Byron Pitts is a multiple Emmy award-winning journalist and co-anchor of ABC’s “Nightline”. In 2013, Pitts became an anchor and the Chief National Correspondent at ABC. Prior to working for ABC, Pitts was the Chief National Correspondent for “CBS evening news with Katie Couric." He was also CBS’s lead correspondent at Ground Zero immediately following the September 11th attacks, where he won his second Emmy for his coverage. Pitts’ grit and determination have shone throughout his illustrious career and have led to him winning several prestigious awards, including a national Emmy Award for his coverage of the Chicago train wreck of 1999 and a National Association of Black Journalists Award.
Pitts’ coverage includes the war in Afghanistan, the aftermath of Hurricane Katrina, the military buildup in Kuwait, and the refugee crisis in Kosovo.
Pitts’ many achievements are all the more extraordinary when he tells of the many obstacles he faced as a child. Raised by a single mother in a working class neighborhood in Baltimore, Pitts was illiterate until the age of twelve and had a persistent stutter. Capitalizing on his desire to play football, his mother mandated he receive B’s or above in school in order to play. With that focus, Pitts learned to read and went on to attend Ohio Wesleyan University. With the help of his roommate and a college professor, Pitts found the support and encouragement necessary to pursue a career in broadcast journalism—a field that demands excellence in writing and speaking, which he continues to achieve today.
Pitts now lives in Weehawken NJ.
