John Berman grew up in Carlisle, Massachusetts, and attended Phillips Academy Andover. He then enrolled at Harvard University, where he served as president of the Hasty Pudding Theatricals. He joined ABC News in 1995 as a junior desk assistant, later rising to head writer for World News Tonight. Reassigned to New York in his first week on that post, he arrived just before the September 11 attacks.

As a general assignment reporter, he was embedded with Marines during the 2003 invasion of Iraq. He went on to cover the 2004 Indian Ocean tsunami and the 2008 presidential campaign. Berman later joined CNN in 2012 as co-anchor of Early Start and added At This Hour with Kate Bolduan to his duties in 2015. He then co-anchored CNN Newsroom in 2017 and New Day from 2018 to 2022.

Currently, John Berman co-anchors the morning edition of CNN News Central, a position he has held since the show’s launch in 2023. The role reunited him with Kate Bolduan, with Sara Sidner joining as a third anchor. He also serves as a regular relief anchor on Anderson Cooper 360°, where he has covered major stories, including the 2024 presidential election and Russia’s invasion of Ukraine.