Diane Sawyer

In 1978, after an impactful period serving on the White House staff assisting President Richard Nixon with his 1978 memoir ‘RN: The Memoirs of Richard Nixon’ and preparing him for his 1977 television interviews with David Frost, Diane Sawyer launched an unparalleled career in network journalism, joining CBS News as a general-assignment reporter. She quickly progressed to political correspondent by 1980, and in 1981, became co-anchor of ‘Morning with Charles Kuralt.’ From 1982 to 1984, she also co-anchored the ‘CBS Early Morning News.’ In 1984, Sawyer made history as the first female correspondent on the acclaimed investigative newsmagazine ’60 Minutes.’ Her contributions were recognized with a 1997 induction into the Television Hall of Fame. Sawyer transitioned to ABC News in 1989, where she co-anchored ‘Primetime Live’ with Sam Donaldson, a role she held until 1998. She further expanded her role, co-anchoring ’20/20 Wednesday’ from 1998 to 2000 and a Sunday edition of ’20/20′ with Barbara Walters from 1998 to 1999.

On December 21, 2009, Sawyer officially took the helm as anchor of ‘ABC World News,’ succeeding Charles Gibson and anchoring until August 27, 2014. She was honored with the 2010 Walter Cronkite Award for Excellence in Journalism. Following her anchor role, Sawyer transitioned to focusing on specials and high-profile interviews for ABC News, conducting interviews with numerous world leaders and major newsmakers. In 2019, her indelible impact on media was celebrated with her designation as a Disney Legend.