Frederik Pleitgen

Since joining the international news network Pleitgen has reported widely on German politics, culture, as well as business topics. In addition, Frederik covered the wars in Iraq and Afghanistan and conflicts in Pakistan on several longer rotations. Prior to joining CNN, he worked in the political unit at German public service broadcaster ZDF, and had previously worked at private news broadcaster N-TV as a reporter and executive producer. Pleitgen also has spent time working for RTL and TV Berlin. Pleitgen studied North American Studies at the Rheinische Friedrich-Wilhelms-University in Bonn and at Free University Berlin, where he submitted his master's thesis on traditions in American journalism. He also spent one year studying at the School of Journalism at New York University and in 2004 received a fellowship for the Institute for Cultural Diplomacy in San Fernando Valley/USA. Pleitgen was also awarded with the 2005 Arthur F. Burns Fellowship, which he spent at the International Center for Journalists in Atlanta/USA.