ABC News’ Pierre Thomas to emcee the 2024 First Amendment Awards
The RTDNA Foundation is honored to announce ABC News’ Pierre Thomas will be the Master of Ceremonies for the 34th annual First Amendment Awards, to be held March 6 at the Watergate Hotel in Washington, D.C.
The First Amendment Awards honor journalists, organizations and individuals for their dedication to upholding the First Amendment and their commitment to a free press. This year’s honorees are CBS News’ Lesley Stahl, CNN’s Omar Jimenez, NPR’s Steve Inskeep, ABC News’ Rachel Scott, Ballard Spahr attorney Chuck Tobin, Fox News’ Trey Yingst and Lifetime Achievement recipient Karen DeWitt.
The RTDNA Foundation selected Thomas as emcee, stating: “Pierre Thomas is among the most respected and trusted names in journalism. He’s also one of the kindest. It is always an honor for us to work with Pierre on any project, and we are thrilled to have him as our emcee at the 34th annual First Amendment Awards.”
As chief justice correspondent for ABC News, Thomas delivers in-depth reporting across “World News Tonight with David Muir,” “Good Morning America,” “Nightline,” “This Week with George Stephanopoulos,” and all ABC News platforms, including, ABC News Live, ABC News Radio and ABC News Digital. Since joining the network in November 2000, Thomas has covered some of the most pivotal moments in modern history.
Throughout his distinguished career, Thomas has received numerous prestigious accolades, including the Paul White Award— the Radio Television Digital News Association's highest honor. He is one of only three journalists, alongside Walter Cronkite, to have also received RTDNA’s John F. Hogan Distinguished Service Award. In 2024, the Emmys inducted him into its Silver Circle, recognizing his 25 years of journalistic excellence, and he has been honored by the Society of Professional Journalists’ Washington, D.C., chapter Hall of Fame. Thomas was named Journalist of the Year by the National Association of Black Journalists (NABJ) in 2012 and received the John S. Carroll Journalist of the Year award from the News Literacy Project in 2022 for his dedication to quality journalism and media literacy.
Thomas has played a critical role in ABC News’ coverage of major national and international events, earning multiple Emmys and Murrow Awards. He was a key correspondent covering the September 11 attacks and their aftermath, contributing to the network’s Peabody, duPont-Columbia, and Emmy award-winning coverage. His reporting has spanned from the Boston Marathon bombing and the Pulse Nightclub shooting to the Mueller investigation into former President Trump. He has provided in-depth analysis on racial injustice, including the death of George Floyd and the subsequent nationwide protests. In 2021, he secured an exclusive television interview with U.S. Capitol Police officer Harry Dunn, who defended the Capitol during the January 6 insurrection.
Before joining ABC News, Thomas was a Justice Department correspondent for CNN, where he broke stories on terrorism, cybercrime, and the FBI’s hunt for Osama bin Laden. Earlier in his career, as a reporter for The Washington Post, he was part of a Pulitzer Prize-finalist team investigating illegal gun use in Washington, D.C. He began his journalism career at The Roanoke Times and World News.
A graduate of Virginia Polytechnic Institute and State University, Thomas is a member of the Gridiron Club, one of the nation’s most prestigious journalistic organizations. He is also a past chairman of the Reporters Committee for Freedom of the Press, which honored him with its Career Achievement Award in 2023.