Does Diane Sawyer already have a plan to step away from broadcast journalism?

After only taking over ABC World News for a few years, the longtime broadcast journalist is said to be considering retiring later this year.

“She has discussed with a few close friends and some people at ABC that she is seriously considering retiring,” sources say. “She said she’ll be ready to hang it up not long down the road. She loves work and what she does and has endless energy, but she’s overwhelmed with personal problems and she is thinking about leaving to take care of her family.”

In addition to private matters, it’s said that Sawyer’s mother is ill without any kind of diagnosis yet. “Diane has been going home for long weekends for years every couple of weeks, and that has not been new,” said someone close to the situation at ABC.

While another person at ABC flatly refuted the retirement rumors, “That’s a bunch of nonsense as we made clear and Diane’s plans for 2013 haven’t changed in any way.”

Sawyer, 67, could be at the end of the road, but she had a very successful career and is greatly respected in the world of journalism.

Andrew Alvez | Elite.