John L. Dotson Jr. | |
|---|---|
| Born | February 2, 1937 Paterson, New Jersey |
| Died | June 21, 2013 (age 76) Boulder, Colorado |
| Cause of death | Mantle Cell Lymphoma |
| Nationality | United States |
| Education | Bachelor Degree |
| Alma mater | Temple University |
| Occupation(s) | Journalist and publisher |
| Years active | Around 43 years |
| Employer(s) | Evening News (Newark, NJ), Detroit Free Press, Newsweek, Akron Beacon Journal |
| Known for | Becoming nation’s first African-American publisher of a general daily circulation newspaper. |
| Spouse | Peggy Dotson |
| Children | John Dotson III, Christopher Dotson, and Leslie Van Every |
| Father | John Dotson Sr. |
| Awards | Pulitzer Prize for Public Service, 2000; NABJ Hall of Fame, 2007 |
John L. Dotson Jr. (February 2, 1937 – June 21, 2013) was the first African-American publisher of a US general circulation newspaper, the Akron Beacon Journal in Akron, Ohio, United States.[1] Dotson is known for his journalism and publishing controversial articles and becoming the publisher of the journal in 1992.[2] His newspaper won a Pulitzer Prize in 2000 and he was inducted into the National Association of Black Journalists Hall of Fame in 2004.[3][4]
Personal
editJohn L. Dotson Jr. was born on February 5, 1937, in Paterson, New Jersey.[5][6] He went to Temple University where he earned his Bachelors degree and also received a honorary doctorate in 1981.[2][7] He and his wife Peggy had 3 children.[8][9] After he retired, he moved into his residence in Boulder, Colorado.[4] Dotson passed at the age of 76 on June 21, 2013 as a result of mantle cell lymphoma.[10]
Career
editAfter graduating from college, Dotson joined the Evening News in Newark, New Jersey, as a reporter. He then moved to the Detroit Free Press. And in 1965, he started working for Newsweek magazine in Detroit, later for three years was at the magazine's Los Angeles bureau, and he became a Sr. Editor there.[8][11] While in Detroit, he covered the 1967 race riots.[5] Dotson left Newsweek to join Knight-Ridder, he also served as director of operations at the Philadelphia Inquirer.[12]From 1987 to 1992, Dotson publiished the Daily Camera. In 1992, he became publisher for the Akron Beacon Journal and was there until 2002. The Journal won a Pulitzer Prize in 2004 in the category of Public Service for its series on race relations.[12] Dotson also co-founded the Robert C. Maynard Institute for Journalism Education.[13]
Notable works of journalism
edit
The Akron Beacon Journal had a five part series called "A Question of Color" which won a Pulitzer Prize. The last installment included pledges from readers to end racism, which further resulted in 22,000 responses from readers. The newspaper then published a special supplement with these pledges.[5]
Impact
editDotson was acknowledged by the National Association of Black Journalists in its President's Award and when it inducted him into its Hall of Fame for having been a champion for diversity in the newsroom. In 1977, Mr. Dotson and eight other journalists founded a nonprofit organization, later renamed Robert C. Maynard Institute for Journalism Education, to train and expand opportunities for minority journalists. This program is operated in conjunction with the Nieman Foundation at Harvard University.[5][14] While Dotson was the publisher at the Beacon Journal, the paper examined race related issues, which led to a series of article that won the Pulitzer Prize.[15]
Awards
edit| Year | Prize | Company | Awarded By | |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1981 | Honorary Doctorate | School | Temple University | |
| 1994 | Pulitzer Gold Medal for Meritorious Public Service[3] | Akron Beacon Journal | Pulitzer Committee | |
| 1995 | President's Award[16] | National Association of Black Journalists | ||
| 1995 | John S. Knight Gold Medal | Akron Beacon Journal | Knight-Ridder | |
| 1997 | Distinguished Diversity Award for Lifetime Achievement[12] | Akron Beacon Journal | National Association of Minority Media Executives | |
| 2007 | NABJ Hall of Fame[17] | National Association of Black Journalist |
See also
editReferences
edit- ^ "John L. Dotson Jr., First Black Newspaper Publisher, Dies at 76". www.blackenterprise.com.
- ^ a b "John L. Dotson, Jr. - Akron Roundtable". www.akronroundtable.org.
- ^ a b "Board, 2000". www.pulitzer.org.
- ^ a b "Hall of Fame - National Association of Black Journalists". www.nabj.org.
- ^ a b c d "John L. Dotson Jr., Publisher of Beacon Journal, Dies at 76". The New York Times. 26 June 2013.
- ^ Times, Los Angeles. "PASSINGS: Michael Baigent, Elliott Reid, John L. Dotson Jr".
- ^ "John L. Dotson, Jr". www.nndb.com.
- ^ a b "John Dotson, longtime journalist, editor, publisher, dies at age 76".
- ^ "Graham Holdings, Releases". www.ghco.com.
- ^ "PASSINGS: Michael Baigent, Elliott Reid, John L. Dotson Jr". latimes.com.
- ^ Times, Los Angeles. "PASSINGS: Michael Baigent, Elliott Reid, John L. Dotson Jr".
- ^ a b c "John L. Dotson Jr., former publisher of Akron and Boulder newspapers, dies".
- ^ "Obituary: John L. Dotson".
- ^ "In Memoriam: John Louis Dotson Jr., 1937-2013". 19 July 2013.
- ^ Press, The Associated. "Journalist, editor, publisher John Dotson dies".
- ^ "Past Special Honors Recipients - National Association of Black Journalists". www.nabj.org.
- ^ "Past Hall of Fame Honorees - National Association of Black Journalists". www.nabj.org.
External links
edit- Category:YEAR births
- Category:YEAR deaths OR Category:Living people
- Category:African-American journalists
- Category:American journalists
- Category:Journalists from STATE
- Category:NABJ Hall of Fame Honoree