David Muir has been the face of World News Tonight for more than a decade and has a lengthy career in news broadcasting. On October 23, his hard work was celebrated when he was honored for his excellence in journalism at Temple University in Philadelphia. David was presented the 2025 Lew Klein Excellence in Media Award and when he took to the stage to accept the prestigious award, he made a bold statement about his career and those who will follow his journalism journey.
"I think it's so important that we all in this room remember to look behind us and make sure the door is open for the next person to come through," he began about young people pursuing journalism, before adding: "There is no time more important to be a journalist in our country than right now. Let the viewers at home listen to the facts, hear the truth and decide for themselves, and in that way you will be a success before you even know it."
David spent time with students at the university and was excited to speak with them about their hopes for the future. "The true highlight of my day here was going to the Klein school and meeting the young journalists who are going to take up this extraordinary discipline," he said.
David is incredibly passionate about his line of work and always has been. The New York native joined ABC in 2003, but knew long before that he wanted a career in news. He opened up about his determination from a young age to make it in the journalism field when he shared a snapshot of himself visiting a local TV station when he was a teen.
"I was 13-years-old, I had written to the local news people in my town and they began writing back to me and that was my first visit to the TV station," he wrote. "I began interning, carrying the tripods, and the equipment. They hired me out of college. That was where my first job was, Channel 5 in Syracuse." He added: "It paid off. I was so happy, I would fetch the Cokes out of the Coke machine. I'd sit there and study the anchors at the anchor desk."
His dedication to his craft led him to a deserving career as one of America's most loved news anchors. His parents — while divorced — ensured they nurtured his passion. He built his own news station from cardboard boxes in his living room, and he never missed the evening news. "I didn’t care. I thought Peter Jennings was the James Bond of evening news," he told People.
He spent any extra time he had interning and is forever grateful to his dad, Ronald Muir, and mom, Pat Mills, for driving him to his ventures. David opened up in an interview with Syracuse.com and said: "One of the images I won’t forget is my mother and my father driving me there on summer vacation or school breaks.
"When most kids go off to do other things, I remember just begging them to take me to that TV station. I'm sure they dreaded it. Between the two of them, they had to get me there. To this day, I'm grateful they would drive me to 980 James St."