Veteran Journalist Charles Bierbauer, Former CNN Correspondent and WHCA President, Dies at 83

Renowned news veteran Charles Bierbauer, who spent two decades reporting for CNN, passed away at the age of 83 on Sunday.

Bierbauer’s career in journalism spanned over four decades, with his tenure at CNN marking a significant portion of that time. He joined CNN in 1981, initially assigned as a defense correspondent based at the Pentagon. Over the next nine years, he served as the network’s senior White House correspondent, covering administrations under Presidents Ronald Reagan and George H.W. Bush. His deep understanding of US presidency, policy, and politics was evident in his role as senior Washington correspondent.

Throughout his career, Bierbauer traveled with presidents to all 50 states and more than 30 nations. He also served as president of the White House Correspondents’ Association from 1991 to 1992. His coverage extended to presidential campaigns between 1984 and 2000, as well as the Supreme Court.

Bierbauer received an Emmy for his coverage of the 1996 Olympic Park bombing in Atlanta. He also hosted CNN’s “Newsmaker Saturday,” a weekly show featuring top newsmakers, for a decade.

Prior to joining CNN, Bierbauer had a distinguished career as an international journalist. He served as ABC News Moscow bureau chief and correspondent from 1978, and later became the network’s bureau chief in Bonn, Germany. His earlier work included stints in London, Bonn, and Vienna for Westinghouse Broadcasting.

Bierbauer’s expertise in Eastern Europe during the Cold War era allowed him to cover all US-Soviet summits from 1975 onwards, starting with President Gerald Ford and Soviet Union’s Leonid Brezhnev, up until the 1992 meeting between Presidents George H.W. Bush and Boris Yeltsin.

Bierbauer began his career as a radio reporter in Allentown, Pennsylvania, before moving to the city’s local newspaper. He graduated from Pennsylvania State University in 1966 with a bachelor’s degree in Russian, followed by bachelor’s and master’s degrees in journalism. The university has recognized him as a distinguished alumnus and alumni fellow.

In 2002, Bierbauer became the first dean of the University of South Carolina’s College of Mass Communications and Information Studies. He held this position until his retirement in 2017.

Bierbauer is survived by his wife Susanne Schafer, a former journalist at the Associated Press.