Stories and service: WRAL's Debra Morgan reflects on 37-year career

From interviews with presidents and governors to coverage of hurricanes on our coast and the Carolina Hurricanes’ run for the Stanley Cup in 2006, WRAL News anchor Debra Morgan's reporting has set just the right tone through major breaking news, severe weather, traumatic events and the celebrations and successes of the people of North Carolina and beyond.

Morgan said she’s known what she’s wanted to do in life since she was in 10th grade and started writing for her high school newspaper.

“It all just kind of clicked for me really early,” Morgan said.

On Wednesday May 21, 2025, Morgan anchored her final newscast at WRAL-TV.

She came to WRAL News in 1993.

Photo gallery: Pictures from Debra Morgan's 32 years at WRAL

Debra Morgan’s early TV career at the University of Miami, in Ohio and Florida

Morgan was born in Fort Lauderdale, Florida. She earned her bachelor’s degree in 1988, studying communication and psychology at the University of Miami. She was named the editor-in-chief of the school’s newspaper while also news director and anchor for the student station.

“All I wanted to do was be a reporter, Morgan said.” I had great professors guiding me in both print journalism and broadcasting. While I loved both, I realized my passion was for telling stories with video.”

Morgan launched her professional career as a reporter and anchor in Toledo, Ohio, from 1988-1990. She then worked from 1990-1992 as a reporter at WJXT in Jacksonville, Florida.

“I had never seen snow,” Morgan said of her experiences in Ohio.”And here I was starting a new job in the middle of the winter!”

One of Morgan’s first stories was about ice fishing on Lake Erie.

“I’ve never been so cold in my life, and I thought, ‘What am I doing here?’” Morgan said.”But that was an experience I wouldn’t trade for the world. After spending time with those fishermen (surrounded by frozen Walleye!) and then telling the stories of people throughout that community, I knew this is exactly what I wanted to be doing.”

Morgan said she learned early on in her career, her job was to serve the people on the other side of the camera.

“I tried to guide my reporting based on how I would feel if I were at home watching this,” Morgan said.

January 1993: Debra Morgan is hired at WRAL-TV in Raleigh

Morgan started at WRAL-TV on Jan. 18, 1993.

“You have dreams about your career, and when I got here, I was like, ‘OK, this is it,’” she said.

“Being on television can be a little scary, but when you go through those moments, those learning moments, when you think, ‘I can never do this,’ but then you do. You grow,” Morgan said.

Morgan has covered a wide variety of stories in her career. She reported live from Paris in the aftermath of a Nov. 13, 2015, terrorist attack.

This was an example of how her reporting took her to the front lines of some of the most impactful stories of our time.

“That attack happened on a Friday night, and I was on the set reporting on it in Raleigh,” Morgan said of the Paris terrorist attack. “By Sunday morning, I was standing at the site of the attack reporting from Paris.”

Morgan has also covered two Olympics and a Super Bowl.

“You can’t be a fake person in this job,” Morgan said. “You have to be real, and the second you try to pretend that you’re an anchor or pretend that you’re a reporter, people will see right through that.”

Morgan's contributions to journalism have been recognized with 12 Emmy Awards, several Anchor of the Year awards from the North Carolina Association of Broadcasters and the Radio Television Digital News Association, and numerous industry and civic honors.

Debra Morgan’s charity work on ALS, Alzheimer’s and juvenile diabetes

When Morgan wasn’t in the WRAL newsroom, there was a decent chance she was working with a community group.

“Debra Morgan is a public servant,” said Rev. Bruce Stanley, the president and CEO of the Methodist Home for Children.

“She has the biggest heart that there is, and she is so generous with her time,” said Donna Tate with the Methodist Home for Children.

In the last 32 years, Morgan has volunteered with more than 60 charitable organizations in North Carolina.

Morgan has helped raise tens of millions of dollars on behalf of several different charities, including her work with juvenile diabetes, ALS and Alzheimer’s.

Diana Adams has been a longtime supporter of the nonprofit Breakthrough T1D, formerly known as JDRF. Adams’ daughter has Type 1 diabetes. Adams spoke of Morgan’s contributions to the nonprofit.

“She has led the way, raising somewhere between $50 million and $60 million right here in North Carolina, and the impact is huge,” Adams said of Morgan.

Morgan has hosted WRAL’s disaster relief efforts and the Coats for the Children Campaign. She’s also emceed galas and fundraising walks.

“I took on these causes, and they became very personal for me,” Morgan said.

Phyllis Parish, the former director of local production at WRAL-TV, recalled a specific instance from the 2024 JDRF Hope Gala.

“Even last year (2024) with a broken foot, there she was … out inspiring big donations for research,” Parish said.

Adams spoke about Morgan’s contributions to Breakthrough T1D.

“She exudes such confidence and optimism that everyone knows we’re going to get that cure,” Adams said.

It can involve creative problem-solving.

Tate, of the Methodist Home, remembered, “She is the main reason we were able to survive COVID because she offered to do the entire program in her studio, so we were able to have an event where other events were being canceled.

Morgan also works behind the scenes to create greater awareness for these groups and the people they serve.

“I’ve always looked at the station as not me on TV, but as a conduit to be able to explain what’s happening in our community,” Morgan said.

“Her writing [and] her stories inspired people to do something positive,” Parish said. “She shows them ways to make a positive difference for their neighbors.”

Triangle Community Foundation President and CEO Lori O’Keefe also discussed Morgan’s philanthropic contributions.

“She's done a great job at connecting resources or community needs we may not be aware of and helping be an ambassador,” O’Keefe said of Morgan.

Morgan’s work on- and off-camera set an example for many people.

