Don McNeill facts for kids

Don McNeill (born in 1934, died June 27, 2015) was a famous Canadian journalist. He traveled the world as a "foreign correspondent" for big news companies like the Canadian Broadcasting Corporation (CBC) and CBS News. This meant he reported on important events happening in other countries.

Don McNeill's Life and Work

Early Life and Education

Don McNeill was born in 1934 in St. John's, Newfoundland and Labrador, Canada. He went to several universities to study. These included Memorial University of Newfoundland, the Technical University of Nova Scotia, and Oxford University in England. While at Oxford, he even started an unofficial basketball team and played for it!

A Career in Journalism

After finishing his studies, Don McNeill started working for the Daily Mail newspaper in the United Kingdom. Later, he returned to Canada and joined the Canadian Broadcasting Corporation (CBC). He became the CBC's main reporter in Washington, D.C. in the United States. He also worked for a show called Newsmagazine.

Don McNeill reported on many big events around the world. He covered the Vietnam War, a major conflict in Southeast Asia. He also reported on the Watergate scandal, which was a big political event in the United States. Later, he covered the Iranian Revolution in Iran.

After working for the CBC, McNeill moved to the United States. He joined CBS News and worked there until 1987. He was the CBS News reporter based in Moscow, Russia. Later in his career, he also worked for Christian Science Monitor Television.

Awards and Recognition

Don McNeill was recognized for his excellent journalism many times.

• In 1958, he received a Rhodes Scholarship. This is a very special award that allows talented students to study at Oxford University.
• In 1981, he received a Nieman Fellowship. This award allows experienced journalists to study at Harvard University.
• In 1984, he won the George Polk Award for Network Television Reporting. He won this award for showing "unusual glimpses of Soviet life." This means he gave people a rare look into what life was like in the Soviet Union at that time.
• He was nominated for a News & Documentary Emmy Award in 1988. This was for his work as a producer and reporter for The Christian Science Monitor Reports.
• In 1990, he won another News and Documentary Emmy Award. This time it was for a segment he reported on the Soviet Union for a show called World Monitor.

Don McNeill also shared his knowledge with others. He taught journalism at Boston University.

His wife, Sandra Allik, helped produce his Emmy-winning report. She once said that his George Polk Award was "a bigger deal than an Emmy" to him.

Don McNeill passed away on June 27, 2015, in Boston, at the age of 80.