Ben Sherwood
Ben Sherwood was named president of ABC News in December 2010. He is responsible for all aspects of ABC News' broadcasts, including "World News with Diane Sawyer," "Nightline," "Good Morning America," "20/20" and "This Week with George Stephanopoulos." In addition, Mr. Sherwood oversees ABC News Radio, ABCNEWS.com, satellite service NewsOne and ABC News NOW. ABC News reaches a combined audience of well over 270 million people a month on television, on radio and online.*
Under Mr. Sherwood's leadership the news division has been recognized repeatedly for outstanding journalism. Across its many programs and platforms, the news division is enjoying significant audience growth, driven by a creative renaissance and innovative deal-making.
More Americans get their news from ABC News than from any other source. In 2012, ABC News reached an historic milestone when "Good Morning America" snapped NBC's 16-year winning streak in the mornings; "Nightline" is dominating its new time period at 12:35a ET; "20/20" is outdrawing the competition; and the margins continue to narrow in the evenings and on the weekends. ABC News drew a record-breaking audience for Nic Wallenda's epic live tightrope walk across Niagara Falls in June, and further established its reputation for television excellence with the critically acclaimed "NY Med" series last summer.
In October 2011, ABC News launched a ground-breaking partnership with Yahoo! to create the No. 1 news and information network online, reaching nearly 100 million people and serving up to half a billion videos a month. This year ABC News and Univision will launch a new network to serve and empower U.S. Hispanics, the youngest and fastest growing demographic in America, and provide culturally relevant programming for Latinos in English.
In addition, during Mr. Sherwood's tenure the news division has won the most prestigious honors in the industry, including George Polk, George Foster Peabody, News and Documentary Emmy, Edward R. Murrow, Overseas Press Club, SPJ Sigma Delta Chi and Investigative Reporters and Editors Awards.
Mr. Sherwood began to explore a career in journalism with student internships at KCET public television in Los Angeles, The Los Angeles Times Washington Bureau and the "CBS Evening News." In 1984-1985, during a year off from college, he worked for The News and Observer in Raleigh, North Carolina; The Los Angeles Times Paris bureau; and the United Nations Border Relief Operation in Aranyaprathet, Thailand.
Mr. Sherwood launched his journalistic career in earnest when he joined ABC News in 1989, serving as an investigative associate producer and producer for ABC News' "PrimeTime Live" with anchors Diane Sawyer and Sam Donaldson. During that time his investigative reports explored flaws in the secretive B-2 stealth bomber program, the dangers of unlicensed mental health practitioners and the unheralded risks of an overprescribed heart medication.
In 1997 Mr. Sherwood joined NBC's "Nightly News with Tom Brokaw" as broadcast producer responsible for "In Depth" reports, then senior producer, and ultimately senior broadcast producer, where he helped guide coverage of the September 11th attacks and the controversy in Florida during the 2000 presidential election.
Mr. Sherwood returned to ABC News in April 2004 as executive producer of the network's award-winning morning program, "Good Morning America." He guided "GMA" to two of the most successful seasons in its history, while overseeing prize-winning coverage of the tsunami in Southeast Asia, the devastation of Hurricane Katrina and the Presidential election of 2004.
Over the years Mr. Sherwood's journalism and non-fiction essays have been published in many respected publications, including The New York Times, The Los Angeles Times, The Washington Post, Newsweek, New Republic, Washington Monthly, Parade and O magazine. He is the author of two critically acclaimed best-selling novels: The Man Who Ate the 747 (2000) and The Death and Life of Charlie St. Cloud (2004). His fiction has been published around the world in more than 15 languages. In July 2010, The Death and Life of Charlie St. Cloud was adapted as a feature film starring Zac Efron and was released by Universal Pictures under the title "Charlie St. Cloud."
Mr. Sherwood's latest book, The Survivors Club, is a non-fiction exploration of the science and secrets of who bounces back from everyday adversity and who doesn't; who beats life-threatening disease and who succumbs; and who triumphs after economic hardship and who surrenders. The book became an instant New York Times bestseller, has been featured widely in print and on television, and has been published around the world.
In January 2009, Mr. Sherwood founded TheSurvivorsClub.org, an online resource center and support network for people surviving and thriving in the face of all kinds of adversity. In September 2010, The Survivors Club relaunched in partnership with Hearst Digital Media, significantly expanding its reach and offerings.
A Phi Beta Kappa graduate of Harvard College in 1986, Mr. Sherwood earned an AB degree in American government and history. From 1986 to 1989, as a Rhodes Scholar at Magdalen College, Oxford, he earned master's degrees in British imperial history and development economics.
Mr. Sherwood is a member of the advisory board of City Year Los Angeles and a member of the advisory board of the Center for Public Integrity in Washington, DC. He is a member of the Council on Foreign Relations in New York. He and his wife, Karen, live in New York with their two young boys.