Rise to Success: Career Highlights of Diane Sawyer
How Diane Sawyer built a successful career. Explore key moments that defined the journey.
Diane Sawyer is a prominent American television broadcast journalist. She has anchored major news programs on both ABC and CBS, including ABC World News Tonight, Good Morning America, 20/20, and CBS Morning. A significant career achievement includes being the first woman correspondent on 60 Minutes. Before her journalism career, Sawyer worked on President Richard Nixon's White House staff and assisted with his memoirs. Currently, she produces documentaries and interview specials for ABC News, continuing her influential role in broadcast journalism.
1964: Promoted Coca-Cola Pavilion
From 1963 to 1965, Diane Sawyer toured the country as America's Junior Miss to promote the Coca-Cola Pavilion at the 1964–1965 New York World's Fair.
1965: Toured the country as America's Junior Miss
From 1963 to 1965, Diane Sawyer toured the country as America's Junior Miss to promote the Coca-Cola Pavilion at the 1964–1965 New York World's Fair.
1970: Moved to Washington D.C. and Started Working in Government
In 1970, Diane Sawyer moved to Washington, D.C. and began working in government offices, eventually becoming an assistant to Jerry Warren, the White House deputy press secretary.
1973: Assigned to discredit John Dean's Watergate testimony
In 1973, Diane Sawyer was assigned to work with Larry Speakes for Nixon's lawyer J. Fred Buzhardt on a project to "prove" that John Dean was lying in his testimony to the Senate Watergate Committee.
1974: Worked on Nixon's resignation and transition team
In 1974, Diane Sawyer worked through Nixon's resignation from the presidency and on the Nixon-Ford transition team.
1975: Continued Working on Nixon-Ford Transition
In 1974–1975, Diane Sawyer worked on the Nixon-Ford transition team, after which she followed Nixon to California.
1977: Prepared Nixon for David Frost Interviews
In 1977, Diane Sawyer helped prepare Richard Nixon for his television interviews with journalist David Frost.
1978: Helped Write Nixon's Memoirs
In 1978, Diane Sawyer helped Richard Nixon write his memoirs, titled RN: The Memoirs of Richard Nixon.
1978: Joined CBS News as General-Assignment Reporter
In 1978, Diane Sawyer joined CBS News in Washington, D.C., as a general-assignment reporter.
February 1980: Promoted to Political Correspondent at CBS
In February 1980, Diane Sawyer was promoted to political correspondent at CBS News and featured on the weekday broadcasts of Morning with Charles Kuralt.
1984: Became First Female Correspondent on 60 Minutes
In 1984, Diane Sawyer became the first female correspondent on 60 Minutes, a CBS News investigative-television newsmagazine.
1989: Moved to ABC News to Co-Anchor Primetime Live
In 1989, Diane Sawyer moved to ABC News to co-anchor Primetime Live newsmagazine with Sam Donaldson.
1998: Co-Anchored 20/20 Wednesday and 20/20 Sunday
From 1998 to 2000, Diane Sawyer and Sam Donaldson co-anchored 20/20 Wednesday. From 1998 to 1999, Sawyer also co-anchored a Sunday edition of 20/20 with Barbara Walters.
January 18, 1999: Returned to Morning News as Co-Anchor of Good Morning America
On January 18, 1999, Diane Sawyer returned to morning news as the co-anchor of Good Morning America with Charles Gibson. This assignment lasted nearly eleven years.
1999: Co-Anchored 20/20 Sunday
From 1998 to 1999, Diane Sawyer co-anchored a Sunday edition of 20/20 with Barbara Walters. This co-anchoring ended in 1999.
2000: Ended Co-Anchoring 20/20 Wednesday
From 1998 to 2000, Diane Sawyer and Sam Donaldson co-anchored 20/20 Wednesday, this partnership ended in 2000.
2000: Returned as Co-Anchor of Primetime
In 2000, Diane Sawyer returned as co-anchor of Primetime TV newsmagazine (later Primetime Thursday), with Gibson replacing Donaldson.
September 11, 2001: Announced World Trade Center Crash on Good Morning America
On September 11, 2001, Diane Sawyer was the first to announce to Good Morning America viewers that the first plane had crashed into the World Trade Center.
2004: Primetime Live Format Change
In 2004, the show's title was changed to its original name, Primetime Live, a new executive producer was hired, and the newsmagazine format was changed to investigative reporting with Diane Sawyer rotating as the co-anchor with Chris Cuomo, Cynthia McFadden, and John Quiñones.
2005: Denied being Deep Throat
In 2005, Diane Sawyer requested and received a public denial from Bob Woodward after being suspected of being Deep Throat, the source of leaks of classified information during the Watergate scandal.
2005: Show Retitled Primetime
In 2005, the show was retitled Primetime, and Diane Sawyer left the show at the end of 2006 when its format again changed, with a sub-series focus.
2006: Sawyer Left Primetime
In 2005, the show was retitled Primetime, and Diane Sawyer left the show at the end of 2006 when its format again changed, with a sub-series focus.
2006: Interviewed Mel Gibson After DUI Arrest
In 2006, Diane Sawyer gained worldwide acclaim after subjecting Mel Gibson to an intense television interrogation after his DUI arrest.
September 2, 2009: Announced as Successor to Charles Gibson
On September 2, 2009, Diane Sawyer was announced as the successor to Charles Gibson as the anchor of ABC World News.
December 1, 2009: Reported Start Date for ABC World News
On December 1, 2009, The New York Times reported that Diane Sawyer would start on December 21, 2009, three days after Gibson's departure as the new anchor for ABC World News.
December 11, 2009: Left Good Morning America
On December 11, 2009, Diane Sawyer left Good Morning America.
December 21, 2009: Started as Anchor of ABC World News
On December 21, 2009, Diane Sawyer started as the anchor of ABC World News, three days after Charles Gibson's departure.
January 2010: Initially Scheduled to Move to ABC World News
Diane Sawyer was scheduled to become the ABC World News anchor in January 2010.
June 25, 2014: Stepped Down from ABC World News Anchor Chair
On June 25, 2014, it was announced that Diane Sawyer would step down from the anchor chair at ABC World News in September 2014.
2014: Continued as Anchor of ABC's World News
Until 2014, Diane Sawyer was the anchor of ABC's flagship broadcast World News and the network's principal anchor for breaking-news coverage, election coverage, and special events.
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