BREAKING. CNN International's Robyn Curnow, Kim Norgaard leaving South Africa as Robyn Curnow is set to become a CNN anchor in Atlanta.

Robyn Curnow is leaving South Africa where she was a correspondent for CNN International (DStv 401) to become an anchor on the channel from Atlanta, going with husband Kim Norgaard, who is CNN International's bureau chief in Johannesburg - as the 24-hour TV news channel continues to suck up and extract experienced TV news talent out of South Africa.

Robyn Curnow is relocating to Atlanta with Kim Norgaard CNN International confirms to TV with Thinus.

Robyn Curnow left South Africa earlier this year to visit Atlanta - in hindsight clearly for talks and on-camera testing - but said that she isn't going anywhere and would be back to South Africa. She did return but will now be moving permanently to Atlanta in the United States.

Robyn Curnow has been CNN International's South African based correspondent since 2008 and also did the magazine strand CNN Marketplace Africa talking to business, company and investment leaders on the continent.

It was Robyn Curnow's simply terrific coverage and stellar reporting on both the Oscar Pistorius murder case and the death and funeral of former president Nelson Mandela which elevated her into a whole new bracket of international news reporting status as she showcased her exceptional communication skills on television as well as her immense background knowledge and off-the-cuff insight.

Robyn Curnow and Kim Norgaard's upcoming relocation signals an ongoing, quick and very dramatic gutting of CNN's pool of extremely talented and experienced TV news people in South Africa as an exodus continues of highly qualified, highly experienced and highly trained TV news people moving out of South Africa to CNN in Atlanta, and elsewhere.

Nkepile Mabuse left CNN International last year for eNCA's (DStv 403) new investigative magazine strand Checkpoint, and eNCA's chief meteorologist Derek van Dam resigned and will be leaving South Africa soon to become a meteorologist for CNN International in Atlanta too.

Errol Barnett, who was based in Johannesburg for CNN International and who was the face of Inside Africa, was also extracted and replaced, with no announcement, as Soni Methu suddenly took over as host of the magazine programme, from Kenya.

Errol Barnett has moved in behind the news desk doing anchor duty on CNN.

The exit from Africa of Robyn Curnow and bureau chief Kim Norgaard - who will apparently work at CNN's foreign desk - together with Nkepile Mabuse and Errol Barnett leaves a big hole in terms of recognisable, trusted, and experienced TV news people to cover South Africa and Southern Africa for CNN International on the ground.

Of course Derek van Dam's relocation is also a loss to South Africa's TV industry.

There's been no word to the South African press of the specific moves and changes, nor replacements so far.

"Robyn Curnow is moving to CNN's global headquarters in Atlanta, where she will be starting a new chapter in her CNN career," the South African PR firm representing CNN International, Burson-Marsteller, tells TV with Thinus.

"Kim Norgaard is also moving to CNN's headquarters, where he will be taking on a new role in the network's senior editorial team. CNN will be announcing details of these new roles soon, as well as both Robyn Curnow and Kim Norgaard's replacements in CNN's South Africa bureau".

Multi-faceted journalism needed from Africa's journalists who need to keep the bigger picture in mind, says the continent's media experts.

The need for multi-faceted journalism and story telling about Africa - not "just" so-called sunshine journalism and not "just" corruption, poverty and doom and gloom - is what is needed from journalists across the continent to help Africa move forward, said media bosses and experts talking at the CNN MultiChoice African Journalist Awards 2013 media forum.

Speaking at a CNN MultiChoice African Journalist Awards 2013 media forum held on Robben Island in Cape Town and attended by hundreds of journalists from across Africa, media bosses from across the continent also implored journalists to keep the bigger picture in mind.

They asked journalists to write, broadcast and tell stories which helps to explains to a tea grower in Zambia why unrest in Egypt is important - because Zambian tea is sold Egypt and that what happens in one country in Africa has an impact on other countries.

"We need to maintain multi-faceted story telling," said panelist Kim Norgaard, CNN's African bureaux chief. "We [CNN International] are able to cover awful things like the Westgate terror attack in Kenya but we've made the commitment to also tell all the other stories about Africa. We have to keep in mind and make a commitment as African journalists that we have many roles and musn't stop telling our stories," he said.

