David Muir was born and raised in Onondaga Heights, New York, a Roman Catholic household. He has one older sibling and two younger step-siblings, as well as six nieces and three nephews.
He credits Peter Jennings, the longtime anchor of ABC News’ flagship program, as his most significant journalistic influence as a youngster. He graduated from Onondaga Central Junior-Senior High School in May 1991 and attended local Ithaca College, graduating magna cum laude with a Bachelor of Arts degree in journalism in May 1995.
He started out as a reporter for WFTV-TV in Orlando, Florida. While at college, he was inspired by a professor who called him “the television newsman’s build.” He studied abroad with the Institute for the International Education of Students at the University of Salamanca in Spain for a semester and Georgetown University’s Institute on Political Journalism for another semester.
