Jim Avila, the veteran correspondent whose reporting took him from local newsrooms to the White House, war zones and major court cases, died at 70, ABC News reported on November 13, 2025. The network said he had been ill for a long time. His career spanned NBC News and ABC News, followed by a return to local investigative reporting in San Diego.
What did Jim Avila report?
Avila covered politics, law, justice and consumer issues. His reporting included the White House from 2012 to 2016, the September 11 attacks and their aftermath, the DC sniper shootings, and assignments in Afghanistan and Iraq. ABC News’ account of his career says he filed reports from inside NBC’s Baghdad hotel compound during and after it was bombed.
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He also covered prominent trials. ABC’s official biography lists the O.J. Simpson, Michael Jackson and Sandusky/Penn State cases. The Los Angeles Times recalls that Avila was a regular presence at the courthouse during the O.J. Simpson trial while reporting for KNBC.
The “pink slime” investigation
In 2012, Avila reported an ABC News story about “pink slime,” a processed meat product used as filler in ground beef. The Los Angeles Times reports that Beef Products Inc. sued ABC News for $1.9 billion and that the network settled for $177 million while standing by its reporting. Those figures and the account of the settlement are the newspaper’s; they describe the lawsuit against ABC News, not a personal judgment against Avila.
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How did his career develop?
Avila began in local broadcasting. ABC’s biography traces his career from KCBS Radio in San Francisco, where he started in 1973 and later became bureau chief, to KPIX in 1976, WLS in Chicago from 1980 to 1984, WBBM and KNBC in Los Angeles. His work at KNBC included coverage of the Simpson trial.
The network timelines differ slightly, so the dates are best kept tied to their sources. ABC’s biography says Avila joined NBC News in 1996 and later moved to ABC. The Los Angeles Times says he moved to NBC’s Midwest bureau in 1996, became a national correspondent, and joined ABC News in 2004. The newspaper reports that he remained at ABC until 2022, then returned to local reporting at San Diego’s KGTV in 2023.
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ABC’s biography also says that, beginning in 1997, he averaged 130 reports a year on NBC Nightly News. That is the network’s published career figure, not an independently audited total.
What awards and recognition did Avila receive?
ABC News reported that Avila received two National Emmy Awards and five Edward R. Murrow Awards, along with a Cine Golden Eagle Award, the Mongerson Prize for Investigative Reporting and five Chicago-area Emmy Awards. The network’s biography says the National Association of Hispanic Journalists named him Reporter of the Year in 1999 and inducted him into its Hall of Fame in 2019.
ABC’s biography also credits Avila with winning the White House Correspondents’ Association Merriman Award for breaking the news that the United States and Cuba had reopened diplomatic relations.
Independent reader supportYour contribution helps us test, update, and keep practical guides available for everyone.What is known about his death?
ABC News reported on November 13, 2025, that Avila had died at age 70 after a long illness. The network said ABC News President Almin Karamehmedovic announced his death internally. Karamehmedovic called him “a gifted journalist and a generous colleague.”
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Accounts published by the Los Angeles Times and CBS Chicago differ about where Avila died and the immediate circumstances. The Los Angeles Times, citing former colleague Josh Mankiewicz, reported that he died at Providence Hospital in Mission Viejo and linked his death to complications from a fall. CBS Chicago, citing his family, reported that he died at home in San Diego. ABC’s report confirms his age and describes a long illness; the more specific details are not consistent across these accounts.
The sources also differ on one child’s name: ABC lists Jamie, Jenny and Evan, while the Los Angeles Times lists Jamie, Jeanette and Evan. The discrepancy is unresolved in those reports.
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