Andrew Stevens has covered so many thrilling stories in his three decades as a journalist that few things seem capable of baffling him. The disappearance of Malaysian Airlines Flight MH 370 was, however, an exception.
As a part of the CNN team covering the disappearance of MH370, for which he reported from both Malaysia and Australia, Stevens conceded it was one of the greatest mysteries he has ever encountered.
Andrew Stevens. Photo courtesy CNN
"It's been more than six months [since the plane vanished in early March] and still not a trace. At the time, we asked the same question as the rest of the world was asking: what could possibly have happened? It might have been the pilot. It might have been an explosion. It might have been a terrorist attack. Each one somehow didn't fit, and nobody knew. It was very frustrating. I'd never covered a story like that before," said the award-winning news anchor and correspondent, whose programme, BizAsia, won the Asian Television Award for best business programming. "We don't even know if it's in the ocean — it's just an educated guess."
Stevens found it fascinating to watch as theories to account for the disappearance emerged at a rapid rate only to be dismissed almost as quickly. Amid such confusion, the challenge for him, as a responsible news reporter, was to remain neutral and factual.
"The temptation is to step into speculation — and there was an awful lot of speculation. We were very cautious and mindful of what we could and couldn't say. Many people would ask, 'Andrew, what do you think?'. And I could only say, 'I know as much as you do'," recalled Stevens, who joined CNN in 1999 as a specialist business correspondent.
The old-school reporter first ventured into the world of journalism as a reporter for a local newspaper in his home country, Australia. He later joined CNBC Asia as a senior correspondent, going on to become financial editor of The South China Morning Post in Hong Kong. He subsequently spent six years in London with the Press Association, before moving back to Australia to work for the Australian Financial Review.
Although his work leans more toward goings-on in the business world, he seems genuinely interested in people. One of the aspects of journalism he enjoys the most, he said, is the chance to meet new people and learn more about human nature.
"Journalism is a job you don't do for the money; you do it for your general interest in the world. You're fascinated by people and what makes them tick. I've been anchoring for a long time and it's great telling people what's going on. Journalism at its best is just a wonderful profession. Everyone's got a story and the key is to unlock it. The more you're in it, the more you learn about human nature," said the co-anchor of CNN Newsroom Live From Hong Kong, a weekday morning show. He has covered many breaking news stories over the years, including the devastating Typhoon Haiyan last year. He was the only Western journalist on the ground in the Philippines when it struck, he said.
"The windows started blowing and smashing all around me and roofs started lifting. The wind was howling. It sounded like a screaming plane engine. It just became all white with black things flicking past. To be honest, it was overwhelming, like a sensory overload. It was scary."
To go through something so surreal gave him a whole different perspective on life, he said.
"It makes you appreciate how lucky you are, how life can turn around like that. I think it makes me more aware of the environment, more observant of what's going on."
CNN's coverage of Typhoon Haiyan was named "Best International News Story" at the prestigious Royal Television Society Awards and also received an Emmy nomination.
The seasoned reporter has witnessed many sweeping changes in the way journalists go about their day-to-day work, and while he concedes that a lot of things have altered beyond recognition, he said the fundamentals have not. It is still all about curiosity, he remarks, but the delivery method has become more diverse.
"The essentials haven't changed, but the appetite of people has. There is this celebrity culture and the platforms have changed. There's now more noise than when I first started. Journalism today, in many forms, just tends to be Googling and rewriting it. I think journalism is pushing more for accountability. Perhaps that's driven by competition because there are so many outlets."
While he now receives information from a wide array of sources — including newspapers, TV, Twitter and emails — he says he will always have a decided preference for the print media.
"I'm an ex-newspaper guy, so I like newspapers and I trust newspapers as a source. The actual, physical newspaper might die, but they will [still] be online. What I've learned is that I actually retain more knowledge from reading a physical newspaper. For whatever reason, the information just sticks better than reading online. When newspapers do disappear, it's going to be really sad."
