The CNN News Group will open an international bureau in Lagos, Nigeria, it was announced today by Eason Jordan, chief news executive and president of newsgathering, CNN News Group. The establishment of a CNN newsgathering operation in Lagos complements CNN's existing Johannesburg, Nairobi and Cairo bureaus and, for the first time, provides CNN with a strategic presence in West Africa. The addition of Lagos brings CNN's international bureaus to 29, with a total of 42 worldwide.

"The establishment of a CNN bureau in Africa's most populous nation demonstrates CNN's commitment to providing a mix of breaking news coverage and enlightening reporting on and from Africa," Jordan said.

CNN expanded its presence last week in Mexico and opened the network's first fully integrated television and Internet newsroom in Latin America. Mexico City is the headquarters of CNN's newsgathering team in the region. The new facility incorporates the editorial functions of television and interactive news teams, allowing journalists to report across all platforms and develop a range of multimedia skills. The News Group established a similar operation in Hong Kong last fall, where the 30 hours of programming are produced each week for CNN's sister network, CNN International (CNNI).

"CNN is redefining newsgathering as a faster-paced, more interactive process with increased collaboration across our multiple services," Jordan said. "What's happening in our Mexico City and Hong Kong bureaus exemplifies how we are implementing operational efficiencies and re-deploying resources to better serve the organization and our growing audience."

CNN will also open an integrated news operation in Sydney, Australia, this year to bolster its coverage of Australia and the Asia-Pacific region. The Sydney bureau marks the ninth bureau that the network has opened in that region, including Beijing, Tokyo, Hong Kong, Seoul, New Delhi, Bangkok, Jakarta, the Philippines and Islamabad.

CNN, a division of Turner Broadcasting System, Inc., an AOL Time Warner Company, is one of the world's most respected and trusted sources for news and information. Its reach extends to 15 cable and satellite television networks; three private place-based networks; two radio networks; 15 Web sites, including CNN.com, the first major news and information Web site; CNN Mobile, which provides news and information to mobile devices; and CNN Newsource, the world's most extensively syndicated news service.

Note to the Editors:
Opening dates for the Lagos and Sydney bureaus will be announced shortly

Contact Info:
"Megan Mahoney, Atlanta"
404/827-3693
megan.mahoney@cnn.com

"Kyra Bartlett, New York"
212/714-6949
kyra.bartlett@cnn.com

"Shawna Shepherd, Washington"
shawna.shepherd@cnn.com