DAVID MUIR

Democracy issues were once an afterthought in election night coverage, with an occasional report on broken voting machines in a polling place or two.

For more than half a century, ABC, CBS and NBC have aired evening newscasts each weeknight on television.

Plans by news organizations that have been in place for years — even decades — to cover the death of Queen Elizabeth II were triggered and tested when the event took place.

America's top television networks turned prime time over to a gripping account of former President Donald Trump's actions during the Jan. 6, 2021, riot at the U.S. Capitol — with one prominent exception.

Television viewers will find nearly blanket prime-time coverage of a Congressional hearing Thursday on the Jan. 6 Capitol riot.

Media coverage of the first anniversary of the U.S. Capitol attack reflected and reinforced differing political realities.

Millions of Americans were guided through the horror of the Sept. 11 terrorist attacks by one of three men on television news — Tom Brokaw, Peter Jennings and Dan Rather.

In this image from Minneapolis city surveillance video, Minneapolis police are seen attempting to take George Floyd into custody May 25, 2020, in Minneapolis, Minn. Floyd’s name is more widely known than Chauvin, but calling it the “Floyd trial” would wrongly imply that the victim was the one on trial. Most called it the Chauvin trial. CourtTV called it “The Death of George Floyd Murder Trial.” ABC said it was the “Derek Chauvin Trial, 10 Months After George Floyd’s Death.”For some of the specialty networks, the trial offers a rare opportunity to increase viewership, both on the air and online. CBS' website will carry its own coverage, along with that of the network's Minneapolis affiliate, he said.

FILE - ABC News President James Goldston attends the International Women's Media Foundation's 26th Annual Courage in Journalism Awards in New York on Oct. 21, 2015. Goldston said Thursday that he will leave the network at the end of March, after seven years leading the news division. (Photo by Charles Sykes/Invision/AP, File)NEW YORK – ABC News President James Goldston said Thursday that he will leave the network at the end of March, after seven years of leading the news division. The low-profile Goldston leaves at a time ABC's flagship newscasts, “World News Tonight” and “Good Morning America," are both leading its rivals in the ratings. Peter Rice, chairman of general entertainment content for ABC parent Walt Disney Co., praised Goldston for his work, particularly during the pandemic and 2020's political upheaval.

All rights reserved)NEW YORK In this pandemic season, ABC's David Muir has emerged as broadcast television's star of the summer. The World News Tonight anchor's nightly summary averaged 8.2 million viewers last week, more than any prime-time program on television, the Nielsen company said. ABC's prime-time interview of the Democratic ticket of Joe Biden and Kamala Harris, conducted by Muir and Robin Roberts, reached 5.1 million viewers Sunday. ABC's World News Tonight won the evening news ratings race, averaging 8.2 million viewers, NBC's Nightly News had 6.8 million and the CBS Evening News had 4.9 million. Democratic Convention (Monday), MSNBC, 4.38 million.

Monday represented a key phase in New York City's reopening, with many offices bringing employees back for the first time. Despite the CBS and Fox moves, most news employees continue to work remotely, and the television programs that originate here have a patchwork of approaches that have quickly become familiar. A majority of the show hosts on MSNBC including Joe Scarborough, Mika Brzezinski and Willie Geist of Morning Joe work remotely. Other morning shows have varied approaches. Hoda Kotb of NBC's Today show has worked out of that show's Rockefeller Center studio, but most of her colleagues are at home.