CNN's East African Correspondent, Robyn Kriel, has made the list of The Mail and Guardian's now annual Young South Africans List.
Before joining CNN, she was eNCA's Chief African Correspondent (and before that, East African Bureau Chief), covering stories like the Westgate Mall attack.
She grew up in the Zimbabwean city of Bulawayo and has previously worked based in Johannesburg and also at a local station in Texas before joining eNCA.
eNCA's excellent Chief African Correspondent, Robyn Kriel, has left South Africa's most watched news channel to take up the position of East African Correspondent at CNN.
This follows about a month after she reported for CNN on the Kenyan university massacre. At the time she reported for CNN as part of CNN's affiliation agreement with eNCA.
Robyn Kriel holds degrees in broadcast journalism and musical theatre from Texas Christian University in Fort Worth, Texas. Her first job in broadcast journalism was at Texas station KWTX. In 2007 she moved back to her home country of Zimbabwe and did freelance reporting for networks like CNN, ABC in the US, BBC, and M-Net's Carte Blanche, among others.
She moved to South Africa to join what was then called the eNews Channel (now eNCA) in June of 2008 and was a weekend, late night, holiday and fill in anchor. In 2010 Robyn attended Duke University as a Menell Fellow, representing eNCA. In August of 2011, she took up the position of East Africa Bureau Chief at the time the channel was expanding its coverage on African issues. In October last year when the Africa division was restructured, Robyn was given the title of Chief African correspondent, though still based in Kenya.
Below is a video from 2011 when US first lady Michell Obama paid tribute to her at the Young African Women Leaders Forum:
One could speculate that her jumping to CNN could have something to do with eNCA recently shutting down its African division, which has resulted in staff layoffs and the cancellation of the long running African news magazine show, Africa 360.
At CNN Kriel will continue to provide the excellent coverage of happenings in East Afican countries like Kenya, where the government is continuing to tackle the issue of militant group al-Shabaab, among other news.
A few of Robyn's now former colleagues and other personalities have taken to Twitter to congratulate her on the move. Here are some of them:
eNCA's Social Media Editor (and fill in anchor), Gareth Edwards tweeted:
I could not be prouder of my (now former) colleague @robynkrielCNN who has joined @cnni as a Correspondent. Talented beyond measure!!
Robyn Kriel, eNCA's cheif African correspondent, today reported multiple times for CNNi (DStv 401) on the tragedy that has been unfolding in Kenya today. The link between CNN and Kriel in Kenya was a standard broadband feed, meaning the connection was a bit problematic (sound and picture break ups), though one could fully understand her excellent reportage.
What makes CNN's continued use of Robyn throughout the day more impressive is that their own Soni Methu is in Nairobi as well, yet they opting to go with Robyn for more live shots.
eNCA is, of course, a CNN affiliate, which means that the two news channels occasionally use each other's resources like live camera shots or, in this case, a very talented journalist. The affiliation deal is similar to what CNN has with local news channels in many countries and American states which allows both CNN and the local news organisation to leverage the others resources in their coverage.
eNCA is also in the process of scaling back their Africa division as part of a company wide review.
eNCA's Chief Africa Correspondent, Robyn Kriel, talking to CNN's Michael Holmes and Amara Walker on CNN Today
(Though eNCA has been a CNN affiliate for very long, the only previous times I remember them actually using each other's resources was a very long time ago when Deborah Patta's 3rd Degree aired an Amanpour episode that featured Zimbabwean President Robert Mugabe and again a few years ago immediately after the passing of Nelson Mandela when CNN would ocassionally dip into eNCA's feed to provide their viewers with an on the ground perspective)
eNCA's East Africa Bureau Chief Robyn Kriel providing a live update on the latest on the bombings in Kenya on NewsNight
eNCA's East Africa bureau chief, Robyn Kriel, is once again providing exceptional, on the ground coverage of the two bommings that rocked Kenya earlier today, with live updates right through the day, likely continuing well into the weekend.
eNCA is the only local news channel that has a reporter reporting live on the ground, with ANN7 and SABC News both covering the story, but using either stock footage or footage acquired from a news service.
Robyn is also providing exceptional rolling coverage on social media, as she always does. He Twitter handle is @robynkriel.
eNCA's excellent Chief African Correspondent, Robyn Kriel, has left South Africa's most watched news channel to take up the position of East African Correspondent at CNN.