“The work she has done here at Methodist Home has proven she cares first and foremost about the community,” Stanley said. “She cares about others far more than she cares about herself.”

It's a relationship many community partners want to continue.

“Debra is a champion,” Adams said.

“What board will not want her as an advocate or an ambassador?” O’Keefe said.

‘An amazing ride’: WRAL coworkers remember Debra Morgan

Gerald Owens had anchored WRAL News beside Morgan since 2002. In a discussion about her long career, he asked Morgan what has enabled her to stay at the station for more than three decades.

“It’s been such an incredible journey over those 32 years, and I think that’s why it doesn’t seem like it’s been that long because it’s been amazing,” Morgan said. “The places I’ve gone, the people I’ve met, the relationships that I’ve developed, the amazing people that I’ve worked with who are like family, it’s all been such a big part now of who I am, and I will take with me too.

“I just, I had an amazing, amazing ride.”

Owens said he noticed how she developed connections to the community as he worked alongside Morgan for years.

“You’ve developed really solid relationships, warm relationships, with each person individually. A lot of people can’t do that,” Owens said.

Morgan said she’s enjoyed meeting people throughout North Carolina, which quickly became her home.

“I felt an instant connection to this community [and] to the people that I worked with,” Morgan said.

Morgan recalled doing a Christmas promotion in her first year at the station. She had just bought a home, didn’t have any furniture in it, and she had family coming to visit for the holidays.

Morgan said several people, including total strangers, offered her dining room tables, bedroom sets and air mattresses.

“The fact that, without even knowing me, they reached out to want to help me, I immediately thought, ‘This is the respect and the care that I owe to the people that we’re serving, to the people who are watching,’” Morgan said.

WRAL senior editor Lori Foushee, who worked with Morgan as a photographer, recalled when the North Carolina Tar Heels won the 1993 men’s basketball national championship. Morgan and Foushee were getting fan reaction along Franklin Street in Chapel Hill.

“We were hanging out a window over Franklin Street, and I was shooting Debra and she was talking because Charlie [Gaddy] had just tossed to [her], and all of a sudden, a beer can whizzed in between us,” Foushee said.

Morgan thanked Foushee, who is a University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill alum, for sharing her Tar Heels basketball knowledge.

“I didn’t know how much fun it could be,” Morgan said.

In 2016, Morgan traveled to Rio de Janeiro for the Summer Olympics with WRAL photographers Keith Baker, Brad Simmons and Ed Wilson.

“It took us a while to get there,” Baker said.

The flight to Rio de Janeiro got canceled. Morgan helped book another connecting flight to Uruguay, which then went to their destination.

“We got another stamp on our passport!” Morgan said.

Simmons and WRAL photographer Jamie Munden also traveled to New Orleans with Morgan for the 2022 Final Four, when UNC beat Duke in legendary head coach Mike Krzyzewski’s final game.

“What it’s all built on is trust,” Simmons said.

Munden recalled bumping into a street rapper on Canal Street in downtown New Orleans. They wanted to use the rapper’s music for a TV story the night before Saturday’s Final Four game. Munden instructed the rapper to freestyle with the words “Debra Morgan,” “WRAL,” “the Big Five” and the “Final Four.” The problem was that the group didn’t have any cash on them.

“I’m like, ‘Do you take Venmo?’ And he’s like, ‘I only take CashApp,’” Munden said. “I’m like, ‘I don’t have CashApp.’ And Deb is like, ‘I’ll find an ATM!’ And, she goes running off in her heels.”

Munden said it was the best content he shot all week.

“We’ve always been about how can we tell the best stories?” Morgan said.

It also includes covering serious stories like speaking with the family of Hailey Brooks, the 11-year-old girl killed in the 2022 Raleigh Christmas Parade.

“They [the girl’s family] specifically wanted to speak to you, and that says a lot about you,” Munden said of Morgan.

WRAL anchor/reporter Ken Smith explained what he learned from Morgan.

“I learned what it means to represent this station as an anchor/reporter here at WRAL because when I looked at her she did it with such grace, with vigor, and she did it selflessly and I thought, ‘That’s the role model I want to follow,’” Smith said of Morgan.

Debra Morgan honored for service to North Carolina, including Order of the Long Leaf Pine

Morgan received several awards on the day she anchored her final WRAL newscast after a 32-year career at the station.

Morgan received the Order of the Long Leaf Pine, which is given to people who have given the citizens of the state exemplary service.

Former U.S. Attorney Bobby Higdon presented the award on Wednesday to Morgan on behalf of Gov. Josh Stein.

“You have been called upon over and over again to cover important and sometimes life-changing events here locally and around the world,” Higdon said of Morgan.

Higdon listed off dozens of nonprofits and organizations Morgan has helped over the years.

“Even with the extraordinary effort you have made over such a long period of time and supported all these worthy causes, you still had the willingness and the time to step up when we ask you to speak for and to highlight the situations faced by the victims of crime on so many occasions,” Higdon said.

On Wednesday, Morgan also received the North Carolina Ambassador of Agriculture Award and the Tom Suiter Extra Effort Award.

“Your career has been one of excellence for sure, but it’s also been a career of compassion, of caring, of kindness, of graciousness, of integrity and dignity,” Suiter said.

What’s next for Debra Morgan

When asked what Morgan is going to do after leaving WRAL, she said. “I’m going to do nothing. I’ve never done nothing.”

“I don’t know that there is another calling yet, but I’m hopeful that there will be,” Morgan said.

“I think one of the biggest lessons I have learned is to be yourself,” Morgan said. “Being sincere and showing people the true you is what everyone wants.

“Overall, I’m proud. I’m hopeful. I’m excited. I’m grateful.”