You've got something big. Maybe it’s a local corruption scandal that makes your blood boil, or perhaps you just witnessed something wild on the street and caught it on your phone. Whatever the case, you’re sitting there wondering: how do i contact abc news without my email disappearing into a black hole?
It happens. Most people think they can just shout into the void of Twitter (or X, if we’re being technical) and a producer will magically appear.
Sometimes that works. Usually, it doesn't.
ABC News is a massive machine. Between the nightly news with David Muir, Good Morning America, and their digital investigative units, there are dozens of different "front doors." If you knock on the wrong one, you’re just wasting your breath. You need to be surgical. You need to know exactly which department handles what, and honestly, you need to know how to talk their language. They get thousands of tips a day. Your job is to make yours the one they actually click on.
Start with the General Switchboard and ABC News Tips
If you’re looking for the path of least resistance, ABC has a centralized tipping system. This is the "catch-all." It’s basically the digital version of a suggestion box, but it is monitored by a revolving door of junior producers and assignment editors.
The most direct way is via their dedicated landing page at abcnews.go.com/tips.
Don’t just dump a wall of text there. Be brief. Producers are chronically caffeinated and deeply impatient. Give them the "who, what, where, why" in the first two sentences. If you have video or photos, mention that immediately. In the news world, "visuals" are the ultimate currency. If you tell them you have a great story about a local park, they might yawn. If you tell them you have 4K drone footage of a sinkhole swallowing a park bench, they’ll call you back in five minutes.
For those who still prefer the old-school approach, the main ABC News headquarters is located at 47 West 66th Street, New York, NY 10023. You can try the general phone line at (212) 456-7777. Just be prepared—getting a human on the line who can actually greenlight a story is a bit like winning the lottery. You’ll likely be routed through an automated directory.
Getting Specific: Good Morning America and World News Tonight
Maybe you don't want the general news desk. Maybe your story is "softer"—an inspirational neighborhood hero or a quirky lifestyle trend. That’s a Good Morning America (GMA) play.
GMA lives in Times Square, not the main 66th Street hub. They are constantly looking for "talkers." These are the stories people share over coffee. You can reach out to them specifically through their social channels, but the most effective way is often tagging them on Instagram or TikTok with the hashtag #GMA. They have dedicated social listening teams whose entire job is to find viral content before it actually goes viral.
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World News Tonight is a different beast altogether. This is hard news. Policy. International conflict. National disasters. If you’re trying to reach David Muir’s team, you’re looking for the ABC News Assignment Desk. This desk acts as the air traffic control for the entire network. They decide which stories get a correspondent and a camera crew.
The Investigative Unit: When You’ve Found a Real Scandal
If you have documents—real, "smoking gun" evidence of corporate fraud, government waste, or a massive safety risk—don't send it to the general tips email. You want the ABC News Investigative Unit.
This is the team behind "20/20" and major digital exposes. They take privacy seriously. Because of the sensitive nature of whistleblowing, you might not want to use a standard email.
- Secure Drop: Like many major outlets, ABC journalists often use encrypted methods.
- Signal/WhatsApp: Many investigative reporters list their "burner" numbers on their professional bios or X profiles.
- Snail Mail: Honestly? If you have a thick stack of papers, sending them via Registered Mail to the 66th Street address, marked "ATTN: Investigative Unit," is still one of the most effective ways to ensure it gets seen by a human rather than filtered by a spam bot.
It’s about the stakes. They aren't going to investigate your neighbor’s loud dog. They will investigate why a local hospital is overcharging thousands of patients for basic care. Use your judgment.
Breaking News and "ABC7" vs. The National Network
Here is where most people get tripped up. A lot of people search for how do i contact abc news when what they actually need is their local affiliate.
ABC News is the national broadcast. They cover the President. They cover the Oscars. They cover wars.
ABC7 (WABC-TV) is the local New York station. ABC7 (KABC-TV) is the Los Angeles station. There are hundreds of these affiliates across the country (like WLS in Chicago or WPVI in Philadelphia).
If your car was stolen or your local high school is having a protest, the national network usually won't care. Your local affiliate will.
- Look at the logo on your TV. Does it say "ABC7" or "Action News" or "Eyewitness News"?
