Correspondent Nick Valencia departs CNN

Correspondent Nick Valencia has left CNN after a 19-year run with the cable news network.

He announced his departure in a social media post.

“It’s official. I have left CNN. Never bury the lede,” Valencia wrote, thanking colleagues and reflecting on his journey from entry-level positions to national correspondent.

Valencia, who began his broadcast news career at CNN as a teleprompter operator, worked his way up as producer before getting his big break as a national news reporter in 2013 and earning a promotion to national correspondent two years later.

“My legacy of going from teleprompter to correspondent was a dream I could have never imagined,” Valencia wrote. “I’m grateful to have been a role model for what was possible at CNN.”

In his farewell message, he expressed gratitude to all the colleagues he worked with during more than 12 years as a correspondent.

“Thank you to the video journalists I grew up with at the entry level. The desk editors and curmudgeon copy editors who turned me into a real journalist. Thank you to the weekend warriors in the newsroom and control room who work hours others can’t or won’t. And thank you to those in the trenches. The satellite truck operators, the producers, and the photographers who get us on TV.”

Following his CNN exit, Valencia posted a video announcing he was joining the independent journalist ranks.