Kim Norgaard said Africa has major issues and the stories need to be told. "There needs to be a commitment to look beyond borders".

Angela Quintal, editor of the Mail & Guardian newspaper in South Africa and also one of the 4 person panel, said "sunshine journalism" - the term for mostly overtly positive stories with a less critical slant - has a place. "It's an issue of empowering people and showing that there's also good being done. Not 'sunshine journalism' but showing that there is something more in a country, going beyond stories of just corruption and crime."

Angela Quintal said that she was disappointed when she looked at South Africa's three 24-hour TV news channels - SABC News (DStv 404), ANN7 (DStv 405) and eNCA (DStv 403) during the Westgate tragedy and how bad and non-existent the coverage was.

She said she had to turn to international TV news channels and CNN to get first-hand reporting and information as to what was happening during the terror drama which played out in Kenya a few weeks ago.

Panelist Debo Adesina, the editor-in-chief of The Guardian in Nigeria said African journalists and African media houses and publications' goal should be "how can we use what we have now to make Nigerian stories for instance relevant to Ugandans. Bigger collaboration is needed between media houses across Africa. News collaboration would do a lot to help tell better stories about Africa," he said.

"Every week I hope to contribute in not just changing the world's perception about Africa, but Africa's perception about itself," said Kim Norgaard.

"A free press in the African continent is hard fought for. We need to hold people accountable. It's up to all of us. In many ways we need to stop and also be proud of what the continent has created in the last 15 years. We have a vibrant, independent media. Sure we have problems on the continent, but we have a great group of journalists covering this continent," said Kim Norgaard.


ALSO READ: Several TV journalism winners in the CNN MultiChoice African Journalist Awards 2013.

CNN finds trash rumour that broadcasting rights to Nelson Mandela funeral was 'sold' to CNN 'deeply offensive', says there's 'no truth' to it.

In response to trash rumours in a South African Sunday paper three days ago that the SABC had "sold" the broadcasting rights to CNN for the Nelson Mandela funeral, CNN in a statement to me says "there is absolutely no truth to the allegation that CNN has bought the rights to the Mandela funeral".

"You may have also seen the tweet from Kim Norgaard, CNN Johannesburg bureau chief on Sunday evening, 'Suggestions that funeral of Mandela has somehow been 'sold' to CNN are deeply offensive. It is not true. Our thoughts are with Madiba," says CNN.

SuperSport and its OB unit in Zambia helping with the broadcasting logistics of the CNN MultiChoice African Journalist Awards 2012.

I've been told that SuperSport is helping with the broadcasting logistics of the CNN MultiChoice African Journalist Awards 2012 this year, which is taking place this coming weekend in Zambia for the first time.

The 17th CNN MultiChoice African Journalist Awards will be held at the new ultra modern Government Complex Convention Centre in Lusaka in Zambia where SuperSport happens to have a state-of-the-art Outside Broadcast (OB) vehicle.


It was moved there after covering the cricket in Zimbabwe and will be used for this awards ceremony and TV production which will be broadcast on CNN International (DStv 401). The vehicle will then be moved to Kenya and is mainly used for covering the Zambian and Kenyan football leagues. Zambia's national broadcaster, the ZNBC will also broadcast the CNN MultiChoice African Journalist Awards 2012 live to Zambian viewers.


Isha Sesay will be co-hosting the CNN MultiChoice African Journalist Awards 2012 this year, who viewers will already see missing from her daily presenting duties on CNN NewsCenter on CNN International as she has been making her way to Zambia.


I'm told that Tony Maddox, the executive vice president and managing director of CNN International won't be attending the CNN MultiChoice African Journalist Awards 2012 this year, but that Parisa Khosravi, the senior vice president for CNN Worldwide in charge of international newsgathering (who have attended the awards event before) will be there this year again.


Kim Norgaard, CNN International's bureau chief based in Johannesburg for the news channel will also be attending the awards event in Zambia.