Remembering ABC's Jim Avila

November 13, 2025

I’m deeply saddened to learn of the passing of Jim Avila, a longtime ABC News senior correspondent whose fearless investigative journalism earned him some of the most prestigious awards in broadcast news. Jim died after a ‘long illness,’ according to his family. He was 69.

I first met Jim when I was a young 23-year-old intern at ABC News 20/20 in 2010. I still remember walking into the editing suite on the second floor of the former ABC News headquarters at Lincoln Square in Manhattan, nervous, eager, and hoping I wouldn’t be in the way. Jim didn’t just welcome me into the room. He welcomed me into the work.

He was kind, generous with his time, and genuinely invested in helping a young intern understand the craft. I spent nearly an entire day watching Jim and his editor shape a story frame by frame. He never made me feel like an outsider. Instead, he gave me a front-row seat to what great journalism looks like when done with integrity, patience, and purpose.

Jim devoted nearly two decades to ABC News as a 20/20 correspondent based in Los Angeles before departing in 2021. He specialized in politics, justice, law, and consumer investigations, reporting that often held the powerful accountable and uplifted the voices of people who needed to be heard. He also covered the White House from 2012 to 2016 during President Barack Obama’s second term. In 2019, he was inducted into the National Association of Hispanic Journalists Hall of Fame for his extraordinary career and impact.

I’ll remember Jim not only for the stories he told, but for the way he treated those around him. His kindness left a mark on me during a formative time in my career. He was one of the people who truly inspired and mentored me during my internship at ABC News.

May he rest in peace, and may his legacy continue to inspire future journalists the way it inspired me. Thinking of Jim’s family, his friends and all those who knew and loved him.