/US, CNN International and CNN en Espanol on 6 December.

    In its first year of the CNN Heroes initiative, CNN received more than 7,000 nominations from viewers in 80 countries, nominating people from more than 90 countries.

    Honorees will be announced at the gala at the American Museum of Natural History in New York City, which will include performances from Grammy Award winners Mary J. Blige and Sheryl Crow and a duet by Grammy Award winner Norah Jones and acclaimed performer-producer Wyclef Jean. Presenters will include Tyra Banks, Glenn Close, Harry Connick, Jr., Rosario Dawson, LL Cool J, Kyra Sedgwick and Jimmy Smits.

    CNN Worldwide president Jim Walton says, “We are honoured to shine the spotlight on some of the world’s lesser known heroes with the help of an esteemed slate of performers and presenters. While other awards programmes venerate those who are already celebrated, we are recognising the unheralded, the ones who accomplish great things without the benefit of recognition.”

    From May 1 through September, CNN Worldwide has featured everyday heroes across its television networks, digital services and at www.CNN.com/Heroes, encouraging viewers to nominate local heroes they deem deserving of recognition as a CNN Hero. The finalists in each of the six categories include:

    * Medical Marvel – American Peter Kithene of Seattle, who founded a clinic in his native Kenya that has provided services to more than 18,000 patients. Las Vegas’ Ann McGee of Las Vegas, who started a transportation program to provide free medical flights for families with gravely ill children. India’s S.
    Ramakrishnan is a quadriplegic man who runs one of India’s largest centers for the disabled, serving people from 330 surrounding villages.

    * Young Wonder – Canadian Kayla Cornale developed a musical system to improve communications with autistic people. Dallas Jessup produced a video and an online programme designed to teach young women and girls how to escape an attacker. Josh Miller has established a student-run nonprofit group dedicated to motivating high school students of all backgrounds to succeed in school and life.

    Fighting For Justice – Pablo Fajardo seeks to force one of the world’s largest oil corporations to pay more than $6 billion to clean up toxic waste in the Amazon rain forest. Rangina Hamidi founded a company that enables women in her native Afghanistan to make money from their intricate embroidery skills. Lynwood Hughes started a nonprofit group to help US veterans secure their disability benefits.

  • Britain fares well at Intl Emmies

    Britain fares well at Intl Emmies

    MUMBAI: The International Academy of Television Arts and Sciences (Iatas) has announced the winners of the 34th International Emmy Awards at a star-studded Gala event held at the New York Hilton, hosted by comedian and talk-show host Graham Norton.

    A cast of international stars including Katie Couric, Susan Sarandon, Christiane Amanpour, Rosie Perez, Roger Bart, Julianne Nicholson and Lorenzo Lamas presented the International Emmy statue to the winners.

    Shows from Britain wom six out of nine programming prizes. The Best Performance by an Actress was won by Maryam Hassouni from the Netherlands for her performance as Laila in Offers and the Best Performance by an Actor was won by British thespian Ray Winstone for his performance in the title role of Vincent.

    Winstone stars as private investigator, Vincent, who often forgets that he is running a business and not a crusade. His partner, Beth, is perpetually looking out for him and keeps his headstrong tendencies in check. In the series premiere, Vincent works on a case of suspected adultery, where he and his team follow the client’s wife to a club and straight into the arms of another man. Vincent realizes that this investigation will end brutally.

    In addition to the Best Actor category, British programmes won in the Children and Young People, Comedy, Documentary, Drama Series and Non-Scripted Entertainment categories.

    Iatas president and CEO Bruce Paisner says, “We congratulate this year’s winners for their outstanding achievement. The Academy is proud to be the international television community’s platform for recognizing excellence in television programming worldwide”.

    Channel 4’s Sugar Rush was awarded the best show in the Children and Young People category. Being an un-cool, 15-year-old lesbian who’s infatuated with the most popular girl in school is tough. Based on the novel by Julie Burchill, Sugar Rush explores the world of Kim and her lust for sassy Maria Sweet, a.k.a. Sugar. Then there’s Kim’s family: a freak brother, an obsessive dad and a mum who thinks she’s 15. Each episode is a journey to Kim’s world as she takes us into the mind of a screwed-up adolescent.

    The best documentary award went to Hiroshima which is a BBC/TFI/ZDF/Discovery Channel co-production in association with the Tokyo Broadcasting System and the Canadian Broadcasting Corporation. Hiroshima is about the first use of an atomic bomb. This film mixes drama, computer graphics and special effects with testimonies from survivors and witnesses.

    Set in the three weeks from the first successful bomb test, it explores both the Allied and Japanese perspectives and follows the scientists who built the weapon. It also examines the politicians who would decide to use it and follows the Japanese people as the bomb explodes.

    The award for drama show went to the BBC’s Life On Mars. Detective Sam Tyler awakens realizing that he’s gone back to…1973. But he regroups and he and his new team – a technologically backward, risibly corrupt CID department – have crimes to solve. Crimes, which are some of the toughest investigations Sam’s encountered, primarily because they appear to be the key to the mystery of his existence in another era. Life on Mars is about one man’s frantic journey to get back home.

