Bob Woodruff

Bob Woodruff is a correspondent for ABC News and joined the network in 1996. He has covered major stories throughout the country and around the world. Woodruff succeeded Peter Jennings as anchor of “World News Tonight” in December 2005. On Jan. 29, 2006, while reporting on U.S. and Iraqi security forces, Woodruff was seriously injured by a roadside bomb that struck his vehicle near Taji, Iraq.

In February 2007, just 13 months after being wounded, Woodruff returned to ABC News with his first on-air report, “To Iraq and Back: Bob Woodruff Reports.” The hour-long, primetime documentary chronicled his traumatic brain injury (TBI), his painstaking recovery and the plight of thousands of service members returning from Iraq and Afghanistan with similar injuries.

Since returning to the air, Woodruff has reported from all around the world, covering some of the most influential stories and breaking news events of the past three decades. He has traveled to more than 100 countries, reporting from the largest and most powerful nations to some of the smallest and most remote corners of the planet. His work has ranged from covering wars and humanitarian crises to stories of recovery, environmental protection, and hope.

Woodruff has produced award-winning coverage from China, North Korea, Japan, the Philippines, and across Southeast Asia. He has reported on the persecution of the Muslim Uyghur population in Xinjiang, the rising tensions in the South China Sea, and the growing influence of China on the world stage. He has traveled to North Korea five times, chronicling the shifting dynamics under Kim Jong Il and Kim Jong Un, and was among the first Western journalists to document the regime’s nuclear ambitions.

Woodruff has covered historic moments that have shaped the modern world. After the Sept. 11 attacks, he was among the first Western reporters to enter Pakistan. He later became one of ABC News’ lead correspondents during the war in Afghanistan, reporting from Kabul and Kandahar during the fall of the Taliban. He also covered the aftermath of natural disasters in Japan, including the 2011 earthquake and tsunami, reporting on efforts to stabilize the Fukushima nuclear reactors.

Woodruff’s work has also focused on the consequences of war and the resilience of those affected by it. His reporting has examined the long-term impact of traumatic brain injuries, the opioid epidemic among veterans, and the physical and emotional recovery of those returning from combat. His ongoing documentary work has delved deeply into healing and human connection, including “After the Blast,” in which he and his son Mack returned to the site of his 2006 injury, and “Operation Arctic Cure,” a National Geographic project exploring how awe-inspiring experiences in nature can help veterans and first responders recover from trauma and stress.

Beyond his reporting on conflict, Woodruff has turned his camera toward the planet’s most pressing environmental and conservation challenges. His recent series, “Last Lands” on Disney+, explores the threats facing national parks in the world’s less developed countries — on both land and at sea. These projects spotlight communities and conservationists fighting to protect endangered species, forests and coastlines, often under threat from poaching, climate change, and organized crime.

Woodruff’s journalism has been recognized with numerous honors, including 10 Emmy® Awards, two George Foster Peabody Awards, an Alfred I. duPont-Columbia University Award, and the Daniel Pearl Award for Courage and Integrity in Journalism. He was also part of ABC News teams honored with duPont and Peabody Awards for their coverage of the Sept. 11 attacks, the death of Pope John Paul II, the election of Pope Benedict XVI, and the global refugee crisis.

Following his injury in Iraq, the Woodruff family established the Bob Woodruff Foundation (BWF) to assist injured service members, veterans, and their families as they reintegrate into their communities. Since its founding, the Foundation has grown into one of the nation’s leading nonprofit organizations serving veterans, funding innovative programs that help them find meaningful work, secure housing, access mental health care, and build stronger connections within their communities.

Before becoming a journalist, Woodruff practiced law and taught law in Beijing. His life took a dramatic turn in 1989 when he witnessed the Tiananmen Square uprising. Working as a translator for CBS News during the protests, he was inspired to change careers and pursue journalism full-time.

Woodruff holds a law degree from the University of Michigan Law School and a Bachelor of Arts from Colgate University. He and his wife, Lee, co-authored the bestselling memoir “In an Instant,” chronicling their family’s experience following his injury and recovery. They live in New York with their four children.