John F. Burns
Encyclopedia
John Fisher Burns is a British
journalist
, winner of two Pulitzer Prize
s. He is the London
bureau chief
for The New York Times
, where he covers international issues. Burns also frequently appears on PBS
. He has been called "the dean of American foreign correspondents."
, England
, his family emigrated to Canada
when he was young where he later studied at McGill University
. Between 1980 and 1981, he studied Russian at Harvard
, and in 1984 he studied Chinese at Cambridge University. From 1998 to 1999, he was a visiting fellow at King's College, Cambridge
, studying Islamic history and culture.
He also speaks French and German.
In the early 1970s, Burns wrote for the Canadian (Toronto
-based) newspaper Globe and Mail, as a local and later parliamentary reporter. He was sent to China in 1971 to be among one of few Western journalists in China during the Cultural Revolution, after a confusion that led to his brief ban from the precincts of Parliament by the Commons Speaker. Burns joined The New York Times in 1975, reporting, at first, for the paper's metropolitan section, and has written ever since for the newspaper in various capacities. He has been assigned to and headed several of the Times foreign bureaus. He along with fellow Times journalists John Darnton
and Michael T. Kaufman
won the 1978 George Polk Award for foreign reporting for coverage of Africa
. Burns was also the Times bureau chief in Moscow
from 1981 to 1984.
In 1986, while chief of the Times Beijing
bureau, Burns was incarcerated on suspicion of espionage
by the Chinese government. Charges were dropped after an investigation, but Burns was subsequently expelled from the country.
Burns received his second Pulitzer in 1997, this time "For his courageous and insightful coverage of the harrowing regime imposed on Afghanistan
by the Taliban".
Burns was based in Baghdad
during the lead up to the Iraq war
in 2003 and has written extensively on the war and the subsequent occupation. In July 2007, Burns succeeded Alan Cowell
as bureau chief in London
. On September 30, 2007, Burns received the Elijah Parish Lovejoy
Award as well as an honorary Doctor of Laws degree from Colby College
.
Burns is a frequent contributor to PBS
, including a number of appearances on the Charlie Rose show
and The NewsHour with Jim Lehrer
via satellite
from Afghanistan and Iraq.
Burns is married to Jane Scott-Long, who manages the Times Baghdad
Bureau.
In a January 2009 interview, Michael Barone
called Burns "one of the great foreign correspondents of our time".
, Burns accused Kabulov of being a KGB operative.
United Kingdom
The United Kingdom of Great Britain and Northern IrelandIn the United Kingdom and Dependencies, other languages have been officially recognised as legitimate autochthonous languages under the European Charter for Regional or Minority Languages...
journalist
Journalist
A journalist collects and distributes news and other information. A journalist's work is referred to as journalism.A reporter is a type of journalist who researchs, writes, and reports on information to be presented in mass media, including print media , electronic media , and digital media A...
, winner of two Pulitzer Prize
Pulitzer Prize
The Pulitzer Prize is a U.S. award for achievements in newspaper and online journalism, literature and musical composition. It was established by American publisher Joseph Pulitzer and is administered by Columbia University in New York City...
s. He is the London
London
London is the capital city of :England and the :United Kingdom, the largest metropolitan area in the United Kingdom, and the largest urban zone in the European Union by most measures. Located on the River Thames, London has been a major settlement for two millennia, its history going back to its...
bureau chief
News bureau
A News bureau is an office for gathering or distributing news. Similar terms are used for specialized bureaus, often to indicate geographic location or scope of coverage: a ‘Tokyo bureau’ refers to a given news operation's office in Tokyo; foreign bureau is a generic term for a news office set up...
for The New York Times
The New York Times
The New York Times is an American daily newspaper founded and continuously published in New York City since 1851. The New York Times has won 106 Pulitzer Prizes, the most of any news organization...
, where he covers international issues. Burns also frequently appears on PBS
Public Broadcasting Service
The Public Broadcasting Service is an American non-profit public broadcasting television network with 354 member TV stations in the United States which hold collective ownership. Its headquarters is in Arlington, Virginia....
. He has been called "the dean of American foreign correspondents."