    The award for TV movie/mini-series went to France’s Nuit Noire. While de Gaulle was preparing to negotiate the end of the Algerian war, the chief of the Paris police, Maurice Papon, ordered the arrest of more than 11,000 Algerians who were demonstrating peacefully against the abuse of the police force and the curfew they were subjected to. The final death toll went up to several hundred protesters. Nuit Noire, October 17, 1961 reveals the truth of the savagery carried out by the highest levels of French authority.

    The International Emmy Founders Award was presented to Steven Spielberg, for his television career. The International EmmyDirectorate Award was presented to Central European Media Enterprises (CME) and its founder and chairman, Ronald S. Lauder for pioneering the development of independent television broadcasting in Central and Eastern Europe.

    Spielberg’s career began in episodic television. His first directing job was an episode of Night Gallery that starred Joan Crawford. He went on to direct a second episode of Night Gallery as well as episodes of such series as Marcus Welby, M.D., The Name of the Game and Columbo. His made-for-television Duel became a breakthrough for him when it was released theatrically in the international market. That led to his first feature films which took off after Jaws.

  • Katie Couric, Susan Sarandon, Christiane Amanpour to present at intl Emmies

    Katie Couric, Susan Sarandon, Christiane Amanpour to present at intl Emmies

    MUMBAI: US broadcaster CBS Evening News anchor Katie Couric, Susan Sarandon and CNN chief international correspondent Christiane Amanpour will join the cast of celebrity presenters, which includes actors Rosie Perez (Do the Right Thing), Roger Bart (Desperate Housewives), Dominic Chianese (The Sopranos) and Lorenzo Lamas (The Bold and The Beautiful) for the 34th International Emmy Awards Gala which will take place on 20 November, 2006 at the New York Hilton.

    Returning as host for this year’s event is award-winning British comedian and talk show host Graham Norton.
    Couric will present the Founders Award to Steven Spielberg for his career in television. Time Warner chairman and CEO Richard Parsons will present the Directorate Award to CME & Ronald S. Lauder. Presenters for this year’s event also include actress & Bravo TV chef Padma Lakshmi, French actor and 2005 International Emmy winner Thierry Fremont, Indian film and TV celebrity Anuj Saxena, Brazilian star Milton Gonçalves and Hong Kong news anchor Rose Liuqi.

    The International Emmy Awards recognise excellence in television programming produced outside of the US. Over 1,000 international entertainment decision-makers attend the International Emmy Awards Gala in New York every year.

    This year’s sponsors include Phoenix TV, Accenture, Microsoft, Globo TV, NBC Universal, Savvis, Ascent Media, Reed Midem, Sofitel Hotels, Variety and Sun Media Investment Holdings. Chip Quigley, Kingdom Entertainment, will produce the show for the sixth year in a row.

  • CNN doc traces the footsteps of Osama bin Laden

    CNN doc traces the footsteps of Osama bin Laden

    MUMBAI: News broadcaster CNN will air a documentary In The Footsteps Of bin Laden on 23 August at 5:30 pm. The two-hour investigation paints a portrait of bin Laden and his transformation from child to man using first-hand accounts of the people who have known him throughout his life.

    From his peaceful teenage years to orchestrating the events on 9/11, viewers are taken on a global journey, tracing the path of bin Laden’s life from his childhood home and school in Jeddah, Saudi Arabia to his residence in Peshawar, Pakistan, where al-Qaeda was born, and to the mountains of the Afghanistan-Pakistan border where he is being hunted today.

    Using never-before-seen photographs, video and even the minutes of the meeting in which al-Qaeda was created, the special weaves a story of the world’s most notorious terrorist.

    CNN International senior VP Rena Golden says, “In The Footsteps Of bin Laden is a unique insight into the world of a man who is both feared and revered in equal measure around the world. For the first time his life, for so long cloaked in myth and mystery, has been documented by Christiane Amanpour for CNN’s international audience.”

    Filmed in 10 countries on four continents, the documentary features 21 first-person accounts of bin Laden from his relatives, childhood friends, former schoolteacher, co-jihadists, bodyguard and even the wife of an al-Qaeda suicide bomber — many of them breaking their silence for the first time on camera.

    The documentary ties the evolution of bin Laden’s philosophy to the rise of Islamic fundamentalism from the late 1970s through the unique personal perspective of Amanpour.

    “The story of militant Islamic fundamentalism did not begin with September 11,” said Amanpour. “The Islamic Revolution that swept Iran in 1979 and forced the pro-American Shah from power was the first sign that Fundamentalist Islam had awoken as a movement in the Middle East and the entire world continues feeling its shockwaves today.”

    The special is based on the book The Osama bin Laden I Know by CNN terrorism analyst Peter Bergen. His book offers numerous new details about bin Laden’s transformation from a quiet, well-bred boy to the Western world’s most wanted terrorist. Bergen, an author and a Fellow at the New America Foundation in Washington, D.C., was a CNN producer at the time of the interview with Osama bin Laden in Afghanistan in March 1997. Bergen, along with others, is featured in the CNN documentary and is credited as a co-producer.