abc news president roone arledge offered mackin a salary of $100,000, an unprecedented salary for a national correspondent. in september 1977, she joined abc as their washington correspondent, temporarily covering the senate alongside another pioneering female reporter, nbc's jessica savitch. she also worked on a "20/20" story about drunk driving, for which she received another emmy in 1981. assigned to the 1980 presidential campaign, mackin spent a good portion of the year following senator edward kennedy around the country.