As David Muir tells it, ABC’s “Made in America” series was borne out of a desire to reflect an American audience worried about a stagnant economy and “hungry for solutions.”
“We can all do the typical pieces on the economy, and the jobs numbers, probably every night,” Muir tells TVNewser. “We were looking for a way that could tell the story of this economy in a way people could relate to and connect to. And everybody knows what the three words ‘Made in America’ mean.”
The ongoing series, which Muir and Sharyn Alfonsi report for “ABC World News,” was launched this spring to showcase American manufacturing, the economy and the ordinary things that can be done to create jobs in the U.S.
Of all his reports, Muir says, the “Made in America” series is what viewers respond to the most — on Facebook and Twitter, in line at Starbucks, and even from Washington, DC, where Treasury Secretary Timothy Geithner, who Muir interviewed last week, complimented him on the series.
“We knew we touched on something,” Muir said. “We’ve hit a nerve with Americans who are desperate for solutions on jobs and how to turn the economy around.”
ABC News has gotten many of its story ideas from the many viewers who have reached out to them asking to be featured on the series.
“People feel as though it’s extremely accessible,” Muir said. “That’s the difference from other stories before. We’ve answered the calls of our viewers many times. They have created the story line for us.”