John Merrow

Last updated
John Merrow
Born
John G. G. Merrow II

(1941-06-14) June 14, 1941 (age 78)
EducationAB, Dartmouth College, 1964
MA, Indiana University, 1968
EdD, Harvard Graduate School of Education, 1973
Occupation Journalist, news anchor, author
Notable credit(s)
The NewsHour with Jim Lehrer
Spouse(s) Joan Lonergan ()

John Merrow (born June 14, 1941) is an American broadcast journalist who reported on education issues starting 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.

Journalism is the production and distribution of reports on recent events. The word journalism applies to the occupation, as well as citizen journalists using methods of gathering information and using literary techniques. Journalistic media include print, television, radio, Internet, and, in the past, newsreels.

Education Learning in which knowledge and skills is transferred through teaching

Education is the process of facilitating learning, or the acquisition of knowledge, skills, values, beliefs, and habits. Educational methods include storytelling, discussion, teaching, training, and directed research. Education frequently takes place under the guidance of educators, however learners may also educate themselves. Education can take place in formal or informal settings and any experience that has a formative effect on the way one thinks, feels, or acts may be considered educational. The methodology of teaching is called pedagogy.

Documentary film Nonfictional motion picture

A documentary film is a nonfictional motion picture intended to document reality, primarily for the purposes of instruction, education, or maintaining a historical record. "Documentary" has been described as a "filmmaking practice, a cinematic tradition, and mode of audience reception" that is continually evolving and is without clear boundaries. Documentary films were originally called 'actuality' films and were only a minute or less in length. Over time documentaries have evolved to be longer in length and to include more categories, such as educational, observational, and even 'docufiction'. Documentaries are also educational and often used in schools to teach various principles. Social media platforms such as YouTube, have allowed documentary films to improve the ways the films are distributed and able to educate and broaden the reach of people who receive the information.

Contents

Life

Merrow earned an A.B. from Dartmouth College in 1964, [1] and received an M.A. degree in American Studies from Indiana University in 1968. [2] In 1973, Merrow graduated from the Harvard Graduate School of Education, with a doctorate in Education and Social Policy. [3] 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. [4] The weekly radio broadcast received the prestigious George Polk Award in 1981. [5]

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. [6]

Macneil can have a number of different meanings and spellings:

Lehrer, potentially recorded in various spellings including Lehr, Lehrer, Lehrian and Lehrmann, is a surname that can be either Germanic or Jewish.

In 1995, Merrow established Learning Matters, which produced his NewsHour reports, along with other media content. [7] In 1998, he created Listen Up! - a project which trains disadvantaged youth and their teachers in broadcast production skills and techniques. [8] He received the George Foster Peabody Award in 2001 for "School Sleuth: The Case of an Excellent School," [9] and won a second Peabody Award for Listen Up's production, "Beyond Borders," in 2006. [10] In 2005 and 2007, Learning Matters' programming received Emmy nominations. [11] [12] In 2012, Merrow was honored with the prestigious Harold W. McGraw, Jr. Prize in Education. [13] Merrow retired in 2015 and Learning Matters was acquired by Education Week . [14]

Peabody Award International awards for excellence in radio and television

The George Foster Peabody Awards program, named for the American businessman and philanthropist George Peabody, honor the most powerful, enlightening, and invigorating stories in television, radio, and online media. Programs are recognized in seven categories: news, entertainment, documentaries, children's programming, education, interactive programming, and public service. Peabody Award winners include radio and television stations, networks, online media, producing organizations, and individuals from around the world.

The Harold W. McGraw, Jr. Prize in Education is awarded annually by the McGraw-Hill Education, The McGraw Foundations, and Arizona State University to recognize outstanding individuals who have dedicated themselves to improving education through new approaches and whose accomplishments are making a difference in Pre-K-12 education, higher education, and learning science research around the world. The McGraw Prize was established in 1988 to honor the company's founder, James H. McGraw's lifelong commitment to education and to mark the corporation's 100th anniversary. In 2015 McGraw-Hill Education formed an alliance with Arizona State University to manage the annual McGraw Prize program.

Education Week is an independent news organization that has covered K–12 education since 1981. It is known for providing both news and analysis, along with explanatory and investigative journalism across a range of digital, print, and broadcast platforms as well as through live and virtual events. It is owned by Editorial Projects in Education (EPE), a nonprofit organization, whose mission is to raise awareness and understanding of critical issues facing American schools. It is headquartered in Bethesda, Maryland in Greater Washington DC.

Merrow is also a published book author: he wrote "Choosing Excellence" (2001), [15] "Below C Level" (2010), and "The Influence of Teachers" (2011). [16] He also co-edited, with Richard Hersh, "Declining by Degrees" (2005). [17]

Works

International Standard Book Number Unique numeric book identifier

The International Standard Book Number (ISBN) is a numeric commercial book identifier which is intended to be unique. Publishers purchase ISBNs from an affiliate of the International ISBN Agency.

OCLC global library cooperative

OCLC, Inc., d/b/a OCLC is an American nonprofit cooperative organization "dedicated to the public purposes of furthering access to the world's information and reducing information costs". It was founded in 1967 as the Ohio College Library Center, then became the Online Computer Library Center as it expanded. OCLC and its member libraries cooperatively produce and maintain WorldCat, the largest online public access catalog (OPAC) in the world. OCLC is funded mainly by the fees that libraries have to pay for its services. OCLC also maintains the Dewey Decimal Classification system.

“Addicted to Reform: A 12-Step Program to Rescue Public Education” (The New Press, 2017)

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References

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  2. "Indiana Alumni Magazine: How Safe is Your Child's School" . Retrieved March 31, 2010.
  3. "Alumni Council Award Recent Recipients" . Retrieved March 31, 2010.
  4. "Broadcast journalist JOHN MERROW". NPR. October 16, 1995. Retrieved October 14, 2009.
  5. "The George Polk Awards for Journalism" . Retrieved March 31, 2010.
  6. "Fund the Child" . Retrieved April 14, 2010.
  7. "Learning Matters" . Retrieved April 14, 2010.
  8. "Listen Up! Frequently Asked Questions" . Retrieved April 14, 2010.
  9. "The Peabody Awards". Archived from the original on June 11, 2010. Retrieved March 31, 2010.
  10. "The Peabody Awards". Archived from the original on June 10, 2010. Retrieved March 31, 2010.
  11. "THE 26th ANNUAL NEWS AND DOCUMENTARY EMMY AWARD NOMINEES ANNOUNCED TODAY BY THE NATIONAL TELEVISION ACADEMY" . Retrieved April 14, 2010.
  12. "CPB Congratulates PBS for earning 46 Emmy nominations" . Retrieved April 14, 2010.
  13. "Harold W. McGraw, Jr. Prize in Education". Archived from the original on September 20, 2012. Retrieved September 19, 2012.
  14. Walsh, Mark. "Education Week Acquires Learning Matters; Will Boost Video Journalism". Education Week - Education and the Media. Retrieved 2019-03-02.
  15. "The Merrow Report - Sales Info (Choosing Excellence)" . Retrieved April 14, 2010.
  16. "The Influence of Teachers" . Retrieved April 19, 2011.
  17. "Declining by Degrees" . Retrieved April 14, 2010.