Former CNN anchor Isha Sesay is speaking publicly about why she walked away from the global network after 13 years, her decision to become a single mother in her 40s, and the new media venture she is now leading.
In a wide-ranging interview with CNN’s Larry Madowo, Sesay reflected on her career in broadcast journalism, the way Africa is covered in international media, and why she remains optimistic about the future of news despite industry upheaval.
Sesay spent more than a decade at CNN, where she anchored programs including CNN Newsroom and BackStory. She led coverage of major global events. She was also widely recognized for her reporting on the 2014 kidnapping of 276 schoolgirls in Chibok, Nigeria, a coverage that earned her a Peabody Award as part of the CNN team.
Speaking to Madowo, Sesay said the decision to leave in 2018 was about more than just a job change. After 13 years in 24-hour cable news, she wanted to build something of her own and have more control over the stories she told.
“It was time to step out and create the kind of media I wanted to see in the world,” she said. “I loved CNN. It gave me an incredible platform. But I felt there was another chapter.”
In the interview, Sesay also opened up about a deeply personal decision: becoming a single mother in her 40s.
She described it as intentional and empowering, a choice made on her own terms after years of prioritizing a demanding career in news. Sesay said she hopes her story encourages other women to define success and family on their own timeline, without apology.
“It was a big decision, but it was the right one for me,” she told Madowo. “I’m in a place where I can give my child everything I have.”
While she did not name the venture in detail during the CNN interview, she said the focus is on creating content that centers African stories, African voices, and African solutions and distributing them to global audiences.
Her move comes as many journalists leave legacy media to launch independent platforms, podcasts and production companies.
Sesay was candid about her frustrations with how Africa is often portrayed in Western newsrooms: through the lens of crisis, conflict, and charity.
“There’s so much more to the continent than that,” she said. “There are innovators, entrepreneurs, artists and policymakers who are shaping the future. Those stories deserve airtime too.”
She added that she remains optimistic about journalism, despite layoffs, declining trust and the rise of misinformation. For Sesay, the answer is more ownership by journalists and more diverse newsrooms telling more nuanced stories.
“The future of news is not just in big institutions,” she said. “It’s in creators who are close to the communities they cover.”
Sesay’s interview marks one of her most personal public appearances since leaving CNN, as she steps into a new role not just as a journalist, but as a founder, mother and media executive.
