David Muir was named as one of the 100 figures honored by TIME in their annual TIME 100 issue, as an “Icon” over the past year for his reporting and contributing to World News Tonight’s sky high ratings.
The 51-year-old journalist had several highlights over the past year, most notably serving as one of the moderators for the presidential debate between Donald Trump and Kamala Harris with weekend World News Tonight anchor Linsey Davis.
His tribute this year was penned by none other than Diane Sawyer, a close friend of David’s, veteran ABC News journalist, and his predecessor on World News Tonight, hosting the show from 2009-2014.
© ABC via Getty ImagesDiane’s tribute to David
“At 6:28 p.m. in New York City, a man lopes up two flights of stairs, speeds down the hall, and slides into the anchor chair. At 6:30 p.m., the camera goes live,” she wrote of his fast-paced life behind the scenes.
“David Muir anchors the nation’s most-watched television news program, ABC World News Tonight,” Diane, 79, continued. “Every night more than 8 million Americans trust him to make sense of the day.”
© Getty ImagesShe compared him to the legendary Peter Jennings, the sole anchor of the primetime news program from 1983 until his death in 2005, admiring his tenacity and desire to be on the ground for the best story.
“Like Peter Jennings before him, David is authoritative and dynamic – the first out the door to the story,” Diane added. “Iraq’s hunt for ISIS. Hurricanes, fires. He traveled days to hold the hands of starving children in Madagascar and South Sudan, leading to millions of dollars in donations to the World Food Programme.”
© Getty ImagesDavid began his career in journalism when he was just a teenager, finding an internship with a local newsroom in Syracuse thanks to the efforts of his parents. “I think I know what destiny looks like because I’ve seen a photo of a serious 13-year-old boy, talking his way into an internship at the local TV station,” Diane referenced.
“Now he’s the anchor chosen for interviews by Popes and Presidents. He shows up calm, respectful, and fearless.” Take a look at his early days as a journalist in the video below…
Touching more on his personality off-camera, she added: “I am lucky that my successor is also the irreverent friend I want to hang out with when the camera shuts down,” ending on a comedic note with: “Though I am also miffed that he’s the guy who can leap two flights of stairs, vault into the anchor chair, and never lose focus – or his breath.”
David shared Diane’s tribute on his personal Instagram page, adding a simple heart emoji. He then also included the portrait used for his profile and wrote: “Thank you @time. A true honor.”
© Getty ImagesFive of this year’s honorees were spotlighted with a set of TIME covers, including tennis legend Serena Williams, recent Academy Award nominee Demi Moore, singer-songwriter Ed Sheeran, rapper and recent Summer Olympics correspondent Snoop Dogg, and DeepMind Technologies CEO Demis Hassabis.
