We’ve arrived at the final Friday of 2024 and as Tom Lehrer so aptly put it decades ago—that was the year that was. But TVNewser suspected that news industry insiders probably had more to say about the historic 12 months Americans watched unfold on their outlets of choice, whether that was legacy media or social media.
This year’s major narratives was naturally led by a U.S. presidential contest between Donald Trump, Joe Biden, and Kamala Harris that resulted in President-elect Trump returning to the Oval Office. But 2024 also saw the world get reinvested in the Olympics via the Paris Summer Games, as well as fresh developments in the ongoing conflicts in Ukraine and Israel, and continued signs of how climate change is impacting the planet.
To help put 2024 in context, we asked executives and executive producers at all the major networks to answer two questions about the year that was:
1. When historians look back on 2024 a decade from now, what are the news moment(s)—other than Election Night—that you expect will define the year?
2. Complete this sentence: “This year, I was proudest of our news organization when…”
Read their many and varied responses below.
Simone Swink, executive of ABC News’ Good Morning America
1. In politics—President Biden’s interview with George Stephanopoulos stands out. On July 2nd, George called me to say that Biden wanted to sit down with him later that week in Madison, Wisconsin. Stakes were high as this was just days after the June debate. The pressure—intense. The interview—straightforward, fair, and a vital public service.
The Debate—ABC News landing a key debate in the election cycle was also a huge moment in politics – it ended up being the only debate between now President-Elect Trump and Vice President Harris. David Muir and Linsey Davis asked tough questions of both candidates and the candidates had a chance to make their case to the country.
The Rise of Women’s Basketball—Outside of politics, the moments of joy and celebration around women’s sports—especially basketball—was an exciting story to cover this year. Robin Roberts‘ interview with Caitlin Clark in March was right as the excitement went into overtime and later in the year we welcomed the WNBA Champs, the New York Liberty, live into our GMA studio.
The Personal Journey—Closer to home, hearing firsthand how Michael Strahan and his daughter Isabella dealt with a tough and scary medical journey—sharing her story to help others—was a moment that defined 2024 on a personal level for their family and our GMA family.
The Economy, Small Businesses and America—You may not think of our GMA series “Deals and Steals” as a story, but it is. It’s the story of small businesses in this country and having their products and backstories showcased by the indefatigable Tory Johnson and the GMA team. More than 500 small businesses were featured on deals on GMA, GMA3 and GMA Saturday and Sunday this year, some of whom credit Tory with helping their business grow during difficult times.
