Reporting the news is a very important job, and it’s one that John King takes very seriously. Best-known for his role as CNN’s chief national correspondent, King has been working with the network for more than 25 years. Throughout his time with CNN, King has covered some of the biggest events to occur in the last few decades. In 2011, broke the news and confirmed the death of Osama bin Laden’s death. Over the course of his career, King has shown the world that he has the poise to report on a wide variety of subjects and as a result he’s become one of the most respected people in the business. Keep reading for 10 things you didn’t know about John King.
1. His Ex Wife Is Also A CNN Correspondent
John’s ex-wife, Dana Bash, is a political correspondent for CNN. John and Dana were married from 2008 to 2012 and their divorce made dozens of headlines. It’s unclear why exactly the couple chose to go their separate ways. King’s marriage to Bash was actually his second.
2. He Started His Career In Print Journalism
John has become famous for his work on TV, but he actually began his career as a writer. In the mid 80s, King started working as a writer for the Associated Press where he also focused on political coverage. In 1991, he won an award fromThe Associated Press Managing Editors’ Association for his coverage of the Gulf War.
3. He’s Reported From Every State
Over the course of his career, John has had lots of unique experiences. Not only has he gotten the chance to report on lots of interesting events, but he’s also gotten the chance to report from lots of interesting places. John King has reported from each of the 50 states as well as 70 international places.
4. Remaining Calm Is His Secret Weapon
Coverage of Trump’s presidency has been the focal point of King’s since Trump was elected. On several occasions, King has fact checked information from the president and found that information to be false. When asked how he deals with these interactions with the president, he says the key is to approach the situation, “Calmly. Don’t scream. Don’t seem like it’s under your skin…We don’t need to get worked up about it.”
5. His First Job Was Delivering Newspapers
In one way or another, John has been working in the news industry for most of his life. He told Boston Magazine that his fist job was delivering the Boston Herald. Each day, he would ride around dropping the papers off at front doors across the side. He made a habit out of reading the paper each day and was particularly interested in catching up on sports news.
6. He Grew Up In The Same Neighborhood As The Wahlberg Family
John King is a proud Boston native. He grew up in the same neighborhood as actor Mark Wahlberg and his family. Although he didn’t know the Wahlberg family personally, some of his siblings were friends with the family. He says, ” I come up to Boston just about every year for a charity event in Codman Square and I see Paul Wahlberg, who does the restaurants. Every year, we remind each other of some story about Dorchester back in the day.”
7. Wolf Blizter Is Like A Brother To Him
Wolf Blizter is a legend in the journalism world, and he’s someone that John King respects very deeply. King says that Blitzer is like a brother to him. During King’s early days with CNN, Blizter was instrumental in helping him develop the confidence he needed to have a successful career.
8. He’s A Proud Dad
There’s no doubt that King is passionate about his work, but he’s even more passionate about his role as a father. He has three children: Noah, Hannah, and Jonah. His youngest child, Jonah, is his son with Dana Bash and his other two children are from his previous relationship.
9. He Has A Solid Social Media Following
John definitely doesn’t fit the stereotype of a social media influencer, but he’s definitely got the following. He has a very impressive fan base, and he loves using his platform to connect with people. He has nearly 30,000 followers on Instagram and over 324,000 on Twitter.
10. He’s Covered 8 Presidential Elections
With a career that has spanned nearly three decades, John has been around for some of the biggest political moments in recent history. His work has been instrumental in keeping the American people up to date. He has covered 8 presidential elections so far, and will likely be around to cover several more.
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