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58-410: Elizabeth Anne Vargas (born September 6, 1962) is an American television journalist who is the lead investigative reporter/documentary anchor for A&E Networks , and was the host for Fox 's revival of America's Most Wanted (2021). She began her new position on May 28, 2018, after being an anchor of ABC 's television newsmagazine 20/20 and ABC News specials for the previous 14 years. She

116-544: A Peabody Award for her contributions in ABC News' coverage of Hurricane Sandy on 20/20. In a special edition of 20/20 that aired on September 9, 2016, Vargas opened up about her struggles with anxiety and alcoholism and further talked about her upcoming book Between Breaths: A Memoir of Panic and Addiction , which discusses those struggles. In October 2016, she appeared in an episode of ABC's Designated Survivor . Vargas officially departed ABC on May 25, 2018, after

174-463: A contestable role in news broadcasts. Some argue anchors have become sensationalized characters whose identities overshadow the news itself, while others cite anchors as necessary figureheads of "wisdom and truth" in the news broadcast. The role of the anchor has changed in recent years following the advent of satirical journalism and citizen journalism , both of which relocate the interpretation of truth outside traditional professional journalism, but

232-425: A criticism against the anchor in this case, claiming that by decreasing the number of people responsible for delivering the news, American viewers receive a bottlenecked stream of information about their surroundings. The choreography and performativity involved in the construction of the news broadcast dramatizes political processes, but in doing so, exposes its flattening of subjectivity and insistence upon itself as

290-573: A dedication on 20/20 . In April 2018, A&E Originals signed Vargas to a first-look and production deal. Vargas would serve as the anchor of its A&E Investigates banner for new non-fiction prime-time journalism programming. She broadcast her first A&E Investigates series, Cults & Extreme Belief , in May 2018. The Untold Story , a series focusing on the untold stories of influential people and events, premiered in April 2019. In January 2021, it

348-462: A discussion paper titled The Business of Getting "The Get": Nailing an Exclusive Interview in Prime Time . Chung has been married to talk show host Maury Povich since 1984. They have one son, Matthew Jay Povich, whom they adopted on June 20, 1995. On September 17, 2024, Chung released a memoir, Connie . In her early career, Chung was only the second woman and the first Asian to anchor

406-510: A family vacation in 2012, she realized she needed help. She sought treatment in Utah , but departed prematurely and eventually relapsed. On November 6, 2013, ABC confirmed a New York Daily News story that Vargas was undergoing treatment for alcoholism in Tennessee. "I am dealing with addiction," Vargas said. Once again, Vargas left rehab too soon but quickly realized it was a mistake. Within

464-410: A former anchor for NBC Nightly News , evidences this lapse in credibility generated by the celebration of the role of the anchor. In early 2015, Williams apologized to his viewers for fabricating stories of his experiences on the scene of major news events, an indiscretion resulting in a loss of 700,000 viewers for NBC Nightly News . David Folkenflik of NPR asserted that the scandal "corrodes trust in

522-455: A historically accurate and detailed description of what happened." Connie Chung Constance Yu-Hwa Chung Povich (née Chung ; born August 20, 1946) is an American journalist who has been a news anchor and reporter for the U.S. television news networks ABC , CBS , NBC , CNN , and MSNBC . Some of her more famous interview subjects include Claus von Bülow and U.S. representative Gary Condit , whom Chung interviewed first after

580-472: A news broadcast format in the United States was Paul Harvey . With the development of the 24-hour news cycle and dedicated cable news channels , the role of the anchor evolved. Anchors would still present material prepared for a news program, but they also interviewed experts about various aspects of breaking news stories, and themselves provided improvised commentary, all under the supervision of

638-626: A part-time English teacher. She has two siblings, Amy and Christopher, who both work in tech in Silicon Valley . Her father was a U.S. army captain and moved the family to Okinawa when she was four years old. Vargas then spent much of her youth moving from post to post in Germany, Belgium , and the United States. Vargas graduated from an American high school in Heidelberg , where she realized her passion for journalism. Vargas enrolled at

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696-485: A particular anchor seems to influence viewer perception less than the presence of an anchor in general. The role of the anchor correlates with the analogous, authority- and information-bearing positions already well-established in American politics , and the benefits it confers upon the political realm elucidate the compatibility between these two systems of information. Once again, Morse outlines this relationship between

754-460: A permanent basis. She also was on ABC 2000 Today in Las Vegas. Chung, for a short time, hosted her own show on CNN titled Connie Chung Tonight , for which she was paid $ 2 million per year. Though her arrival at CNN was heavily hyped by the network, her show was panned by critics. CNN changed her show from live to tape-delay to improve its continuity. Although it performed moderately well in

