Jim Avila, a distinguished former senior correspondent for ABC News whose investigative journalism earned him numerous prestigious awards, has died. Most reliable sources indicate he was 70 years old.
His death after a long illness was announced internally on November 13, 2025, by ABC News President Almin Karamehmedovic. Avila had also served as a correspondent for the network’s long-running investigative program “20/20” before departing from ABC News in 2021.
“Jim was a gifted journalist and a generous colleague,” Karamehmedovic said in an email to staff. The network president extended heartfelt condolences to Avila’s family, including his three children, Jamie, Jenny, and Evan, thanking him for his many contributions and unwavering commitment to seeking out the truth.
Avila specialized in politics, justice, law, and consumer investigations throughout his nearly two-decade tenure at ABC News. Based in Los Angeles, he built a reputation for thorough reporting on complex topics that affected viewers nationwide. His work demonstrated the kind of persistent journalism that holds institutions accountable and brings important stories to light.
From 2012 to 2016, Avila served as a White House correspondent, covering President Barack Obama’s second term. During this assignment, he broke the news that the United States and Cuba had reopened diplomatic relations, a significant development in international affairs after decades of frozen ties between the two nations. This exclusive reporting earned him the prestigious Merriman Award from the White House Correspondents Association, one of journalism’s highest honors for presidential coverage.
As senior law and justice correspondent, Avila covered many of the most high-profile criminal trials in recent American history. His reporting included the Jerry Sandusky case at Penn State, the Michael Jackson trial, and the O.J. Simpson trial. These assignments required navigating complex legal proceedings while delivering clear, accurate information to viewers trying to understand cases that captured national attention.
Immigration and border issues formed another major focus of Avila’s reporting career. He made several trips to the southern border to document stories of immigrants, providing viewers with ground-level perspectives on one of America’s most debated policy areas. He also covered the death of Freddie Gray and the subsequent civil unrest in Baltimore, reporting on events that sparked national conversations about policing and justice.
Before joining ABC News in 2004, Avila worked as a national correspondent for NBC News. During that period, he covered the aftermath of the September 11 attacks and reported from both Iraq and Afghanistan, bringing Americans news from conflict zones during a critical period in the nation’s history. His international reporting demonstrated the range and depth of his journalistic capabilities.
Avila’s excellence in broadcast journalism was recognized with numerous awards throughout his career. Reports indicate he won two National Emmy Awards and five Edward R. Murrow Awards. His work also earned him the Cine Golden Eagle Award, the Mongerson Prize for Investigative Reporting, and five Chicago-area Emmy Awards in the category of spot news. The breadth of these honors reflects both the quality and variety of his reporting.
The National Association of Hispanic Journalists honored Avila as reporter of the year in 1999. Two decades later, in 2019, the organization named him a Hall of Fame honoree, recognizing his lasting contributions to journalism and his role as a prominent Latino voice in broadcast news. He also garnered three Peter Lisagor Awards from the Headline Club of Chicago for his coverage of the Peru drug wars and the death of Mayor Harold Washington, and was named Best Reporter of 1989.
After departing ABC News in 2021, Avila continued his journalism career by joining KGTV, the ABC affiliate in San Diego, in 2023. As senior investigative reporter at the station, he covered a wide range of stories with depth and fairness, according to colleagues. Even as health challenges emerged, including undergoing a kidney transplant, Avila remained committed to journalism through opinion writing and local reporting.
His brother donated the kidney for the transplant, which reports indicate occurred in 2018. ABC News Live anchor Diane Macedo announced his death to viewers, noting that Avila faced his health challenges with courage. His brother, Jaie Avila, works as a reporter for KABB.
Karamehmedovic noted in his message to ABC News staff that even after his health problems began, Avila continued to contribute to journalism, sharing his experience and deep curiosity to tell the stories that mattered most to his community and viewers. This dedication to the craft exemplified the commitment that defined his decades-long career in broadcast journalism.
Throughout his career, Avila demonstrated the essential qualities of investigative journalism: persistence in pursuing stories, fairness in reporting them, and commitment to uncovering the truth even when facing significant obstacles. His work spanned local stations to national networks, covering everything from breaking news to in-depth investigations, from political developments to human interest stories that revealed the experiences of ordinary Americans.
His legacy includes not only the individual stories he reported but also his role in mentoring younger journalists and maintaining high standards for broadcast journalism during a time of significant changes in the media landscape. Colleagues remembered him as both a skilled reporter and a generous coworker who shared his knowledge with others in the newsroom.
