Veteran investigative reporter Sarah Wallace is seeking a new role after WNBC eliminated her position as part of a broader cost-cutting initiative. Wallace, who spent approximately 11 years at NBC 4 after a 30-year career at WABC, confirmed that her contract was not renewed due to "long-term financial planning."
"It was a surprise, and I’m disappointed, but I think… the landscape is changing, and I’m excited about what’s to come," Wallace said in a statement. She emphasized that she is not retiring and is actively looking for "the right platform" to continue her investigative journalism.
In an internal memo, WNBC General Manager Eric Lerner described the decision as "very difficult, but also necessary." He commended Wallace for her work, noting that her investigations "resulted in the exonerations of several wrongfully convicted men."
Wallace, who joined WNBC's I-Team in 2015, has a career in New York journalism spanning over four decades. She began her career in the city in October 1984 and spent more than 30 years at WABC. There, she served as a consumer and investigative reporter before anchoring weekend newscasts for six years. She joined WABC's investigative unit in 1998 and became its chief investigative correspondent by 2001.
Among her notable investigations at WABC was her reporting on Anthony Faison and Charles Shepherd, two men who were imprisoned for a 1987 murder. Evidence uncovered by Wallace and a private investigator led to their release in May 2001, after they had spent roughly 13 years incarcerated.
Wallace's tenure at WABC ended abruptly in February 2015. She subsequently sued the station, alleging gender and pay discrimination and claiming her dismissal followed her uncovering information that raised questions about a murder conviction. WABC denied the allegations, calling them baseless. Although Wallace dropped the lawsuit in January 2016, an arbitrator ruled in her favor.
Wallace is a recipient of numerous awards, including at least 19 Emmy Awards, a Peabody Award, and two Edward R. Murrow Awards. Colleagues have praised her dedication to accountability journalism and her commitment to giving a voice to the silenced.