Byron Pitts facts for kids
Quick facts for kids
Byron Pitts
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Pitts in 2011
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| Born | October 21, 1960 Baltimore, Maryland, U.S.
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| Education | Ohio Wesleyan University |
| Occupation | Television journalist |
| Years active | 1983–present |
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Notable credit(s)
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CBS Evening News 60 Minutes Nightline |
| Children | 3 |
Byron Pitts (born October 21, 1960) is a well-known American journalist and author. He currently works for ABC News. There, he is a co-anchor for their late-night news program, Nightline. Before joining ABC in 2013, he was a chief national correspondent for The CBS Evening News. He also regularly contributed to the famous show 60 Minutes.
Contents
Early Life and Challenges
Byron Pitts was born on October 21, 1960, in Baltimore, Maryland. He grew up in a working-class area. His mother raised him by herself. In his book, Pitts shared some personal challenges from his childhood. He had a severe stutter, which made it hard for him to speak smoothly. He also mentioned that he was "functionally illiterate" until he was about 12 years old. This means he had great difficulty reading and writing.
He went to Archbishop Curley High School in Baltimore. This was an all-boys Catholic school. After high school, he attended Ohio Wesleyan University. He spent his summers in Apex, North Carolina. In 1982, he graduated with a bachelor's degree. His studies focused on journalism and speech communication.
A Career in Journalism
Byron Pitts always dreamed of becoming a journalist. Since he was 18, his goal was to be a correspondent on the CBS show 60 Minutes. He started his journey by interning at WTVD in Durham, North Carolina. After graduating from college, he worked at several TV stations along the East Coast.
From 1983 to 1984, he reported and anchored weekend sports news at WNCT-TV in Greenville, North Carolina. He then became a military reporter for WAVY-TV in Portsmouth, Virginia (1984–1986). Next, he reported for WESH-TV in Orlando (1986–1988). He moved to Tampa to be a reporter and fill-in anchor for WFLA-TV (1988–1989). After a short time there, he went to Boston. He worked as a special assignment reporter for WCVB-TV (1989–1994). His last local job was in Atlanta, Georgia. He was a general assignment reporter for WSB-TV (1994–1996).
Pitts then moved to Washington, D.C. He became a correspondent for CBS Newspath. This is a 24-hour news service for CBS affiliates (1997–1998). In May 1998, he was named a CBS News correspondent. He was based in Miami (1998–1999) and Atlanta (1999–2001). Finally, he moved to New York City in January 2001.
Major Reporting and Awards
Byron Pitts was one of CBS News' main reporters during the September 11 attacks. He won a national Emmy Award for his excellent coverage of these events. He also reported from the Iraq War. He was recognized for his brave work while reporting under fire. This happened just minutes after the statue of Saddam Hussein fell.
Pitts covered many other important stories. These include Hurricane Katrina, the war in Afghanistan, and the military buildup in Kuwait. He also reported on the Florida fires and the Elian Gonzalez story. He covered the Florida Presidential recount and mudslides in Central America. The refugee crisis in Kosovo was another major event he reported on.
Pitts has received many awards for his journalism. He won another national Emmy Award in 1999. This was for his coverage of a train wreck in Chicago. He also received a National Association of Black Journalists Award in 2002. In addition, he has won four Associated Press Awards. He has also earned six regional Emmy Awards.
In September 2009, Pitts published his memoir. A memoir is a book about a person's life experiences. His book is titled Step Out on Nothing: How Faith and Family Helped Me Conquer Life's Challenges.
Personal Life
Byron Pitts has a daughter named Christiani Pitts. She was born in 1998. Christiani is an actress who works in TV and theater.
See Also
- New Yorkers in journalism
External Links
- Byron Pitts Biography on ABCNews.com
