Arnold Diaz Dies: ‘Shame On You’ & ’20/20′ Reporter Was 74
Arnold Diaz, a long-time New York-based investigative reporter best known for his “Shame On You” segments, has died. He was 74.
According to The Daily Beast, Diaz passed away on Tuesday, October 24, with his son, Alex, revealing the cause as multiple myeloma, a blood cancer that affects the bone marrow.
Born on July 4, 1949, in New York, NY, Diaz started his career as a reporter for WPLG-TV in Miami in the early 1970s before moving to WCBS-TV in New York, where he made his name. The renowned journalist served at WCBS from the mid-1970s to the early 1990s, winning 25 local Emmy Awards during his time on the show.
He briefly left WCBS in 1995 to join ABC’s 20/20 as the show’s Consumer Investigative Reporter, a role which he filled until 2003. His work on the show earned him a National Press Club Consumer Journalism Award and the Consumer Federation of America Media Service Award.
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Diaz returned to WCBS in 2003, bringing back his popular “Shame On You” segment. He moved to WNYW in 2006, continuing his segment under the new name of “Shame, Shame Shame” (and later “What A Shame!”). In 2014, Diaz departed WNYW and joined WPIX as part of its newly formed PIX11 Investigates unit, serving alongside veteran reporters Mary Murphy and Howard Thompson.
After a career spanning over five decades, including 48 local Emmys, Diaz retired on March 29, 2022.
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“I’ve been lucky to have had a dream job, standing up for the little guy, sticking it to the bad guys,” Diaz said during his on-air retirement speech last year. “In a town where money talks, my ‘Shame on You’ reports, later called ‘Shame Shame Shame’ and ‘What a Shame!,’ gave voice to victims whose complaints were too often ignored.”
He continued, “I leave with no regrets; I left my mark. I may miss the excitement, but not the times I’ve been shoved, spit at, and threatened with guns. I will miss the talented producers who’ve been key to my success. I’ve been recognized with 48 New York Emmy awards, but most satisfying are the viewers who’ve thanked me for paying attention to their problems. Thank you for watching.”
Speaking to The Daily Beast about his father, Alex said, “Your anger can be a gift. Injustice is always worth calling out, no matter how it makes people feel, or how it makes you feel sometimes. My dad’s anger was a gift to the world.”
He is survived by his wife, Shawn, three children, and twin grandsons.