812-448: A platform for her complaints. When Navratilova asked why it was unpatriotic to speak out, Chung replied, "Well, you know the old line, love it or leave it". In January 2006, Chung and Maury Povich began hosting a show titled Weekends with Maury and Connie on MSNBC . It was Chung's first appearance as a television host since 2003. The show was canceled shortly thereafter; in its final episode that aired June 17, 2006, Chung—dressed in

870-554: A prostitute by the church despite evidence to the contrary. She went on to question the limited role of women within the Catholic church. In 1999, she won an Emmy Award for her coverage of the Elián González story, and in 1998 she was nominated for an Emmy Award for her 20/20 investigation into the wrongful conviction of Betty Tyson. In April 2005, Vargas and Charles Gibson temporarily filled in for Peter Jennings , who

928-598: A rapid-fire barrage of sharp questions. Consequently, her interviews were often used as a public relations move by those looking to overcome scandal or controversy. Some of her more famous interview subjects include Claus von Bülow and U.S. representative Gary Condit , whom Chung interviewed first after the Chandra Levy disappearance. Chung accepted a teaching fellowship at the John F. Kennedy School of Government at Harvard University . While at Harvard, she wrote

986-475: A reporter on 20/20 and cohost of the Monday edition of the program alongside Charles Gibson . In 2001, she conducted an interview with Gary Condit on Primetime Thursday , focusing on his relationship with murdered Washington, D.C., intern Chandra Levy . She was a guest host of the morning program Good Morning America . After short-lived host Lisa McRee left the program, Chung declined to take over on

1044-609: A substitute anchor for Today and the weekend editions of NBC Nightly News . In June 1996, she joined ABC News ' Good Morning America as the newsreader and Joan Lunden 's likely "heir apparent". In June 1997, ABC promoted Vargas to prime time magazine show correspondent, succeeded by Kevin Newman as newsreader. In 2002, she became one of the anchors of 20/20 Downtown , which was later rebranded Downtown before being rebranded again in 2003 as Primetime Monday before its end. She later reported occasionally for Primetime . She

1102-520: A week, she returned for treatment for a third time. Shortly after coming home, she and husband Marc Cohn divorced. On January 24, 2014, Vargas described herself as an alcoholic. Over the next few years, she wrote Between Breaths: A Memoir of Panic and Addiction . Her book was published by Grand Central Publishing on September 13, 2016, and became an instant New York Times and USA Today best-seller. In 2018, NBC News reported that Vargas had been sober since 2014. News anchor The role of

1160-486: A white evening gown and dancing on top of a black piano—sang a parody to the tune of " Thanks for the Memory ". Video clips of the off-key farewell performance circulated on internet video sites. Chung commented, "All I want to be sure of is that viewers understood it was a giant self-parody. If anyone took it seriously, they really need to get a life". Chung's interviews were largely gentle, but often they were punctuated by

1218-557: Is also a news anchor for NewsNation , where she hosts Elizabeth Vargas Reports currently based in New York City . In 2006 Vargas was co-anchor of World News Tonight alongside ABC News journalist Bob Woodruff . Elizabeth Anne Vargas was born in Paterson, New Jersey , the daughter of an Italian-Spanish father, Rafael "Ralf" Vargas, a colonel in the U.S. Army from Puerto Rico , and an Irish-American mother, Anne Vargas,

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1276-414: Is one of the most flexible talents I've ever worked with. She could do interviews, and do hour-long specials that make you think, and then she'll do a great interview with P. Diddy . She is versatile." Vargas left WBBM-TV in 1993. In 1993, Vargas joined NBC News as a correspondent for Now with Tom Brokaw and Katie Couric . She later became a correspondent mainly for Dateline NBC , and also served as

1334-708: The CBS Evening News with Walter Cronkite in the early 1970s during the Watergate political scandal. Chung left to anchor evening newscasts for KNXT, a CBS owned and operated station in Los Angeles (now KCBS-TV ). Her co-anchors at KNXT included Joe Benti , Brent Musburger and Jess Marlow . The Los Angeles Times TV columnist said Chung "helped give Channel 2 an agreeable, respectable, middle-road identity". Chung also anchored CBS's primetime news updates ( CBS Newsbreak ) for West Coast stations from

1392-476: The Chandra Levy disappearance, and basketball legend Magic Johnson after he went public about being HIV-positive . In 1993, she became the second woman to co-anchor a network newscast as part of CBS Evening News . The youngest of ten children, Chung was born in Washington, D.C., less than a year after her family emigrated from China , and was raised in Washington, D.C. Her father, William Ling Chung,

