David Muir, a renowned name in the field of journalism, has been honored with the prestigious Walter Cronkite Award for Excellence in Journalism. The award was bestowed on him by the Walter Cronkite School of Journalism and Mass Communication at Arizona State University.
Muir began his acceptance speech with a light-hearted jest about his age and a heartfelt thank you to his team at ABC News. He used the opportunity to speak about the importance of finding the ‘truth' in journalism. He drew from his rich experiences, including the coverage of critical events like Hurricane Katrina, the Ukraine war, and the famines in South Madagascar.
Muir's passion for journalism was kindled during his early years. He was always found himself attracted to the hustle and bustle of local newsrooms. This early interest was further pursued academically when he graduated magna cum laude with a Bachelor of Arts degree in Journalism from Ithaca College in 1995.
Making a mark in the industry, Muir's first full-time broadcast role was at WTVH-TV, a CBS-affiliated network in Syracuse, New York. Between 1994 and 2000, he juggled roles as a reporter and news show anchor for the network. His reports on the unfortunate assassination of Israeli Prime Minister Yitzhak Rabin in 1995 brought him into the limelight, earning him several accolades.
Muir's career graph took a steep rise between 2000 and 2003, when he worked with WCVB, an ABC-owned network, before making a big move to the ABC News reporting team. His initial role at ABC News was as an anchor on ABC World News Now.
- In 2007, he rose in ranks to become the co-anchor of World News Saturday.
- By 2012, he was the lead anchor of the weekend broadcasts.
- By 2013, he had climbed further up the ladder to become the co-anchor of 20/20 alongside Elizabeth Vargas. Robach later succeeded Vargas and then Deborah Roberts.
The pinnacle of his professional journey came on September 1, 2014, when he assumed the position of lead anchor of ABC's World News Tonight, a position he continues to hold with immense pride and responsibility.