Kyra Phillips

About Kyra Phillips

Kyra Phillips (b. August 8, 1968) is an American news anchor for CNN, where she has been reporting since October 1999. Phillips co-anchors the afternoon edition of CNN Newsroom with Don Lemon.

Phillips grew up in San Diego and received her bachelor's degree in journalism from the University of Southern California where she was a member of the Delta Gamma national women's fraternity. Among her first jobs in broadcasting were the positions of weekend anchor and reporter for WLUK-TV in Green Bay, Wisconsin before moving on to WDSU-TV in New Orleans, Louisiana in 1994. Phillips has also held positions as morning anchor for KAMC-TV in Lubbock, Texas, field producer for CNN-Telemundo’s Washington, D.C. offices and a journalist of the special assignment unit of KCBS-TV in Los Angeles, California. In her spare time, Phillips participates in Big Brothers Big Sisters of America and has been doing so since 1992.

Phillips joined CNN in 1999. During her early years at CNN, Phillips was granted access to U.S. Navy airwing CVW-9 in 2001 as they prepared for the war in Afghanistan. In January 2002, Phillips spent about a month in Antarctica to work on a television documentary to be featured on the program CNN Presents. Later in 2002, Phillips produced reports focusing on the U.S. Navy’s reconnaissance missions from the USS Paul Hamilton, the Navy’s Special Operations Command, the Navy SEALs, and Special Warfare Combatant Crewman training, riding in an F-14 Tomcat during an air-to-air combat mission over the Persian Gulf. She has also participated in the Navy’s TOPGUN school, SWAT training, and other police and weapons training.