Norah O'Donnell

Norah O'Donnell is a broadcast journalist with nearly three decades of experience covering major national and international news stories. An Emmy Award-winning journalist, O'Donnell began her career as a print reporter for Roll Call, covering the impeachment of President Bill Clinton and reporting on congressional elections. Before joining CBS News, she spent more than a decade at NBC News, where she covered the Pentagon, Congress, and the White House. At NBC, O'Donnell reported from the Pentagon on September 11 and received a Sigma Delta Chi Award for Breaking News Coverage for a Dateline NBC story titled "D.C. In Crisis." She also traveled with then-Secretary of Defense Donald Rumsfeld, including on his first trip to Afghanistan following the terrorist attacks.

O'Donnell was named anchor and managing editor of "CBS Evening News," leading the network's flagship broadcast from Washington, D.C., and becoming the only network evening news anchor based in the nation's capital. She is the third woman to serve as the program's weeknight anchor. Previously, O'Donnell was CBS News' chief White House correspondent, covering the administration of President Barack Obama. She has reported on eight presidential elections and has interviewed every living president of the United States, including former President Jimmy Carter. O'Donnell has also co-moderated a Vice Presidential debate.

O'Donnell has reported from the Red Sea on rising tensions in the Middle East, anchoring from a deployed aircraft carrier and filing for "60 Minutes." She reported from Tel Aviv following the Hamas terror attacks and was the first anchor to visit Maui after the deadliest wildfires in the United States in over a century. Among her notable interviews, O'Donnell spoke exclusively with Pope Francis in Rome for a historic papal interview for an American journalist, and the "60 Minutes" story received an Emmy Award for outstanding interview. She is also the only western television journalist to have interviewed Saudi Crown Prince Mohammed bin Salman twice.

Her reporting and interviews have been recognized with multiple Emmy Awards, Edward R. Murrow Awards, Gracie Awards, and the Alfred I. duPont-Columbia Award. O'Donnell received the Sol Taishoff Award for Excellence in Broadcast Journalism from the National Press Foundation. She anchored for nine hours straight during the events of January 6, and her leadership was recognized with the Sol Taishoff Award for Broadcast Journalism. O'Donnell has also earned several Gracie Awards, including Outstanding News Anchor and Best National News On-Air Talent.

O'Donnell serves as a senior correspondent for CBS News and a contributing correspondent for "60 Minutes." She is the host of CBS News 24/7's "Person to Person," conducting in-depth interviews that go beyond the headlines. O'Donnell is the New York Times bestselling author of "We the Women: The Hidden Heroes Who Shaped America." In 2026, she launched a weekly podcast called "Healthful," focused on women's health topics. She holds a Bachelor of Arts in philosophy, a Master of Arts, and a Doctor of Humane Letters from Georgetown University. O'Donnell also serves on the board of directors of the International Women's Media Foundation.