John Merrow
{{short description|American broadcast journalist (born 1941)}}
{{For|the American theater architect (1874–1927)|John William Merrow}}
{{Infobox person
| name = John Merrow
| image =
| caption = John Merrow
| birthname = John G. G. Merrow II
| birth_date = {{birth date and age|1941|6|14}}
| birth_place = Summit, New Jersey, US
| education = AB, Dartmouth College, 1964
MA, Indiana University Bloomington, 1968
EdD, Harvard Graduate School of Education, 1973
| occupation = Journalist, news anchor, author
| spouse = Joan Lonergan ()
| credits = The NewsHour with Jim Lehrer
}}
John G. Merrow II (born June 14, 1941) is an American broadcast journalist who reported on education issues s tarting in the 1970s. He was the education correspondent for the PBS NewsHour program. These features - often under the umbrella heading of "The Merrow Report" - were a staple of education reporting on public broadcasting. Additionally, he was the executive producer, host and president of Learning Matters, Inc., a not-for-profit corporation that creates television, radio and online segments and documentaries, focusing primarily on education.
Life
Merrow earned an A.B. from Dartmouth College in 1964,{{cite web|url=http://alum.dartmouthentertainment.org/ |title=Dartmouth Alumni in Entertainment & Media Association |accessdate=March 31, 2010 |url-status=dead |archiveurl=https://web.archive.org/web/20100212215659/http://alum.dartmouthentertainment.org/ |archivedate=February 12, 2010}} and received an M.A. degree in American Studies from Indiana University Bloomington in 1968.{{cite web|url=http://alumni.indiana.edu/magazine/issues/200201/safe.shtml|title=Indiana Alumni Magazine: How Safe is Your Child's School|accessdate=March 31, 2010}} In 1973, Merrow graduated from the Harvard Graduate School of Education, with a doctorate in Education and Social Policy.{{cite web|url=http://www.gse.harvard.edu/alumni_friends/council/award/merrow.html|title=Alumni Council Award Recent Recipients|accessdate=March 31, 2010}} He began his career as an education reporter in 1974, when National Public Radio began airing his first investigative reports on the nation's schools. Merrow quickly developed a devoted following with his program "Options In Education," which aired for eight years.{{cite web|url=https://www.npr.org/templates/story/story.php?storyId=1108593|title=Broadcast journalist JOHN MERROW|date=October 16, 1995 |publisher=NPR|accessdate=October 14, 2009}} The weekly radio broadcast received the prestigious George Polk Award in 1981.{{cite web|url=http://www.brooklyn.liu.edu/polk/prev/prev80.html#82|title=The George Polk Awards for Journalism|accessdate=March 31, 2010|archive-date=August 21, 2007|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20070821173015/http://www.brooklyn.liu.edu/polk/prev/prev80.html#82|url-status=dead}}
Merrow later produced a seven-part television series for PBS along the same lines, entitled "Your Children, Our Children." This program received an Emmy nomination in 1984. He also served as education correspondent for the MacNeil/Lehrer Newshour for five years (1985–1990), and briefly occupied a similar position with The Learning Channel before returning to the PBS program in 1993.{{cite web|url=http://www.americanprogress.org/events/2006/9/b593305ct2899571.html|title=Fund the Child|accessdate=April 14, 2010}}
In 1995, Merrow established Learning Matters, which produced his NewsHour reports, along with other media content.{{cite web|url=http://learningmatters.tv/blog/about-us/about-us/60/|title=Learning Matters|accessdate=April 14, 2010}} In 1998, he created Listen Up! - a project which trains disadvantaged youth and their teachers in broadcast production skills and techniques.{{cite web|url=http://listenup.org/about/faq.php|title=Listen Up! Frequently Asked Questions|accessdate=April 14, 2010}} He received the George Foster Peabody Award in 2001 for "School Sleuth: The Case of an Excellent School,"{{cite web|url=http://www.peabody.uga.edu/winners/details.php?id=1256|title=The Peabody Awards|accessdate=March 31, 2010|url-status=dead|archiveurl=https://web.archive.org/web/20100611013721/http://www.peabody.uga.edu/winners/details.php?id=1256|archivedate=June 11, 2010}} and won a second Peabody Award for Listen Up's production, "Beyond Borders," in 2006.{{cite web|url=http://www.peabody.uga.edu/winners/details.php?id=1445|title=The Peabody Awards|accessdate=March 31, 2010|url-status=dead|archiveurl=https://web.archive.org/web/20100610214840/http://www.peabody.uga.edu/winners/details.php?id=1445|archivedate=June 10, 2010}} In 2005 and 2007, Learning Matters' programming received Emmy nominations.{{cite web|url=http://www.emmyonline.org/releases/txts/26thNewsNominationsReleaseFinalRevised(8.17.05).txt|title=THE 26th ANNUAL NEWS AND DOCUMENTARY EMMY AWARD NOMINEES ANNOUNCED TODAY BY THE NATIONAL TELEVISION ACADEMY|accessdate=April 14, 2010}}{{cite web|url=http://www.cpb.org/pressroom/release.php?prn=610|title=CPB Congratulates PBS for earning 46 Emmy nominations|accessdate=April 14, 2010}}
In 2012, Merrow was honored with the prestigious Harold W. McGraw, Jr. Prize in Education.{{cite web|url=http://www.mcgraw-hill.com/site/about-us/mcgraw-prize|title=Harold W. McGraw, Jr. Prize in Education|accessdate=September 19, 2012|url-status=dead|archiveurl=https://web.archive.org/web/20120920091951/http://www.mcgraw-hill.com/site/about-us/mcgraw-prize|archivedate=September 20, 2012}} Merrow retired in 2015 and Learning Matters was acquired by Education Week.{{Cite news| last = Walsh| first = Mark| title = Education Week Acquires Learning Matters; Will Boost Video Journalism| work = Education Week - Education and the Media| date = 11 August 2015| accessdate = 2019-03-02| url = http://blogs.edweek.org/edweek/education_and_the_media/2015/08/education_week_acquires_learning_matters_to_boost_video_journalism.html?cmp=SOC-SHR-FB}}
Merrow is also a published book author: he wrote "Choosing Excellence" (2001),{{cite web|url=http://www.merrow.org/sales/review.htm|title=The Merrow Report - Sales Info (Choosing Excellence)|accessdate=April 14, 2010}} "Below C Level" (2010), and "The Influence of Teachers" (2011).{{cite web|url=http://theinfluenceofteachers.com/|title=The Influence of Teachers|accessdate=April 19, 2011}} He also co-edited, with Richard Hersh, "Declining by Degrees" (2005).{{cite web|url=http://www.decliningbydegrees.org/|title=Declining by Degrees|accessdate=April 14, 2010}}
Works
- Choosing Excellence Lanham, Md.: Scarecrow Press, 2001, {{ISBN|9781578860142}}, {{OCLC|45207840}}
- Below C Level (2010)
- The Influence of Teachers (2011).
- John Merrow, Richard Hersh, (eds) Declining by Degrees PBS Home Video, (2005) {{OCLC|61207761}}
“Addicted to Reform: A 12-Step Program to Rescue Public Education” (The New Press, 2017)
References
External links
- [http://www.learningmatters.tv Learning Matters]
- [http://www.listenup.org/ Listen Up! Youth Media Network]
- [https://www.pbs.org/newshour/education Online NewsHour: Education Archive]
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Category:American male journalists
Category:American television journalists
Category:Dartmouth College alumni
Category:Indiana University Bloomington alumni