1450-585: The University of Missouri in Columbia in 1980 and graduated with a bachelor's degree in journalism in 1984, having served as a student reporter at KOMU-TV and a student editor at KBIA . Former advisors spoke well of her competency in her journalism work on campus; Rod Gelatt, former KOMU news director, noted that she was the first student to ever fill in for him as moderator of the station's Missouri Forum public affairs program and Kent Collins, chairman of

1508-591: The KNXT studios at Columbia Square during her tenure there. In early 2018, Chung was asked if she was sexually harassed in her career. She replied, "Oh, yeah! Oh, sure. Yeah. Every day. I mean, a lot. Especially when I started out". Later that year, following Christine Blasey Ford 's testimony to the Senate Judiciary Committee alleging she was sexually assaulted by Brett Kavanaugh , Chung wrote an open letter to Blasey-Ford in which Chung said she

1566-446: The Monday edition of 20/20 with Charles Gibson and began independent interviews. In an interview by Chung on Eye to Eye with Kathleen Gingrich on January 5, 1995, (mother of Republican politician Newt Gingrich ), Mrs. Gingrich said she could not say what her son thought about First Lady Hillary Clinton on the air. Chung asked Mrs. Gingrich to "just whisper it to me, just between you and me"; Mrs. Gingrich's microphone volume

1624-606: The US since Connie Chung and Barbara Walters . She is said to be "particularly proud" of an ABC special report in which she questioned why the Laci Peterson case merited more attention than two other similar cases, one involving a black woman and the other involving a Hispanic woman. Another story, based on the book The Da Vinci Code and the role of Mary Magdalene , helped fuel a nationwide religious debate. Vargas stated that for centuries Mary Magdalene has been portrayed as

1682-459: The anchor and the larger context in which they operate: "[s]ince there are few other organs for inclusive and substantial discourse on social and cultural values in American life, the responsibility for interpreting the world and posing a political course of action and a social agenda falls on a very limited number of public personas, including such news personalities and the president". She levies

1740-438: The anchor's construction of a commodified, aestheticized version of the news, some critics defend the role of the anchor in society, claiming that they function as a necessary conduit of credibility. The news anchor's position as an omnipotent arbiter of information results from their place behind a typically elevated desk, wherefrom they interact with reporters through a screen-within-screen spatial setup. A criticism levied against

1798-689: The anchor, in NBC and in the greater profession", exhibiting the way in which the credibility of the anchor extends beyond their literal place behind the news desk and into the expectation of the news medium at large. CBS's long-running nighttime news broadcast 60 Minutes displays this purported superfluousness of anchors, insofar as it has no central figurehead in favor of many correspondents with similarly important roles. Up-and-coming news networks like Vice magazine's documentary-style reporting also eschew traditional news broadcast formatting in this way, suggesting an emphasis on on-site reporting and deemphasizing

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1856-407: The final word of truth. More specifically, "the news media may do 'an important social good when using the techniques of dramaturgy to make governance more interesting to people than would be the case otherwise.' At the same time, however, 'there is an important difference between drama and democracy, with the former requiring spectators and the latter participants.'" In contrast to perceptions of

1914-621: The first usage of this term on television. The anchor term then became commonly used by 1952 to describe the most prominent member of a panel of reporters or experts. The term "anchorman" also was used to describe Walter Cronkite 's role at the Democratic and Republican National Conventions , where he coordinated switches between news points and reporters. The widespread claim that news anchors were called "cronkiters" in Swedish has been debunked by linguist Ben Zimmer . Anchors occupy

1972-406: The importance of the solitary anchor in the news medium. In her essay, "News as Performance", Margaret Morse posits this connection between anchor persona newsroom as an interconnected identity fusing many aspects of the newsroom dynamic: For the anchor represents not merely the news per se , or a particular network or corporate conglomerate that owns the network, or television as an institution, or

2030-498: The interview. Thousands of viewers in Oklahoma and elsewhere called and wrote letters of protest over the tone of the questions. Moreover, co-anchor Dan Rather was irate that Chung was sent from New York to the assignment while he was already in nearby Texas. Consequently, after public outcry, and Rather's complaints, Chung left the network after being removed as co-anchor of CBS Evening News . In 1997, Chung moved to ABC News as

2088-422: The lead (or main) producer, who coordinated the broadcast by communicating with the anchor through an earphone. Many anchors help write or edit news for their programs, although modern news formats often distinguish between anchor and commentator in an attempt to establish the "character" of a news anchor. The mix of "straight" news and commentary varies depending on the type of program and the skills and knowledge of

