Tom Jarriel, former ABC News correspondent and anchor, dies at 89

Tom Jarriel, former ABC News correspondent and anchor whose impactful reporting earned him numerous accolades, has died at the age of 89.

During his 38-year tenure at the network, Jarriel was the kind of person and journalist many at ABC aspired to be.

To America, he was a trusted reporter, correspondent and anchor. At ABC, he was a beloved colleague, mentor and friend.

Born in Georgia, Jarriel grew up in Shreveport, Louisiana. In 1958, he launched his career in broadcast journalism at Houston’s KPRC.

Jarriel would join ABC News in 1965.

He quickly gained national attention for his coverage of Dr. Martin Luther King’s assassination.

It didn’t take long for Jarriel’s talent to be recognized and rewarded. By 1969, he was elevated to Chief White House Correspondent, covering both presidents Richard Nixon and Gerald Ford.

The year 1979 proved to be a pivotal one in Jarriel’s career. He was named anchor of ABC’s Weekend Report, and joined ABC’s fledgling, primetime news magazine, 20/20.

Year after year, Jarriel contributed hard-hitting reports ranging from criminal justice reform, to holding our leaders accountable, but it was his series of reports on the plight of children suffering in Romanian orphanages that Jarriel remembered as the “great, defining story” of his career.

Over more than two decades at 20/20, Jarriel’s impactful reporting earned him numerous accolades, including six Emmy awards before his retirement in 2002.

We honor the depth and breadth of Jarriel’s 38 years at ABC. We celebrate his sense of fairness, of integrity, but most of all, his humanity.

On and off the air, Jarriel embodied the best of everyone at ABC News.

Jarriel is survived by his loving wife Joan, of 57 years, and his three sons.