Recently named NYC bureau chief at ABC News, Joshua Hoyos reflects on some of his experiences in broadcast journalism.
By John Chadwick
Joshua Hoyos grew up with supportive parents who understood the value of education and hard work. But there was another hugely important influence on his life. He grew up captivated by news stories on his family’s television screen. Through that lens, he witnessed moments such as the Columbine school shooting, the 9/11 attacks, and the wars in Afghanistan and Iraq.
“My mom would argue that even before I recognized what TV news was, I was already hooked on it,” says Hoyos NCAS’14. “It was one of those things that I was mesmerized with as a very small child.”
Hoyos had barely reached adulthood when he began doing the job himself. He started working at ABC News while still a Rutgers undergraduate, interning at Good Morning America, then rising through the ranks to help cover prominent events, including Hurricane Maria, the COVID-19 pandemic, and the racial reckoning following the death of George Floyd.
In July of 2022, ABC News named Hoyos New York bureau chief, making him responsible for leading the network’s news teams throughout the eastern half of the United States. “I could not be more thrilled,” Hoyos says. “To work alongside these journalists as we cover history unfolding in front of us is an absolute honor.”
The road to one of the country’s top news networks in Manhattan began in Parsippany, NJ, where Hoyos grew up inspired by his Colombian immigrant parents. It was a hardworking household, with his mother working days in county government and his father holding down the night shift as a chef at TGI Fridays.
Hoyos’s work ethic helped him immensely at Rutgers–Newark, a campus known for its energetic, boundary-breaking culture and diverse, driven student body. He majored in political science, focusing on global politics, and served as editor-in-chief and political director at The Observer, the student newspaper.
“I felt at home at Rutgers because so many people there were driven to learn more, to experience more, and to exchange ideas and grow,” Hoyos says. “I could be a sponge soaking up knowledge, and that was one of the things that set me up for my life in the newsroom.”
Hoyos also cites a network of supportive alumni who helped him make connections at ABC and land an internship in the summer following his sophomore year. It wasn’t long into that gig that ABC News asked him to take on additional production responsibilities at Good Morning America.
He was thrilled with the opportunity but also worried about how he would make it home when his shift ended long after the last buses and trains back to New Jersey had departed.
Luckily, someone from Jersey was ready to help. “I would call my dad right as I was finishing up my piece, and he would get in his car and drive into the city to pick me up,” Hoyos says. “We spent a lot of early mornings talking about life, career goals, dreams, and the sacrifices one makes to get ahead. I could not be the person I am now without my parents’ support.”
In the summer before his senior year, Hoyos joined the ABC News staff, starting at Good Morning America and later moving to the news desk as assignment editor and manager.
As New York bureau chief, Hoyos moves quickly, directing coverage on everything from hurricanes to public health crises. Underlying the frenetic pace is a commitment to tried-and-true journalistic principles. “I wholeheartedly believe that our mandate is to provide a public service that helps people understand their world and make decisions based off that,” Hoyos says. “It’s an incredible feeling that you can help people by telling the truth through journalism that doesn’t take sides, yet understands there are many perspectives that need to be included.”
A version of this story appeared in Rutgers Magazine.