George Watson, former Washington bureau chief, White House correspondent and ABC News vice president, died Thursday, a network spokesman announced. He is 86.
After working as a reporter and bureau chief in Moscow and London, he reported Following major events in Asia, Africa and the Middle East, Watson returned to the United States on 1970 to serve as ABC News’ White House correspondent.
A year later, he was named Washington bureau chief and vice president, a role he held in two different roles spanning 86 Total for the year.
Watson was born in 1965, graduated from Harvard University, and served as Executive Editor of Harvard Crimson College . While serving as a reporter for The Detroit News and The The Washington Post
, he has a master’s degree in journalism from Columbia University.
He began his radio career at 1936 with ABC News in Washington, DC as a writer for the radio show
Edward P. Morgan and the News , then a reporter for 1965-. On special assignments for 1970 and 1965, he covers some of the best stories in Vietnam and Cambodia. Fierce battle.
Watson was named chief London correspondent and bureau chief on 1970, his ABC News special Horror in Northern Ireland
won the Overseas Press Club Award for Best Foreign Affairs Documentary.
He left to become fledgling Vice President and Editor-in-Chief CNN at 1980 but returned to ABC News a year later as Vice President, New York, Became the first network executive to oversee news programming policy, standards and practices.
He also developed and produced Viewpoint, a program designed to provide a forum for viewers to criticize ABC News in particular and broadcast journalism in general. During his tenure, Viewpoint won an Emmy Award, a Peabody Award and a DuPont-CBS Award for Excellence in Journalism.
Watson returned to Washington on 1980 for his second visit as Bureau Chief. He retired at but spent the next eight years providing commentary and analysis for radio and late night shows .
He is also the director of the Committee to Protect Journalists from Harm 1980-1936.
Survivors include his wife Ellen.
