David Ushery (born June 5, 1967) is an American television news anchor at WNBC News 4 New York, NBC's flagship owned and operated station.
As a member of the NBC 4 New York News team, Ushery has covered many news stories across the Tri-State region and around the world, including the terror attacks in Manchester, England; Orlando, Florida; and Paris, France.
Early life
Ushery was born and raised in Bloomfield, Connecticut, the only child of Solomon and Winifred Ushery.
At age 11, Ushery was selected from a statewide search to host the local edition of "Kidsworld," a nationally syndicated television show. One of his early interviews was with the late Walter Cronkite, the former CBS News anchor once ranked as the most trusted man in America. In what could be considered a prescient scene from that interview, young Ushery sits at the anchor desk. He asked Cronkite, "What kind of person should be a newscaster?"
Cronkite responded that a person should have a sense of curiosity. Ushery has said of the interview: "Many have asked if I think that's when the seed was planted for me to become a television reporter and anchor. I say, YES." Connecticut audiences would see Ushery grow up on television. He hosted Kidsworld until he was 18. The CBS affiliate in Hartford, WFSB-TV, hired Ushery right after his graduation for its training program. But recognizing his talent, the station offered him a full-time general assignment reporting position within just a matter of months.
Career
As the lead reporter for WFSB's 11 pm broadcast, Ushery covered many stories impacting the everyday lives of the citizens of Connecticut's capital city. But one of these stories made an indelible impression on Ushery: the night he and his photographer spent with residents of New Britain who were being terrorized by arsonists. Within two years of starting at the station, Ushery traveled to Moscow after the fall of the Soviet Union for a story on policing.
As an anchor at WNBC, he has steered coverage of some of the most memorable events in recent memory. In 2018, Ushery traveled to Houston, Texas to deliver live updates following the funeral of former President George H.W. Bush. Earlier that year, Ushery traveled to Jerusalem where he took Tri-State viewers to the opening of the new United States Embassy. He also took viewers to the front lines in Gaza and the West Bank, where massive protests led to confrontations with police. One year earlier, Ushery traveled to Israel to cover President Trump's visit to the Holy Land before quickly shifting his live reports to England, following the tragic bombing outside the Manchester sports arena.
In June 2016, Ushery traveled to Orlando to cover the tragic Pulse Nightclub shooting. One year prior, he reported from Paris following the city's deadly terrorist attacks. He also provided live coverage following the Sandy Hook elementary school shooting in 2012, the miraculous emergency landing of US Airways Flight 1549 in the Hudson River in 2009 as well as multiple presidential elections. He made also made several trips to Rome to cover the resignation of Pope Benedict XVI; the 2013 papal conclave electing Pope Francis, the current Pope of the Catholic Church and the canonizations of Popes John Paul II and John XXIII.
Ushery has also represented NBC Universal in national initiatives. He hosted the network's special program on its switch to digital in 2009, as well as "Going Green at Any Age," which examined ways to help the environment.
In 2009, Ushery conceived and launched "The Debrief with David Ushery," which has been called a must-watch program The show has garnered attention and praise for breaking boundaries and challenging long-held tenets of being an anchor. In "The Debrief," Ushery doesn't sit behind an anchor desk but rather moves freely around the News 4 newsroom, giving viewers a behind-the-scenes look at the operation. He also often goes tie-less, an informal look he sometimes wears when he anchors the more traditional evening newscasts. Ushery was noted for boldly venturing into uncharted territory for not wearing a tie.
The no tie-look also caught the attention of other media, including the New York Times
Awards and honors
During his long career in New York City, Ushery has been recognized for his contributions to the community.
In 1993, he won an award from the National Association of Black Journalists for his series of reports on children and violence.
In 1999, The Network Journal, the Black Professionals and Small Business Magazine, named Ushery as one of its "40 Under-Forty" for his significant accomplishments. In 2000, the Israeli Consulate in New York City honored Ushery for his dedicated reporting.
And in 2010, Ushery was honored as a recipient of McDonald's Faces of Black History Award.
Personal life
Ushery is married to TV producer Isabel Rivera. The couple has one son.