Matt O'Donnell
Matt has stepped into just about every community in the Delaware and Lehigh Valleys in his many years of street reporting, plus tackled assignments that took him across the country and around the world: California, Brazil, Nevada, England. He also headed into the skies in a life-changing flight with the Blue Angels. He has covered three political conventions (St. Paul and two in Philadelphia), interviewed two presidents (President Obama and President Trump) and covered countless pivotal stories that have shaped our region over the last two decades.
Beginning his career in upstate New York just days after graduating from the University of Delaware, Matt served as a do-it-yourself news reporter at WICZ-TV in Binghamton covering local news and politics - including the 1994 New York governor's race where he interviewed George Pataki, the eventual winner, twice. His next move brought him to WSTM-TV in Syracuse, New York where he tracked down an accused murderer for an exclusive interview, visited a community that saw 300+ inches of snowfall in one season and provided daily coverage of a gruesome series of deaths that one day became the basis of the cable series "Village of the Damned."
Matt's big break was when he was called back to Philadelphia to join the Action News team, a place he has worked at proudly ever since.
He joined the Air Force National Guard on a trip to England shortly after 9/11. He flew supersonic with a member of the Blue Angels over Atlantic City. He lived in the Brazilian rain forest for four days with experts from the Philadelphia Zoo to help protect the golden lion tamarin. He interviewed Barack Obama, John McCain, Sarah Palin, Hillary Clinton, Bernie Sanders and Donald Trump when their presidential campaigns brought them to the region. He spent two days along the Jersey Shore awaiting the arrival of Hurricane Irene, which nearly became the first hurricane to hit New Jersey in more than 100 years. He has greeted Kevin Bacon, Morgan Freeman, Naomi Judd and James Brown during their visits to town. He has joined the Eagles on a playoff run, he was there for the Eagles and Phillies championship parades. He has visited nearly every town in the region, covering the triumphs, tragedies, highs and lows of Action News viewers throughout the years.
Matt joins the Action News Morning team every weekday, bright and early, to help the sleepyheads of the Delaware and Lehigh Valleys wake up, a news anchor position he has held since 2004. Matt and Tamala Edwards also alternate as host of Inside Story where they engage panelists to debate the important issues we face and challenge newsmakers who make the decisions.
The True Philadelphia Podcast is Matt's most recent project where he sits down with the people who help mold the ongoing conversation on what is great about the Philadelphia area: Jay Wright, Madeline Bell, Larry Krasner, the original Phillie Phanatic David Raymond, Elena Delle Donne, Preston Elliot, Sharon Pinkenson, Tom Wolf, Charlie Dent. The podcast can be streamed on Apple Podcasts, Google Play and YouTube.
Matt lives in the Philadelphia suburbs with his wife, two children and dog Bailey. He plays drums in a local rock band and competes in a number of local golf tournaments. Matt still hopes to be the first reporter to do a live shot from Mars.
Matt's Stories
Should Congress Members trade stock?
Host Matt O'Donnell and the Panelists start with the question ... "Should Congress Members be banned from trading stocks?" This as a Freshman Congressman representing Lackawanna County, PA made 2.69 million just this year.
Why vandals targeted the 'Philadelphia Portal' in LOVE Park
Host Matt O'Donnell and the Panelists discuss a myriad of topics including a thoughtful discussion on why vandals targeted the 'Philadelphia Portal' in LOVE Park.
A talk with Republican U.S. Senator Dave McCormick
Host Matt O'Donnell sits down with Republican US Senator Dave McCormick. The freshman Senator offers his thoughts on working across the aisle, DOGE, tax cuts and the new Trump economy
The Eagles win through the lens of leadership
Looking at the big Philadelphia Eagles Super Bowl win through the lens of leadership as Head Coach Nick Sirianni and MVP Quarterback Jalen Hurts were under-estimated.
A talk with Pennsylvania's new Republican Attorney General Dave Sunday - Inside Story 01/26/25
Host Matt O'Donnell interviews the new Pennsylvania Attorney General Dave Sunday (R). They discuss the top priorities for his office.
Inside Story looks back on 2024 and ahead to 2025
Matt and the panel take the long view for 2025 and beyond with some big picture topics like the impact of social media, what humans should invent next, the issue with empty center city offices and how significant will the influence be of Artificial Intelligence?
Inside Story Extra - The Candidates for N.J. Senate
Matt O'Donnel talks to Andy Kim (D) and Curtis Bashaw (R) about their race for the U.S. Senate.
What are the keys to winning the presidential debate in Philadelphia?
What will Kamala Harris and Donald Trump have to do in order to win Tuesday's presidential debate?
How should Harris and Trump prep for debate in Philadelphia?
The first, and possibly only, presidential debate between Vice President Kamala Harris and former President Donald Trump is being held in Philadelphia
Should we regulate social media? | Watch March 3 Inside Story
Matt O'Donnell and the panelists break down the U.S. Supreme Court hearings in Florida and Texas on social media and the First Amendment and how censorship could impact the digital media world.