Girls of Energy 2023: CNN’s Kristie Lu Stout displays on the yr that was
2023 has been a dramatic year of hard news headlines. CNN’s Kristie Lu Stout shares her biggest achievements from the past 12 months and tells us what she’s looking forward to in 2024.
Award-winning journalist Kristie Lu Stout has been a CNN anchor and correspondent for more than 20 years, delivering breaking news both from the newsroom and on the ground. Lu Stout also spearheads various CNN series devoted to topics she’s passionate about, including Tech For Good, Inventing Tomorrow and Marketplace Asia. She’s also an avid learner of the Chinese language, having studied Mandarin for more than 25 years.
How would you describe your 2023?
Professionally, it’s been a return to normality, but there’s now no common conception of what normal is – I find joy in seeing family and friends in person. 2023 has been a year of getting reacquainted with the world, travelling to almost a dozen different countries to reconnect with friends and encounter new sources of knowledge and inspiration.
What were your biggest achievements in the past 12 months?
During the last year, I’ve filed some of my strongest work yet, covering US-China tensions, the rise of AI and the impact of extreme climate events. Record audiences are turning to news outlets for fact-based reporting during these uncertain times, and that drives me to deliver the highest standards of the craft.
What was your secret of success in the past year?
Balance between work, family and play, and yet also diversity in thought and action. To step away from the screen, I enjoy regular hikes through Hong Kong’s beautiful country parks. I also challenge myself with weekly Chinese tutoring sessions to read and decode Chinese news articles. As a correspondent board governor at the Foreign Correspondents’ Club, I help organise impactful discussions, documentary screenings and photo exhibitions.
Were there any challenges you had to overcome?
Surfing a relentless negative news cycle isn’t easy. I regularly cover geopolitical tension, natural disasters, economic uncertainty, human trafficking, environmental devastation and whatever’s making headlines. I maintain focus by always zeroing in on the human impact of a news event. I maintain hope by covering stories of hope. Covering innovation and technology gives me hope too – a chance to explore the powers of creation as opposed to constant destruction and despair.
What lessons did you learn this year?
This year, the power of mentorship really hit home for me. I owe my personal and professional success to several individuals who’ve given me insight during critical moments of my career. Today, I enjoy coaching students and early-career journalists through the Stanford Alumni Association, the Foreign Correspondents’ Club Hong Kong and the Asian American Journalists Association. It’s a privilege to assist young journalists to define and reach their career goals with practical coaching and real insight into how newsrooms work. My mentors and I share personal experiences, adopt different perspectives and become champions for each other.
What advice would you give last year’s self?
Be brave. Have the courage to put yourself out there in novel and even uncomfortable places and situations. You’ll learn something new.
What are you looking forward to in 2024?
I’m looking forward to ringing in 2024 on CNN’s New Year’s Eve Live. Last year, we launched CNN’s very first New Year’s Eve Live special from Asia, with special appearances by the K-pop supergroup NCT-127, among many other top performers and talents. This year, we’re doing it again, kicking the party off live in Hong Kong from Tsim Sha Tsui with around-the-world coverage culminating with Anderson Cooper and the ball drop in New York City.
Source: Prestige Online
