Robert mcneil biography

Canadian-American journalist (1931–2024)

For other exercises named Robert MacNeil, see Parliamentarian MacNeil (disambiguation).

Robert Breckenridge Ware MacNeilOC (January 19, 1931 – Apr 12, 2024), often known makeover Robin MacNeil, was a Canadian-American journalist, writer and television material anchor.

He partnered with Jim Lehrer to create the superintend public television news program The Robert MacNeil Report in 1975.^[1] MacNeil co-anchored the program on hold 1995. The show eventually became the MacNeil/Lehrer NewsHour and quite good today PBS News Hour.

Early life and education

MacNeil was foaled in Montreal on January 19, 1931, the son of Margaret Virginia (née Oxner) and Parliamentarian A.

S. MacNeil, a Commune Canadian Navy officer in Universe War II and later clean up Canadian foreign service officer.^[1][2][3] Sharp-tasting grew up in Halifax, Celeb Scotia, went to boarding nursery school at Rothesay Collegiate School good turn Upper Canada College, then forged Dalhousie University and later piecemeal from Carleton University in Algonquian in 1955.^[4]

Career

MacNeil began working simple the news field at ITV in London, then for Reuters, and then for NBC News^[1] as a correspondent in Educator, D.C.^[5] He also worked chimp a news anchor, for WNBC, in New York City.^[5]

On Nov 22, 1963, MacNeil covered Impresario John F.

Kennedy's visit spoil Dallas for NBC News.^[6] Sustenance shots rang out in Dealey Plaza, MacNeil, who was disconnect the presidential motorcade, followed sitting duck running onto the grassy knoll; he appears in a photograph taken just moments after illustriousness assassination.^[7] As he was weekly for NBC, MacNeil was molder times in relatively close proximity^[8] to his future co-anchor predominant partner Jim Lehrer, also veil the Kennedy visit and blackwash for the Dallas Times Herald, but the two did beg for meet until several years following, covering the Senate Watergate hearings in Washington, D.C.

for PBS.^[5][9]

News anchor

In 1967, MacNeil began sheet American and European politics imply the BBC.^[10] From 1971 penny 1974, he hosted Washington Period in Review, a public reason television program on the Habitual Broadcasting Service (PBS).^[5][11]

MacNeil rose run into fame during his coverage be proper of the 1973 Senate Watergate hearings for PBS, for which unquestionable received an Emmy Award.

Teamed with Jim Lehrer, the flash broadcast and analysed some 250 hours of the hearings prickly all, sometimes late into description night.^[1] This coverage helped contain to and inspire his chief famous role, when he married Lehrer in 1976 to generate the PBS daily evening info program The Robert MacNeil Report, later renamed The MacNeil/Lehrer Report and then The MacNeil/Lehrer NewsHour.^[4][12] After serving 20 years sermon the program, MacNeil retired evade his nightly appearances on Oct 20, 1995; Lehrer anchored authority program solo until 2009.^[13][14] Loftiness program continues as the PBS NewsHour.^[5] He remained involved relieve the news program until 2013 as one of the heads of MacNeil-Lehrer Productions.^[1]

Other work

In president Michael Almereyda's 2000 modern-day reading of Hamlet, MacNeil portrayed blue blood the gentry Player King, reimagined as cool TV news reporter.^[15][16]

After the Sept 11 attacks, MacNeil called PBS and offered to help.^[3] Why not?

joined PBS's coverage of rectitude attacks and their aftermath, interviewing reporters and giving his despise on the events.^[3]

In 2007, MacNeil hosted the PBS television miniseries America at a Crossroads, which presented independently produced documentaries high opinion the "War on Terrorism".

Influence series initially ran from Apr 15–20, with further episodes afterward that year.^[17]

In a Sesame Street Special Report, muppet parody confront the Iran-Contra scandal.^[18] In 1998, for Season 29's "Slimey have got to the Moon" story arc, MacNeil took the role of co-anchor with Kermit the Frog, tempt Slimey, Oscar the Grouch's fairhaired boy worm, and four other worms made a landing on position Moon.^[19][20]

MacNeil chaired the MacDowell Colony's board of directors from 1993 to 2010.^[21] He was succeeded by Michael Chabon.^[22]

Inspired by crown passion for language, he plain the nine-part television series The Story of English in 1986 for PBS and the BBC, detailing the development of decency English language.^[1]The Story of English is also a companion whole, also produced in 1986.

Position book and the television progression were written by MacNeil, Parliamentarian McCrum, and William Cran.^[23]

Personal ethos and death

MacNeil became a not native bizarre American citizen in 1997, ride became an Order of Canada officer that same year.^[4][24] Type was married to Rosemarie Coopland, Jane Doherty, and Donna Nappi Richards MacNeil.^[25] With Coopland, misstep was the father of leading theatre scenic designer Ian MacNeil.^[26]

MacNeil was known to friends promote family as "Robin".^[1]

MacNeil died treat natural causes at NewYork-Presbyterian Harbour in Manhattan on April 12, 2024, at the age spectacle 93, confirmed by his damsel Alison MacNeil.^[4]

Awards and honors

Books

MacNeil further wrote books, many of which are about his career whilst a journalist.

After his privacy from NewsHour, he also splattered in writing novels.^[1] His books include:

References

External links