Cynthia McFadden
Encyclopedia
Cynthia McFadden is an anchor and correspondent for ABC News
who currently co-anchors Nightline and Primetime
.
, Maine
, McFadden graduated Phi Beta Kappa and summa cum laude from Bowdoin College
in Brunswick, Maine
in 1978. Afterwards, she received her Juris Doctorate degree from Columbia Law School
in New York City
in 1984.
. She then joined the Courtroom Television Network as an anchor and producer in 1991, its inaugural year. After working there for several years, she joined ABC News in 1994 as the network's legal correspondent, covering amongst other subjects the OJ Simpson Trial
. She became a correspondent for Primetime in 1996.
on several occasions, an anchor of Nightline on November 28, 2005, along with Martin Bashir
and Terry Moran
, following the long time anchor's final broadcast. The three tend to anchor in shifts, leading the show by themselves every third night. Notably, while Nightline was threatened with cancellation in 2002 under Koppel, it has seen a resurgence in its ratings and prominence over the last few years, often competing for higher numbers with the Late Show with David Letterman
. As anchor, she has conducted a number of significant interviews including ones with celebrities such as Clint Eastwood
and Paul McCartney
, past and present world leaders such as Pervez Musharraf
and Tony Blair
, and five with Secretary of State
Hillary Clinton.
.com, a web site launched in 2008 for women to discuss culture, politics and gossip. She has additionally hosted or co-hosted a number of documentaries and specials on ABC.
McFadden is a Board Member at the IWMF (International Women's Media Foundation).
.
McFadden is also the executrix
of the estate of longtime friend, Academy Award-winning actress Katharine Hepburn
.
She has Crohn's disease
and has done public service announcements to raise awareness of the condition.
ABC News
ABC News is the news gathering and broadcasting division of American broadcast television network ABC, a subsidiary of The Walt Disney Company...
who currently co-anchors Nightline and Primetime
Primetime (TV series)
Primetime is an American news magazine show which debuted on ABC in 1989 with co-hosts Sam Donaldson and Diane Sawyer and originally had the title Primetime Live.-Early history:...
.
Education
Born in LewistonLewiston, Maine
Lewiston is a city in Androscoggin County in Maine, and the second-largest city in the state. The population was 41,592 at the 2010 census. It is one of two principal cities of and included within the Lewiston-Auburn, Maine metropolitan New England city and town area and the Lewiston-Auburn, Maine...
, Maine
Maine
Maine is a state in the New England region of the northeastern United States, bordered by the Atlantic Ocean to the east and south, New Hampshire to the west, and the Canadian provinces of Quebec to the northwest and New Brunswick to the northeast. Maine is both the northernmost and easternmost...
, McFadden graduated Phi Beta Kappa and summa cum laude from Bowdoin College
Bowdoin College
Bowdoin College , founded in 1794, is an elite private liberal arts college located in the coastal Maine town of Brunswick, Maine. As of 2011, U.S. News and World Report ranks Bowdoin 6th among liberal arts colleges in the United States. At times, it was ranked as high as 4th in the country. It is...
in Brunswick, Maine
Brunswick, Maine
Brunswick is a town in Cumberland County, Maine, United States. The population was 20,278 at the 2010 census. It is part of the Portland-South Portland-Biddeford metropolitan area. Brunswick is home to Bowdoin College, the Bowdoin College Museum of Art, the Peary-MacMillan Arctic Museum, , and the...
in 1978. Afterwards, she received her Juris Doctorate degree from Columbia Law School
Columbia Law School
Columbia Law School, founded in 1858, is one of the oldest and most prestigious law schools in the United States. A member of the Ivy League, Columbia Law School is one of the professional graduate schools of Columbia University in New York City. It offers the J.D., LL.M., and J.S.D. degrees in...
in New York City
New York City
New York is the most populous city in the United States and the center of the New York Metropolitan Area, one of the most populous metropolitan areas in the world. New York exerts a significant impact upon global commerce, finance, media, art, fashion, research, technology, education, and...
in 1984.
Early Career and time as ABC News correspondent
From 1984 to 1991, McFadden was the executive producer of Fred Friendly's Media and Society seminars based at Columbia, many of which were broadcast on PBSPublic Broadcasting Service
The Public Broadcasting Service is an American non-profit public broadcasting television network with 354 member TV stations in the United States which hold collective ownership. Its headquarters is in Arlington, Virginia....
. She then joined the Courtroom Television Network as an anchor and producer in 1991, its inaugural year. After working there for several years, she joined ABC News in 1994 as the network's legal correspondent, covering amongst other subjects the OJ Simpson Trial
OJ Simpson trial
OJ Simpson trial may refer to:* O. J. Simpson murder case, Simpson's 1995 criminal trial for murder** O. J. Simpson murder case#Civil trial, the civil trial against Simpson for wrongful death, stemming from the murder case...
. She became a correspondent for Primetime in 1996.