2146-424: The network and its viewers: "People tend to want to believe and trust in television news and start, really, from the anchor". Beneficial or not, the anchor fits snugly into the " personality cult " engendered within American society that encourages celebrity that demands a hierarchy of authority, evidenced by the negligible change in ratings following implementation of new anchors in broadcast lineups. The identity of

2204-465: The news as a one-sided relationship with its viewers, some believe that the news works in conjunction with its audience to produce the most efficient picture possible of the world. Tom Brokaw, in speaking about his experiences as a news anchor for NBC, explained how news stories for the length of their duration tend to feed off viewers' demands, and that news is inherently a "populist medium", and that "[p]eople are not going to turn to television networks for

2262-480: The news presenter developed over time. Classically, the presenter would read the news from news "copy" which they may or may not have helped write with a news writer . This was often taken almost directly from wire services and then rewritten. Prior to the television era, radio-news broadcasts often mixed news with opinion and each presenter strove for a distinctive style. These presenters were referred to as commentators . The last major figure to present commentary in

2320-418: The particular anchor. The terms anchor , anchorman , or anchorwoman are derived from the usage common in relay racing , specifically the anchor leg , where the position is typically given to the fastest or most experienced competitor on a team. In 1948, "anchor man" was used in the game show Who Said That? to refer to John Cameron Swayze , who was a permanent panel member of the show, in what may be

2378-430: The place anchormen and anchorwomen hold in American media remains consistent. "Just about every single major news anchor since the dawn of the medium after World War II has been aligned with show business," says Frank Rich, writer-at-large for New York magazine , in a polemic against commoditized news reporting, "reading headlines to a camera in an appealing way is incentivized over actual reporting". Brian Williams ,

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2436-436: The public interest; rather, he represents the complex nexus of all of them. In this way, the network anchor position is a "symbolic representation of the institutional order as an integrated totality" (Berger and Luckmann 1967, p. 76), an institutional role on par with that of the president or of a Supreme Court justice, although the role originates in corporate practices rather than political or judicial processes. [...] Despite

2494-408: The ratings (a 500,000 increase in viewers), her show was suspended once the 2003 Iraq War began. During the war, she was reduced to reading hourly headlines. Once CNN resumed regular programming, Chung requested that CNN resume broadcasting her show as soon as possible. The network responded by cancelling it, even though her contract had not yet expired. In an interview, CNN founder Ted Turner called

2552-405: The role of anchor stems from this dynamic, insofar as anchors simply "... regurgitat[e] or reproduc[e] the report of others...", differentiating them from the productive occupations of journalists and on-site reporters. However, journalism professor Elly Alboim articulates the pro-anchor position by characterizing the anchor's nightly presence as a necessary way to build familiarity and trust between

2610-462: The show "just awful". In July 2002, Chung interviewed tennis player Martina Navratilova , who at that time had been a naturalized U.S. citizen for more than 20 years, about her recent criticisms of the U.S. political system. Chung labeled these criticisms "un-American" and "unpatriotic" and suggested Navratilova should "go back to Czechoslovakia " (which had ceased to be a united nation nine years earlier) rather than use her celebrity status to gain

2668-400: The university's journalism faculty, remembered her "aggressive and energetic" work ethic. After college, Vargas worked at Reno 's CBS affiliate KTVN , before moving to Phoenix as a lead reporter for then- ABC affiliate KTVK-TV . After three years there, she moved to Chicago to work at CBS station WBBM-TV , where Phyllis McGrady, a senior vice president at ABC, said of her: "Elizabeth

2726-409: Was also named anchor of World News Tonight Saturday and presented with the opportunity to develop specials for Primetime . In November 2003, Vargas became anchor of World News Tonight Sunday. She was named co-anchor of 20/20 in May 2004. Vargas was the first national evening news anchor of Puerto Rican and Irish-American heritage and also the third female anchor of a network evening newscast in

2784-565: Was also planned to move to Mondays, but Chung's increasing health commitments and pregnancy led to the show being replaced by The Trials of Rosie O'Neill . On June 1, 1993, she became the second woman (after Barbara Walters with ABC in 1976) to co-anchor a major network's national weekday news broadcast. While hosting the CBS Evening News , Chung also hosted a side project on CBS, Eye to Eye with Connie Chung . After her co-anchoring duties with Dan Rather ended in 1995, Chung left CBS. She eventually jumped to ABC News, where she co-hosted

