Ex-ABC Correspondent Says Network Blocked Two Stories

Former ABC News correspondent Terry Moran says the network blocked two of his proposed stories, including a 2021 segment on the COVID-19 lab-leak theory and a later pitch about then-President Joe Biden's declining health, according to recent podcast interviews. Moran described the 2021 incident in an interview published on The Fifth Column podcast. He said ABC's Nightline allowed him to pursue a story examining discussions among scientists and Trump administration officials about whether the virus had leaked from a lab. Moran said the segment made no conclusive claims but reported that the Wuhan lab had been funded by the Chinese military. On the day the piece was scheduled to air, Moran said it was reviewed and pulled. He said he was told the reviewers included lawyers, standards staff and Anthony Fauci. Moran said he was angry at the decision, and that the segment was replaced with other programming. In a separate interview published on The Daily Beast podcast, Moran said he pitched a story on Biden's health in late 2023 and early 2024 after observing the president's frailty during a trip to Japan in the spring of 2023.