The Most Memorable Stories of 2013 for TV News Hosts Were…

By Jordan Chariton 

Giner Zee paraglidingTV news wrapped 2013 with end-of-year review shows featuring signature  moments, and TVNewser asked some of broadcast and cable news’ biggest stars what their top stories of last year were.

“GMA’s” Ginger Zee picked two: her adventure feeding vultures while paragliding in Nepal, and covering the death of one of her mentors, storm chaser Tim Samaras.

“CBS This Morning’s” Gayle King picked both a serious and more light-hearted story:

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“It’s hard to call the death of Nelson Mandela a favorite story, but it was an honor to be able to attend his funeral and burial services and share it with the CBS audience,” King said. Dishing about legendary actress Shirley MacLaine’s personal life was also a highlight for King:

“I was curious about her love life. She’s happily single, so I asked her if booty calls and friends with benefits were an option these days. Her response: ‘What the hell are you talking about?’ We all cracked up over that one. Thank you Shirley!”

The tragic Oklahoma tornado stands out for “Today’s” Al Roker.

“The Moore, Oklahoma tornado was something that I will never forget.  Producer Sean Reis and I were at the school right after the tornado hit. That town suffered so much and the country responded. To have people there saying ‘thank you’ for being there – that’s why we do this.”

Another tragedy moved Fox News anchor Bill Hemmer.

“One of the outstanding things I witnessed from 2013 was the resiliency in the people of Boston… it was remarkable,” Hemmer said.  “From one of the darkest days in the history of that great American city, rises an American spirit to take back it’s city.”

Unsurprisingly, courtroom drama was tops for HLN’s Nancy Grace.

“Its a real tie between two verdict moments I covered live on HLN. The jury’s true verdict of ‘guilty’ in the Jodi Arias murder trial, juxtaposed with the completely unjust verdict of ‘not guilty’ in the George Zimmerman trial. Both verdicts inspire me to keep fighting for justice.”

And for MSNBC’s Al Sharpton, it was a monumental Supreme Court decision—and marching afterward— that struck a chord:

“As I sat in the Supreme Court listening to the oral arguments on the voting rights act, I was stunned to hear Justice Antonin Scalia call voting rights a racial entitlement,” Sharpton said. He recounts sitting in the courtroom next to civil rights icon Congressman John Lewis, as well as Reverend Jesse Jackson.

“After hearing the arguments as I walked down the steps with my contemporary Martin Luther King III, we thought that something must be done in our generation.”  The “PoliticsNation” host went on to co-plan the 50th anniversary of the March on Washington, joined by 200,000 to “keep the movement alive.”

You’ve heard from the folks on-air, so now it’s your turn: what were your favorite stories of 2013? Comment below.

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