David Begnaud

David Begnaud was born on June 13, 1983, in Lafayette, Louisiana. His journalism career began in high school as an unpaid “teen reporter” at KLFY-TV in his home state. Upon graduating from Teurlings Catholic High School, he was hired full-time by KLFY-TV, concurrently attending the University of Louisiana at Lafayette, where he earned a bachelor’s degree in general studies in 2005. During his time at KLFY-TV, he also served as the weekend morning and evening news anchor, demonstrating his early commitment to broadcast journalism.

After his initial role at KLFY-TV, Begnaud expanded his experience across various news organizations. He worked at KSLA in Shreveport, Louisiana, from 2005 to 2007, and then spent three years at KOVR in Sacramento before moving to KTLA in Los Angeles. In 2015, David joined CBS News as a Miami-based correspondent, later relocating to the network’s Dallas bureau in January 2017. His reporting has been featured widely across CBS platforms, including “CBS Evening News,” “48 Hours,” “CBS Sunday Morning,” and CBS News 24/7. He was also instrumental in creating and reporting for “Newsbreaker” at ORA-TV, a social media platform for current events, and served as a contributing correspondent for “Entertainment Tonight.”

Begnaud gained significant recognition for his extensive coverage of Hurricane Maria in Puerto Rico in October 2017. He spent more time covering the island’s recovery than any other network news correspondent, leading to government action and earning him the prestigious George Polk Award for public service in 2018. This award marked the first time since 1978 that a journalist received it for this category. He also received the Radio Television Digital News Association’s First Amendment Leadership Award for his contributions to the protection of the First Amendment and freedom of the press. His sustained coverage, particularly on social media, informed audiences and made him an esteemed figure among Puerto Ricans, leading to his designation as a “Puerto Rican Champion” and participation in the 2018 Puerto Rican Day Parade in New York City. In 2023, he received the Alumni Lifetime Achievement Award from the National Speech and Debate Association.