On Wednesday, Oct. 22, David Muir, one of the country’s most celebrated journalists, visited Temple’s campus to share professional wisdom and words of encouragement during a Student Conversation event at the Temple Performing Arts Center. That evening, Muir was honored with the Lew Klein Excellence in the Media Award, which is given annually to a leader in the media whose work reflects the highest standards of integrity and impact. 

Muir is the anchor and managing editor of ABC’s World News Tonight, a nightly news program that airs live at 6:30 p.m. On average, over 2 million viewers tune in each weeknight as Muir shares the most pressing stories and headlines from around the globe. 

“This year’s excellence award winner is the most watched, and by many measures, the most trusted journalist in America,” said interim Provost David Boardman during his opening remarks at Wednesday’s Student Conversation. “Our honoree’s reporting has garnered him nearly every major award in broadcast journalism, including multiple Emmy Awards and Edward R. Murrow Awards. Today, he adds another to his mantle, the Lew Klein Excellence in the Media Award.” 

The award is named for broadcasting pioneer and longtime Temple professor, Lew Klein, who helped shape the modern television industry, mentored generations of students and launched the careers of hundreds of media professionals. Muir is the 20th person to win the award, joining past recipients including producer and actress Quinta Brunson, sports icon Charles Barkley, comedian Tina Fey, and CNN anchor Jake Tapper. 

Before stepping into the most sought-after anchor position in the industry, Muir was a journalism student at Ithaca College, and he then rose through the ranks of broadcast television stations in the Northeast. He took over as the host of World News Tonight in 2014, succeeding Diane Sawyer. 

Muir is well known for his high-profile and international reporting, and he has covered issues from Gaza, Ukraine, Beirut, Guantanamo, Mogadishu and the Syrian border. He was the first journalist to interview Vladimir Zelensky after Russia’s invasion of Ukraine, and the first to interview Donald Trump after his first-term inauguration. 

He shared advice and stories from his journey with students, faculty and staff during the Student Conversation event. He also fielded questions from audience members. More than 400 people attended the event, which was moderated by Boardman and David Brown, assistant dean for community and communications at the Klein College of Media and Communication. 

Muir spoke about some of the issues facing not just the journalism industry but the country, including political divide, algorithms that further polarize Americans and an attention-deficit culture.  

“A challenge for all of you young minds in the room is to bring people back to a place where they’re comfortable hearing from people who have all different viewpoints,” Muir said. 

Despite the current challenges, Muir expressed optimism about journalism and the impact it will continue to have in the future. 

“I think a silver lining in this moment, with all this noise and distraction, is that Americans are seeking out a calm, steady place where they trust the reporters and they’re willing to watch a nine-minute piece right off the top of the broadcast,” he said. “I think that’s really encouraging for what you’re all about to set out and do.” 

Audience members asked Muir questions about some of his most difficult assignments, how he maintains his well-being given the demands of his job and how he’s built trust with his viewers. Many audience members were regular viewers of World News Tonight. 

“I am the product of a mother who loves David Muir,” said Ashley Lovelace, who is pursuing a master’s degree in journalism from Klein. “Sometimes you find people who change from camera to in-person, but David is very consistent. It was just a joy to talk to him, and to see the realness of his answers and how authentic he is.” 

“Hearing him speak gave me a clear vision that this is what I want to do in life, especially since he is so successful and beloved in his field,” added Alana Beltran, a journalism major from the Class of 2026. “I align with a lot of the things he was saying, and it really resonated with me.” 

Muir formally accepted his award during the Lew Klein Alumni in the Media Awards ceremony Wednesday evening, where six other Klein alumni were also recognized as Alumni in the Media Honorees for their significant contributions to the fields of media and communication. 

The 2025 Alumni in the Media Honorees were 

• Lesly Attarian, KLN ’90, vice president of development, Historic Philadelphia Inc.; 
• Joe Carolei, KLN ’76, director and producer, Variety Television; 
• John Clark, KLN ’98, sportscaster, NBC10 and NBC Sports Philadelphia; 
• Jordy Freed, KLN ’12, senior director and deputy head of personal entertainment business, Sony Corporation of America; 
• Kia Johnson, KLN ’86, producer, Reuters News Agency; and 
• Darla Price, KLN ’04, president, Ogilvy New York. 

Beccah Hendrickson, KLN ’16, was also named a Rising Star Honoree for work as a multimedia journalist for WPVI-TV 6abc Action News. 

While Muir appreciated the recognition, he was most touched by the opportunity to connect with the future generation of journalists. 

“These honors are very special, and I take them seriously, but when I heard that along with the honor there would be an opportunity to engage with the young people who are the future, I said absolutely, I will be there,” Muir said.