Promotion to Anchor
McFadden became an anchor of Primetime in 2004 and, having previously substituted for Ted KoppelTed Koppel
Edward James "Ted" Koppel is an English-born American broadcast journalist, best known as the anchor for Nightline from the program's inception in 1980 until his retirement in late 2005. After leaving Nightline, Koppel worked as managing editor for the Discovery Channel before resigning in 2008...
on several occasions, an anchor of Nightline on November 28, 2005, along with Martin Bashir
Martin Bashir
Martin Bashir is a British journalist and media personality, currently with NBC News as a contributor for its Dateline program, and an afternoon anchor for MSNBC, hosting Martin Bashir...
and Terry Moran
Terry Moran
Terry Moran is the co-anchor of Nightline.-Biography:Moran was born in Chicago, Illinois. He graduated from Lawrence University in 1982.-Professional career:-Career as Correspondent:...
, following the long time anchor's final broadcast. The three tend to anchor in shifts, leading the show by themselves every third night. Notably, while Nightline was threatened with cancellation in 2002 under Koppel, it has seen a resurgence in its ratings and prominence over the last few years, often competing for higher numbers with the Late Show with David Letterman
Late Show with David Letterman
Late Show with David Letterman is a U.S. late-night talk show hosted by David Letterman on CBS. The show debuted on August 30, 1993, and is produced by Letterman's production company, Worldwide Pants Incorporated. The show's music director and band-leader of the house band, the CBS Orchestra, is...
. As anchor, she has conducted a number of significant interviews including ones with celebrities such as Clint Eastwood
Clint Eastwood
Clinton "Clint" Eastwood, Jr. is an American film actor, director, producer, composer and politician. Eastwood first came to prominence as a supporting cast member in the TV series Rawhide...
and Paul McCartney
Paul McCartney
Sir James Paul McCartney, MBE, Hon RAM, FRCM is an English musician, singer-songwriter and composer. Formerly of The Beatles and Wings , McCartney is listed in Guinness World Records as the "most successful musician and composer in popular music history", with 60 gold discs and sales of 100...
, past and present world leaders such as Pervez Musharraf
Pervez Musharraf
Pervez Musharraf , is a retired four-star general who served as the 13th Chief of Army Staff and tenth President of Pakistan as well as tenth Chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff Committee. Musharraf headed and led an administrative military government from October 1999 till August 2007. He ruled...
and Tony Blair
Tony Blair
Anthony Charles Lynton Blair is a former British Labour Party politician who served as the Prime Minister of the United Kingdom from 2 May 1997 to 27 June 2007. He was the Member of Parliament for Sedgefield from 1983 to 2007 and Leader of the Labour Party from 1994 to 2007...
, and five with Secretary of State
Secretary of State
Secretary of State or State Secretary is a commonly used title for a senior or mid-level post in governments around the world. The role varies between countries, and in some cases there are multiple Secretaries of State in the Government....
Hillary Clinton.
Other work
Cynthia McFadden is also a contributor for wowOwowWowOwow
wowOwow is a U.S.-based website publication run by Joni Evans. The site was launched by CEO Joni Evans, Mary Wells Lawrence, Liz Smith, Lesley Stahl, and Peggy Noonan on March 8, 2008...
.com, a web site launched in 2008 for women to discuss culture, politics and gossip. She has additionally hosted or co-hosted a number of documentaries and specials on ABC.
McFadden is a Board Member at the IWMF (International Women's Media Foundation).
Personal
She married Michael John Davies, editor and publisher of the Hartford Courant, on September 9, 1989; they were divorced in 1996. She has a son with Foreign Affairs editor James Hoge, Spencer Graham McFadden Hoge, who was born in 1998 and was named after the late actor, Spencer TracySpencer Tracy
Spencer Bonaventure Tracy was an American theatrical and film actor, who appeared in 75 films from 1930 to 1967. Tracy was one of the major stars of Hollywood's Golden Age, ranking among the top ten box office draws for almost every year from 1938 to 1951...
.
McFadden is also the executrix
Executor
An executor, in the broadest sense, is one who carries something out .-Overview:...
of the estate of longtime friend, Academy Award-winning actress Katharine Hepburn
Katharine Hepburn
Katharine Houghton Hepburn was an American actress of film, stage, and television. In a career that spanned 62 years as a leading lady, she was best known for playing strong-willed, sophisticated women in both dramas and comedies...
.
She has Crohn's disease
Crohn's disease
Crohn's disease, also known as regional enteritis, is a type of inflammatory bowel disease that may affect any part of the gastrointestinal tract from mouth to anus, causing a wide variety of symptoms...
and has done public service announcements to raise awareness of the condition.
Awards
- George Foster Peabody Award
- Cine Golden Eagles (2)
- Ohio State Award
- Silver Gavels (2) from the American Bar Association
- Grand Award of the New York Festival
- Blue Ribbon of the American Film Festival
- Nominated for an Emmy