ABC’s Bob Woodruff will follow in the footsteps of Jerry Lewis, Bob Schieffer, Mary Tyler Moore, Edward R. Murrow, Oprah Winfrey and President Ronald Reagan, when he receives the NAB Distinguished Service Award during the 2016 NAB Show in Las Vegas next month.
“Bob Woodruff is a shining example of excellence in television news reporting,” said NAB President and CEO Gordon Smith. “From Afghanistan to Iraq to North Korea, Bob has been on the front lines of the most important stories. The personal tragedy he has faced in pursuit of the news, in addition to his philanthropic efforts, make him more than qualified for NAB’s highest honor.”
Ten years ago, Woodruff and his cameraman Doug Vogt were seriously injured when an IED exploded as they reported from Taji, Iraq. Woodruff returned to ABC a year later with the prime time special To Iraq and Back: Bob Woodruff Reports.
Woodruff and his wife Lee co-wrote a bestselling memoir, In an Instant, which chronicles how the family persevered. The Bob Woodruff Foundation has raised more than $30 million for hundreds of military and veterans programs and nearly two million service members.