John Quiñones

John Quiñones
Born
John Quiñones

(1952-05-23) May 23, 1952
EducationSt. Mary's University (BA)
Columbia University (MA)
OccupationsJournalist, broadcaster, television host
Years active1975–present
Known forHost of What Would You Do?
Spouses
Nancy Loftus
(m. 1988; div. 2009)
Deanna White
(m. 2010)
Children3
Websitewww.johnquinones.com

John Quiñones (born May 23, 1952) is an American journalist and host. After earning a degree from Columbia University Graduate School of Journalism, he became an ABC News correspondent for 20/20, Nightline and Good Morning America. He gained prominence hosting the show What Would You Do? since 2008. He has received numerous accolades including seven Emmy Awards and a Peabody Award.

Early life and education

John Quiñones was born in San Antonio, Texas, on May 23, 1952, to Bruno H. and Maria Quiñones.[2] He is of Mexican descent.[3]

While attending Brackenridge High School in San Antonio, Quiñones was selected to take part in a federal anti-poverty program, Upward Bound, which prepared inner-city high school students for college.[2] As an undergraduate at St. Mary's University, Quiñones was a member of the Sigma Beta-Zeta chapter of Lambda Chi Alpha fraternity. After graduating from St. Mary's with a Bachelor of Arts degree in speech communication, Quiñones earned a Master of Arts degree from the Columbia University Graduate School of Journalism.[1]

Career

Quiñones is an ABC News correspondent known as the anchor of “What Would You Do?” and “Primetime.”

Quiñones worked as a radio news editor at KTRH in Houston, Texas from 1975 to 1978[1] and also worked as an anchor and reporter for KPRC-TV. He later reported for WBBM-TV in Chicago. In 1982, Quiñones started as a general assignment correspondent with ABC News based in Miami.[1]

According to communications attorney Mark Lloyd, "Quiñones told the League of United Latin American Citizens (LULAC) audience that he got his start because a San Antonio community organization threatened that if the stations didn't hire more Latinos, the group would go to the FCC (Federal Communications Commission) and challenge their licenses."[4]

He traveled to Cape Canaveral in January 1986 to cover the launch of the Space Shuttle Challenger. Quiñones reported live on the ABC News Special Report that began about 5 minutes after the Space Shuttle Challenger disaster.[5]

Awards and honors

Bibliography

  • John Quiñones (2009). Heroes Among Us: Ordinary People, Extraordinary Choices. Harper. ISBN 978-0-06-173360-4.
  • John Quiñones (2015). What Would You Do?: Words of Wisdom About Doing the Right Thing. Kingswell. ISBN 978-1484726204.
  • John Quiñones and María Elena Salinas (2024). One Year in Uvalde: A Story of Hope and Resilience. Hyperion Avenue. ISBN 978-1368107013.

References

  1. ^ a b c d e f g h i j "John Quiñones' Biography". ABC News. May 18, 2017. Archived from the original on August 31, 2020.
  2. ^ a b "20/20". ABC News.
  3. ^ "John Quiñones Kicks off Latine Heritage Month at Trinity College".
  4. ^ Lloyd, Mark (July 24, 2007). "Forget the Fairness Doctrine". Center for American Progress.
  5. ^ "The Challenger Disaster: ABC News Live Coverage 11:38 A.M - 12:30 P.M". YouTube. January 19, 2016.
  6. ^ Wagg, Jeff (October 10, 2007). "Pigasus Awards 2005". James Randi Educational Foundation. Retrieved July 15, 2020.
  7. ^ "NHMC — Blog". John Quiñones. March 2016. Retrieved August 4, 2021.