Biography
Born in NottinghamNottingham
Nottingham is a city and unitary authority in the East Midlands of England. It is located in the ceremonial county of Nottinghamshire and represents one of eight members of the English Core Cities Group...
, England
England
England is a country that is part of the United Kingdom. It shares land borders with Scotland to the north and Wales to the west; the Irish Sea is to the north west, the Celtic Sea to the south west, with the North Sea to the east and the English Channel to the south separating it from continental...
, his family emigrated to Canada
Canada
Canada is a North American country consisting of ten provinces and three territories. Located in the northern part of the continent, it extends from the Atlantic Ocean in the east to the Pacific Ocean in the west, and northward into the Arctic Ocean...
when he was young where he later studied at McGill University
McGill University
Mohammed Fathy is a public research university located in Montreal, Quebec, Canada. The university bears the name of James McGill, a prominent Montreal merchant from Glasgow, Scotland, whose bequest formed the beginning of the university...
. Between 1980 and 1981, he studied Russian at Harvard
Harvard University
Harvard University is a private Ivy League university located in Cambridge, Massachusetts, United States, established in 1636 by the Massachusetts legislature. Harvard is the oldest institution of higher learning in the United States and the first corporation chartered in the country...
, and in 1984 he studied Chinese at Cambridge University. From 1998 to 1999, he was a visiting fellow at King's College, Cambridge
King's College, Cambridge
King's College is a constituent college of the University of Cambridge, England. The college's full name is "The King's College of our Lady and Saint Nicholas in Cambridge", but it is usually referred to simply as "King's" within the University....
, studying Islamic history and culture.
He also speaks French and German.
In the early 1970s, Burns wrote for the Canadian (Toronto
Toronto
Toronto is the provincial capital of Ontario and the largest city in Canada. It is located in Southern Ontario on the northwestern shore of Lake Ontario. A relatively modern city, Toronto's history dates back to the late-18th century, when its land was first purchased by the British monarchy from...
-based) newspaper Globe and Mail, as a local and later parliamentary reporter. He was sent to China in 1971 to be among one of few Western journalists in China during the Cultural Revolution, after a confusion that led to his brief ban from the precincts of Parliament by the Commons Speaker. Burns joined The New York Times in 1975, reporting, at first, for the paper's metropolitan section, and has written ever since for the newspaper in various capacities. He has been assigned to and headed several of the Times foreign bureaus. He along with fellow Times journalists John Darnton
John Darnton
John Darnton is an American journalist and author.-At The New York Times:After attending the University of Wisconsin–Madison, Darnton joined The New York Times as a copyboy in 1966...
and Michael T. Kaufman
Michael T. Kaufman
Michael T. Kaufman was a writer for the New York Times. He won the 1978 George Polk Award for foreign reporting for coverage of Africa. He died at St...
won the 1978 George Polk Award for foreign reporting for coverage of Africa
Africa
Africa is the world's second largest and second most populous continent, after Asia. At about 30.2 million km² including adjacent islands, it covers 6% of the Earth's total surface area and 20.4% of the total land area...
. Burns was also the Times bureau chief in Moscow
Moscow
Moscow is the capital, the most populous city, and the most populous federal subject of Russia. The city is a major political, economic, cultural, scientific, religious, financial, educational, and transportation centre of Russia and the continent...
from 1981 to 1984.
In 1986, while chief of the Times Beijing
Beijing
Beijing , also known as Peking , is the capital of the People's Republic of China and one of the most populous cities in the world, with a population of 19,612,368 as of 2010. The city is the country's political, cultural, and educational center, and home to the headquarters for most of China's...
bureau, Burns was incarcerated on suspicion of espionage
Espionage
Espionage or spying involves an individual obtaining information that is considered secret or confidential without the permission of the holder of the information. Espionage is inherently clandestine, lest the legitimate holder of the information change plans or take other countermeasures once it...
by the Chinese government. Charges were dropped after an investigation, but Burns was subsequently expelled from the country.
Burns received his second Pulitzer in 1997, this time "For his courageous and insightful coverage of the harrowing regime imposed on Afghanistan
Afghanistan
Afghanistan , officially the Islamic Republic of Afghanistan, is a landlocked country located in the centre of Asia, forming South Asia, Central Asia and the Middle East. With a population of about 29 million, it has an area of , making it the 42nd most populous and 41st largest nation in the world...
by the Taliban".
