Byron Pitts
Byron Pitts was named a contributor to 60 Minutes and chief national correspondent for The CBS Evening News with Katie Couric in January 2009. He had been a national correspondent since February 2006.
Prior to being named contributor, Pitts reported occasionally for 60 Minutes. His first story on the broadcast, an interview with New Orleans Mayor Ray Nagin in August 2006, made national news. Prodded by Pitts about how long it was taking to clean up his city’s streets a year after Hurricane Katrina, Nagin shot back by mocking New York City’s longtime efforts to rebuild Ground Zero. “That’s alright. You guys in New York City can’t get a hole in the ground fixed, and it’s five years later. So let’s be fair,” said Nagin, who later apologized.
Pitts was one of CBS News’ lead reporters during the September 11 attacks and won a national Emmy award for his coverage. As an embedded reporter covering the Iraq War, he was recognized for his work under fire within minutes of the fall of the Saddam statue. Other major stories covered by Pitts include Hurricane Katrina, the war in Afghanistan, the military buildup in Kuwait, the Florida fires, the Elian Gonzalez story, the Florida Presidential recount, the mudslides in Central America and the refugee crisis in Kosovo.
Pitts was named CBS News correspondent in May 1998 and was based in the Miami (1998 to 1999) and Atlanta (1999 to 2001) bureaus before moving to New York in January 2001. Before that, Pitts was a correspondent for CBS NEWSPATH, the 24-hour affiliate news service of CBS News, based in Washington, D.C. (1997 to 1998).
He joined CBS News from WSB-TV Atlanta, where he was a general assignment reporter (1994 to 1996). Previously, Pitts was a special assignment reporter for WCBV-TV Boston (1989 to 1994) and a reporter and substitute anchor for WFLA-TV Tampa (1988 to 1989). He also served as a reporter for WESH-TV Orlando (1986 to 1988) and as a military reporter for WAVY-TV Virginia (1984 to 1986). While at WNCT-TV Greenville, NC, he reported and served as weekend sports anchor (1983 to 1984).
Pitts’ other awards include a national Emmy Award for his coverage of the Chicago train wreck in 1999 and a National Association of Black Journalists Award. He is also the recipient of four Associated Press Awards and six regional Emmy Awards. Pitts is a member of the National Center for Family Literacy’s Advisory Board.
Pitts was born on October 21, 1960, in Baltimore, MD. He graduated from Ohio Wesleyan University in 1982 with a bachelor of arts degree in journalism and speech communication. He lives with his wife in Montclair, NJ.