2842-557: Was an intelligence officer in the Chinese Nationalist Government , and five of her siblings died during wartime. She was named after singer and actress Constance Moore . Chung attended Montgomery Blair High School in Silver Spring, Maryland . In 1969, she graduated from the University of Maryland, College Park with a degree in journalism. Chung was a Washington, D.C.–based correspondent for

2900-752: Was announced that Vargas would host a new show on NewsNation , titled Elizabeth Vargas Reports, which is slated to premiere on April 3, 2023. Vargas has explained that despite her multi-ethnic heritage, she identifies with her Hispanic roots. She is fluent in English and Spanish and proficient in French . On July 20, 2002, Vargas married singer-songwriter Marc Cohn after three years of dating. They have two sons, Zach and Sam. Vargas also has two stepchildren, Max and Emily, from Cohn's first marriage. In August 2014, Entertainment Tonight reported that Vargas and Cohn were divorcing after 12 years of marriage. Vargas

2958-821: Was assaulted in college by the doctor who delivered her, during an appointment when she approached him for birth control. In 1983, Chung returned to network news as anchor of NBC 's new early program, NBC News at Sunrise , which was scheduled as the lead-in to the Today program. She was also anchor of the Saturday edition of NBC Nightly News and filled in for Tom Brokaw on weeknights. NBC also created two newsmagazines, American Almanac and 1986 , which she co-hosted with Roger Mudd . In 1989, Chung returned to CBS to host Saturday Night with Connie Chung (later renamed Face to Face with Connie Chung ) (1989–90) and anchor CBS Sunday Evening News (1989–1993). The former show

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3016-441: Was confirmed that Vargas would host a revival of America's Most Wanted on Fox , which premiered on March 15, 2021. Vargas is now the anchor of News Cafe on A&E's FYI Network . On September 19, 2022, Vargas guest anchored NewsNation Prime during the week until September 23, 2022. Vargas then became the host of a syndicated true crime series shortly after called iCrime with Elizabeth Vargas . On January 10, 2023, it

3074-483: Was introduced to Transcendental Meditation in 2014 by fellow ABC anchor George Stephanopoulos . Vargas's lifelong battle with alcohol stemmed from anxiety rooted in her childhood. After her father joined the Vietnam War , she began suffering daily panic attacks. She was told early on that she should hide her anxiety to avoid appearing weak, but this only intensified the problem and her addiction to alcohol. During

3132-684: Was not made sole permanent anchor. According to these sources, his gambit succeeded and she was left embittered, although not enough to sever ties with the network. In late 2006, Vargas returned as co-anchor of 20/20 and primary host of ABC News specials. In 2008, Vargas hosted Elvis: Viva Las Vegas , a documentary that explored Elvis Presley 's triumph in Las Vegas and his artistic legacy, and featured performances and interviews with various stars, including Paul McCartney , Beyoncé , Dwayne Johnson , Faith Hill , David Lynch , Jon Bon Jovi , Celine Dion , and Priscilla Presley . In 2013, Vargas won

3190-488: Was parodied on Saturday Night Live . A few months later, in the wake of the April 1995 Oklahoma City bombing , Chung was widely criticized for sarcasm as she asked an Oklahoma City Fire Department spokesman, "Can the Oklahoma City Fire Department handle this? " Many Oklahomans felt the question was insensitive to the situation. A few women created "Bite Me, Connie Chung" shirts in response to

3248-633: Was receiving chemotherapy for lung cancer, on World News Tonight until Jennings's death in August. After a period of mourning and indecision, she and Bob Woodruff were chosen as co-anchors on December 5, 2005. She anchored many broadcasts alone after Woodruff's injury in Iraq in January 2006. She also co-anchored World News Tonight with either Charles Gibson or Diane Sawyer . On May 23, 2006, Vargas announced her resignation from World News Tonight . Gibson

3306-472: Was then named sole anchor of the show, effective from May 29, 2006, replacing Vargas and Woodruff. To explain the sudden change, Vargas cited her doctors' recommendation to considerably cut back her schedule owing to a difficult pregnancy and her wish to spend more time with her new baby when he arrived. Most inside accounts, however, said she fully expected and wished to return to the anchor chair soon after giving birth, but Gibson threatened to quit ABC News if he

3364-476: Was turned up as she replied, "He thinks she's a bitch". Many people interpreted Chung's suggestion to Mrs. Gingrich that she whisper her response as a promise that it would be off the record . Bill Carter for The New York Times reported, "Ms. Chung had become the object of some of the most ferocious criticism, justified or not, ever directed at any network anchor as a result of her now infamous interview with Speaker Newt Gingrich's mother, Kathleen". The interview

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