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- Jim Avila, former longtime ABC News senior correspondent, dies at 70 (abcnews.go.com)
Award-Winning Journalist Jim Avila Dies at 70
Jim Avila, a highly respected and long-serving senior correspondent for ABC News, has passed away at the age of 70 after a prolonged illness. Avila’s career was marked by his impactful investigative journalism, which garnered him numerous prestigious awards in broadcast news.
The news of his death was shared internally by ABC News President Almin Karamehmedovic, who described Avila as “a gifted journalist and a generous colleague” in an email to staff.
Before his departure from ABC News in 2021, Avila served as a “20/20” correspondent based in Los Angeles, specializing in politics, justice, law, and consumer investigations. From 2012 to 2016, he covered the White House during President Barack Obama’s second term.
Among his many accolades, Avila received the Merriman Award from the White House Correspondents Association for breaking the significant news of the United States and Cuba reopening diplomatic relations, according to his official ABC News biography.
His extensive work as Senior Law and Justice Correspondent included covering major trials such as those of Jerry Sandusky, Michael Jackson, and O.J. Simpson. He also led reports on immigration, documenting stories from the southern border, and covered the death of Freddie Gray and the civil unrest in Baltimore.
Avila’s distinguished career was recognized with multiple honors, including two National Emmy Awards, five Edward R. Murrow Awards, the Cine Golden Eagle Award, the Mongerson Prize for Investigative Reporting, and five Chicago-area Emmy Awards for Spot News.
In 1999, the National Association of Hispanic Journalists named him Reporter of the Year, and he also earned three Peter Lisagor Awards from the Headline Club of Chicago for his coverage of the Peru drug wars and the death of Mayor Harold Washington, in addition to being named Best Reporter of 1989. In 2019, he was inducted into the National Association of Hispanic Journalists Hall of Fame.
Most recently, Avila continued his journalistic endeavors as a senior investigative reporter at KGTV, the ABC affiliate in San Diego, where, as Karamehmedovic noted, he “continued covering a wide range of stories with depth and fairness.” Even as he faced health challenges, Avila remained dedicated to journalism through opinion writing and local reporting, sharing his vast experience and curiosity to tell stories vital to his community and viewers.
“We send our heartfelt condolences to his family, including his three children, Jamie, Jenny, and Evan, and we thank him for his many contributions and unwavering commitment to seeking out the truth,” Karamehmedovic stated.
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- Jim Avila, former longtime ABC News senior correspondent, dies at 70 (abcnews.go.com)