William Neikirk

William Robert Neikirk (January 6, 1938 – August 27, 2020)[1] was an American journalist, editor, and author. He spent 48 years as a reporter and served as White House correspondent for the Chicago Tribune during the Clinton administration.

William R. Neikirk
Neikirk in 2015
BornJanuary 6, 1938
Irvine, Kentucky, U.S.
DiedAugust 27, 2020(2020-08-27) (aged 82)
Arlington, Virginia, U.S.
NationalityAmerican
EducationUniversity of Kentucky (BA)
OccupationJournalist
SpouseRuth Ann (Clary) Neikirk
Children3

Early life and education

Neikirk was born on January 6, 1938, in Irvine, Kentucky, to parents Lewis Byron Neikirk and Nancy Elizabeth (Green) Neikirk. He earned a Bachelor of Arts in journalism from the University of Kentucky in 1960.

Career

Neikirk began his career in 1959, as a part-time sports reporter for the Lexington Herald.[2] He would join the Associated Press in 1961, working first in Louisville, Kentucky, then Lexington, and then in Frankfort as state capital correspondent. He would then move to AP's Baton Rouge, Louisiana, bureau in 1966 to cover civil rights and regional issues.[1][3] Neikirk was transferred to the AP Washington bureau in 1969 to cover U.S. economic policy.[4] Neikirk joined the Chicago Tribune Washington bureau in 1974 to cover U.S. and international economics, serving two stints as White House correspondent. He returned to Chicago in 1988, to serve as associate managing editor for financial news.[4] Neikirk was the Chief Washington correspondent for the Chicago Tribune from 1998 to 2008.

Neikirk appeared frequently on CNN, C-SPAN, and other nationally televised public affairs programs.[5] He wrote nationally syndicated column on economics for the Chicago Tribune, 1980–1994.[4] and served as news editor of the Chicago Tribune Washington bureau, from 1983 to 1988. He retired from the Chicago Tribune in 2008.

Death

Neikirk had dementia and died from COVID-19 at his home in Arlington, Virginia, on August 27, 2020, at age 82, during the COVID-19 pandemic in Virginia.[1][6]

Awards
  • Society of American Business Editors and Writers Award, 1978.[7]
  • John Hancock Award for Excellence in Business Writing, 1979, for series, "The Changing American Worker," in the Chicago Tribune.[7]
  • Gerald Loeb Award for distinguished business and financial journalism, for series, "The Changing American Worker," in the Chicago Tribune.[8]
  • Runner-up for the Pulitzer Prize for series on the impact of world trade, 1979.[9]
  • Amos Tuck Graduate School of Business award for business writing, Dartmouth College, 1980.
  • Raymond Clapper Memorial Award, 1982, for series on Rearming America, Chicago Tribune.[10]
  • Merriman Smith Memorial Award for presidential reporting, 1995.
  • Inducted into Kentucky Journalism Hall of Fame, 1998.[11]
  • Named a distinguished alumnus, University of Kentucky School of Journalism and Media, 2018.[12]

Memberships

Works
  • Neikirk, William (Fall 1991). "Needed Commitment - More Resources Are Required to Tell the Economic Story in a Dramatic and Readable Way" (PDF). Nieman Reports. XLV (3): 3–5. Retrieved September 16, 2020.
  • Neikirk, William (February 21, 1993). "New Industrial Revolution Hits U.S. Big Business". Chicago Tribune.
  • Garfield Schwartz, Gail; Neikirk, William (1983). The Work Revolution: How High-Tech Is Sweeping Away Old Jobs and Industries and Creating New Ones in New Places. New York: Rawson Associates. ISBN 9780892562510. OCLC 1029389109.
  • Neikirk, William (1987). Volcker: A Portrait of the Money Man. New York: Congdon & Weed. ISBN 9780865531789. OCLC 17233251.
  • Neikirk, William (2015). The Copperhead Club. Arlington, Virginia: William Neikirk. ISBN 9780996962407.

References
  1. Goldsborough, Bob (August 30, 2020). "Remembered as a 'journalistic whirling dervish,' former Tribune correspondent William R. Neikirk dies at 82". Chicago Tribune. Retrieved September 5, 2020.
  2. "School of Journalism and Media : William R. Neikirk". ci.uky.edu.
  3. Barnes, Bart (August 31, 2020). "William Neikirk, White House and economics writer for Chicago Tribune, dies at 82 of coronavirus". The Washington Post. Retrieved September 5, 2020.
  4. "New Tribune Business Editors". Chicago Tribune. January 31, 1991.
  5. "William Neikirk | C-SPAN.org". www.c-span.org.
  6. Neikirk, Mark (September 10, 2020). "I used to think COVID-19 happened but to others. Then it hit my family". Lexington Herald-Leader. Retrieved September 13, 2020.
  7. "John Hancock Awards for Excellence in Business Writing". AHBJ. April 1, 2013. Retrieved September 16, 2020.
  8. "2 at Tribune win Loeb award". Chicago Tribune. Vol. 132, no. 143. May 23, 1979. p. 6 Section 4. Retrieved February 15, 2019 – via Newspapers.com.
  9. "Debate on Exposes Held Up a Pulitzer". The New York Times.
  10. "Raymond Clapper, Other Journalism Prizes Are Awarded". Washington Post. Retrieved September 16, 2020.
  11. "School of Journalism and Media : Journalism Hall of Fame Membership". University of Kentucky College of Communication and Information: Journalism and Media.
  12. "UK School of Journalism and Media Lunch with our Stars". www.ukalumni.net.
  13. "Cheney Yuks It Up With the Press". POLITICO.
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