Goodbye ABC

A farewell note and some exciting developments ahead.

It's wild to me that this picture was taken nine years ago. 

It was August 9th, 2015. I had moved to New York City just nine days earlier and was starting my new job as a correspondent for ABC News Radio the next day, August 10th. Needless to say, I was nervous, excited, and confident but also a little scared.

The funny thing is, when I look at this picture now, I don't feel like it was all that long ago. No doubt, though, a lot has happened since then.

Over six years as a staff correspondent, I covered virtually every kind of news story you could think of, from business to crime, protests to pandemics, and court cases to hurricanes. But the thing I enjoyed doing more than anything else was elections. I loved traveling and covering campaigns. I loved talking to voters, hearing where they're coming from, and learning why they're supporting their candidate.

I came to ABC News right as the 2016 presidential election was heating up, and one of my first assignments was at the New Hampshire Primary. From 2016 until 2020, I traveled to numerous states and covered virtually every major campaign in some capacity. It was incredible seeing history being made firsthand. I was there when Donald Trump was elected President of the United States. Four years later, I was there when Joe Biden launched his campaign in Pittsburgh. I was in Philadelphia when Biden won the 2020 election, and the whole country was watching the vote count in Pennsylvania. I also watched from Pennsylvania Avenue as Biden entered the White House as the 46th President for the first time.

Reporting from Virginia on Hurricane Joaquin, 2015.

Besides day-to-day news, I also had the extraordinary opportunity to take part in long-form investigations at ABC. My first podcast in 2017 was #1 on Apple Podcasts for a week and got me a mention in New York Magazine. My second project topped Apple's true-crime podcasts chart and earned me a national award in investigative journalism.

In the three years since I stepped away from my staff position, I have worked as a freelance anchor for ABC. Each shift, I write and deliver newscasts that are heard on stations across the country.

Now, on August 10th, 2024 — nine years to the day since I started at ABC News — I bid ABC and the Walt Disney Company farewell (for all intents and purposes).

On Pennsylvania Avenue covering the Inauguration of President Joe Biden, January 20th, 2020

What’s Next

As many of you know, more than two years ago, I decided to pursue a career in law. I began studying for the LSAT and working on my applications, and in the Fall of 2023, I began studying at Fordham University School of Law.

In the same way that I look back on the past nine years at ABC and wonder how I fit so much stuff in during that time, I feel the same way about law school. I look back over the past year and can't believe everything I've done. Law school is a ton of work, and it's tough to stay up on your classes and balance the rest of your life (especially when you work overnight shifts like I did). But law school is also incredibly rewarding, and I'm extremely proud of my work so far. As such, it's why I decided earlier this year to pursue it full-time.

I began in Fordham's part-time program, splitting my time between work and school. But after a lot of reflection, I felt it was time to devote myself to my studies fully. That's why I've decided to step back from my regular work at ABC, and tonight will be my last scheduled shift in the anchor's chair (You're really standing in a booth, but whatever).

First day of 1L classes, August 2023

Starting later this month, I am excited to take a full load of classes at Fordham and to work for Fordham Law's Intellectual Property, Media & Entertainment Journal. I'm also thrilled to share that I'll also be interning in the chambers of the Hon. Robyn F. Tarnofsky in the Southern District of New York. I'll be down at the Daniel Patrick Moynihan United States Courthouse a few days a week, assisting Judge Tarnofsky and her staff. It's such an honor to get to see how our court system works from the inside and to serve the community where I live.

While tonight will be my last shift for ABC News on books, I hope not to be a stranger, so perhaps you'll hear me on air again. But until then, this is goodbye to a wonderful company, an outstanding news organization filled with incredible people, and one of the best jobs I've ever had. I'm truly blessed to have had so many wonderful opportunities, and I could not have done all these things without the support of my colleagues, friends, and family.

Wish me luck this coming semester and my career going forward. I'll have plenty more exciting things to share in the coming months and will provide updates as warranted.

All the best,

Mark