Anderson Cooper

Anderson Cooper is an American broadcast journalist and television anchor best known as the host of the CNN program "Anderson Cooper 360°." Over a long career he has covered major news events around the world and become one of the most recognizable figures in American cable news.

Early life

Anderson Hays Cooper was born on June 3, 1967, in New York City. He is the son of writer Wyatt Cooper and the artist, designer and heiress Gloria Vanderbilt, a member of the prominent Vanderbilt family. He was educated at the Dalton School in New York and went on to study at Yale University, where he earned a degree. After college he developed an early interest in international reporting, taking unconventional steps to break into journalism by traveling to conflict zones and producing his own news segments.

Career

Cooper's early career included work as a correspondent for Channel One News and later for ABC News, where he reported from a range of locations. He joined CNN in the early 2000s and eventually became the anchor of his own evening program, "Anderson Cooper 360°." He gained particular prominence for his on-the-ground coverage of major events, including hurricanes, natural disasters and international crises, where his reporting style emphasized direct, on-scene observation.

In addition to his anchoring duties, Cooper has served as a correspondent for the newsmagazine program "60 Minutes," contributing in-depth reports on a variety of subjects. He has moderated political debates and town halls and has anchored CNN's coverage of elections and major breaking news events, becoming a central part of the network's lineup.

Recent work

Cooper has continued to anchor his nightly CNN program and contribute to "60 Minutes" while expanding into other media. He has co-hosted CNN's New Year's Eve broadcast, written books, including a memoir and works exploring his family's history, and launched a podcast addressing grief and loss. He has spoken publicly about his personal life and family and remains a prominent voice in American journalism, known for his calm on-air presence and his coverage of both domestic and international affairs.

Across more than two decades at CNN, Cooper has become closely identified with the network's brand of live, event-driven coverage, frequently reporting from the scene of breaking news rather than solely from the studio. He has received numerous journalism awards over the course of his career and has been recognized for both his field reporting and his interviewing. He has also become a familiar presence beyond hard news through his New Year's Eve broadcasts and his writing, which has explored themes of loss, family history and his own upbringing, broadening his public profile while remaining anchored in his work as a journalist.