- Go to that specific station's website.
- Look for a "Report It" or "Submit a Tip" button.
Local stations are much more accessible. They have smaller teams and are hungrier for local content. If a local story gets enough traction, the national ABC News team will "pick it up" from the affiliate. It’s a funnel. Start at the bottom of the funnel if your story is regional.
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Social Media: The Modern Press Release
Let’s talk about X (formerly Twitter). It is still the town square for journalists.
If you want to get the attention of a specific correspondent—say, Jonathan Karl for politics or Ginger Zee for weather—tagging them directly is often better than emailing the network. Journalists are vain. They check their mentions.
But don't be a pest. One well-crafted tweet with a photo and a brief explanation is plenty. If they’re interested, they’ll DM you. Make sure your DMs are open! You’d be surprised how many people send a tip to a reporter and then have their privacy settings so high the reporter can't even reply to them.
The Pitch: How to Not Get Ignored
So, you’ve found the contact info. Now what?
The biggest mistake people make is burying the lead. I’ve seen emails that start with "Hi, my name is John and I’ve been a loyal viewer since 1985..."
Stop. Delete that.
The producer stopped reading at "Hi."
The Subject Line is everything. * Bad: Story idea for you.
- Better: Tip: Corruption in [City Name] School Board.
- Best: VIDEO: Evidence of [Specific Person] taking bribes at [Location].
In the body of the message, use the "inverted pyramid" style. Put the most shocking or important information at the very top. If you have a personal connection to the story, mention it briefly. If you have proof, link to it.
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Be honest about what you have. Don't overpromise. If you say you have "exclusive footage" and it turns out to be a blurry 3-second clip of a cat, you’ve just blacklisted yourself from that producer's inbox forever. Trust is the only thing that matters in news.
ABC News Radio and NewsOne
People often forget about the audio side. ABC News Radio is one of the largest commercial radio news networks in the U.S. They provide content to thousands of local stations.
If your story is "sound-heavy"—meaning it has incredible audio of an event—you might want to reach out to the ABC News Radio desk.
Then there’s NewsOne. This is ABC’s affiliate service. They provide the "raw ingredients" of news to local stations. If you’re a freelance videographer or a stringer, NewsOne is who you talk to about selling your footage. They are the ones who distribute that "viral" clip to 200 different local news stations simultaneously.
Contacting the Legal or PR Department
Sometimes you aren't trying to report a story. Sometimes you're mad. Or you’re a lawyer. Or you want to license a clip from "World News Tonight" for a documentary.
- For Press Inquiries: Reach out to ABC News Public Relations. They handle the media's questions about the network itself.
- For Licensing: You’ll need the Disney/ABC Video Archives. It isn't cheap. They charge per second, and the paperwork is a nightmare, but that’s how you legally get David Muir into your indie film.
- For Complaints: If you think a story was unfair, you can contact the Office of the President of ABC News. Again, the 66th Street address is your best bet for formal correspondence.
Moving Forward With Your Story
Knowing how do i contact abc news is just the first step in a much longer process. You have to be persistent but polite. Newsrooms are chaotic. A story that is "huge" at 10:00 AM might be "old news" by 2:00 PM if a bigger tragedy strikes or a celebrity does something stupid.
If you don't hear back within 24 hours for a breaking story, follow up once. Just once. If they still don't respond, move on to CBS, NBC, or CNN. Don't take it personally. It’s just the nature of the beast.
Next Steps for Your Pitch
- Identify your target: Decide if this is a "GMA" lifestyle piece, an "Investigative Unit" scandal, or a local "ABC7" breaking news story.
- Gather your assets: Put your photos and videos in a Google Drive folder or a Dropbox link. Make it easy for them to see what you have without downloading massive attachments.
- Draft your 3-sentence pitch: What happened? Why does it matter to a national audience? What proof do you have?
- Send during "The Window": For morning shows, pitch in the afternoon when they are planning the next day. For nightly news, pitch early in the morning. Avoid pitching during the actual broadcast times; everyone is in the "control room" and no one is checking email.
- Check your spam: Producers often reply from personal work emails that might look like "first.last@abc.com." Keep an eye out so you don't miss the call.