Prior to joining NBC News, Sawyer served as the primary substitute anchor on ABC’s “Nightline” and as substitute anchor for other ABC News programs including “World News Tonight” and “Good Morning America.” In addition, he reported numerous primetime documentaries including a report on the assassination of Martin Luther King, Jr., which debunked a conspiracy theory even the King family had believed. Prior to that, he was anchor of the ABC newsmagazine “Day One” and an anchor of “ABC News Saturday Night.” He was also one of the anchors of “Turning Point,” another ABC primetime newsmagazine. In addition, Sawyer anchored “World News Sunday” and reported for “Nightline” and other ABC News broadcasts.
Prior to joining ABC News, Sawyer was co-anchor of the “CBS Morning News” from 1985-87. During that time, he anchored the first Reagan/Gorbachev Summit in Geneva as well as the subsequent summit in Reykjavik, Iceland. He also helmed CBS’ coverage from Cape Canaveral during the Space Shuttle Challenger disaster in January 1986. From 1980 to 1985, Sawyer was a news anchor at WAGA-TV in Atlanta. He began his broadcasting career in radio, working at various stations across the country, including WGST Newsradio in Atlanta, WDVH-AM in Gainesville, and WVBF-FM in Boston.
Sawyer has received numerous honors during his career, including the prestigious George Foster Peabody Award, five National Emmy Awards, two Sigma Delta Chi Awards, two Edward R. Murrow Awards, an Associated Press Award, an Ohio State Award and two American Psychological Association Awards.
Sawyer earned a bachelor of arts degree in Eastern philosophy and world religions in 1971 and a Master of Education degree in 1976, both from the University of Florida in Gainesville.