Burns was based in Baghdad
Baghdad
Baghdad is the capital of Iraq, as well as the coterminous Baghdad Governorate. The population of Baghdad in 2011 is approximately 7,216,040...
during the lead up to the Iraq war
2003 invasion of Iraq
The 2003 invasion of Iraq , was the start of the conflict known as the Iraq War, or Operation Iraqi Freedom, in which a combined force of troops from the United States, the United Kingdom, Australia and Poland invaded Iraq and toppled the regime of Saddam Hussein in 21 days of major combat operations...
in 2003 and has written extensively on the war and the subsequent occupation. In July 2007, Burns succeeded Alan Cowell
Alan Cowell
Alan S. Cowell is a British journalist and a correspondent for The New York Times. Since 2008 he has been senior correspondent for NYTimes.com based in Paris....
as bureau chief in London
London
London is the capital city of :England and the :United Kingdom, the largest metropolitan area in the United Kingdom, and the largest urban zone in the European Union by most measures. Located on the River Thames, London has been a major settlement for two millennia, its history going back to its...
. On September 30, 2007, Burns received the Elijah Parish Lovejoy
Elijah P. Lovejoy
Elijah Parish Lovejoy was an American Presbyterian minister, journalist, newspaper editor and abolitionist. He was murdered by an opposition mob in Alton, Illinois during their attack on his warehouse to destroy his press and abolitionist materials.Lovejoy's father was a Congregational minister...
Award as well as an honorary Doctor of Laws degree from Colby College
Colby College
Colby College is a private liberal arts college located on Mayflower Hill in Waterville, Maine. Founded in 1813, it is the 12th-oldest independent liberal arts college in the United States...
.
Burns is a frequent contributor to PBS
Public Broadcasting Service
The Public Broadcasting Service is an American non-profit public broadcasting television network with 354 member TV stations in the United States which hold collective ownership. Its headquarters is in Arlington, Virginia....
, including a number of appearances on the Charlie Rose show
Charlie Rose (talk show)
Charlie Rose is an American television interview show, with Charlie Rose as executive producer, executive editor, and host. The show is syndicated...
and The NewsHour with Jim Lehrer
The NewsHour with Jim Lehrer
PBS NewsHour is an evening television news program broadcast weeknights on the Public Broadcasting Service in the United States. The show is produced by MacNeil/Lehrer Productions, a company co-owned by former anchors Jim Lehrer and Robert MacNeil, and Liberty Media, which owns a 65% stake in the...
via satellite
Satellite
In the context of spaceflight, a satellite is an object which has been placed into orbit by human endeavour. Such objects are sometimes called artificial satellites to distinguish them from natural satellites such as the Moon....
from Afghanistan and Iraq.
Burns is married to Jane Scott-Long, who manages the Times Baghdad
Baghdad
Baghdad is the capital of Iraq, as well as the coterminous Baghdad Governorate. The population of Baghdad in 2011 is approximately 7,216,040...
Bureau.
In a January 2009 interview, Michael Barone
Michael Barone (pundit)
Michael Barone is a conservative American political analyst, pundit and journalist. He is best known for being the principal author of The Almanac of American Politics, a reference work concerning US governors and federal politicians, and published biennially by National Journal...
called Burns "one of the great foreign correspondents of our time".
Controversy
In an October 2008 interview with the Russian Ambassador to Afghanistan, Zamir KabulovZamir Kabulov
Zamir Nabiyevich Kabulov is a high rank career diplomat and was the Ambassador Extraordinary and Plenipotentiary of the Russian Federation to the Islamic Republic of Afghanistan until September 21, 2009....
, Burns accused Kabulov of being a KGB operative.
External links
Interviews- Video: John Burns Interviewed by Bill Maher March 10th 2006
- Transcript: John Burns interviewed by Hugh Hewitt February 9, 2007
- Transcript/Video/Available DVD/VHS: John Burns interviewed by Brian Lamb on C-Span's Q&A February 11, 2007
- Video: John Burns presentation and Q&A with Ralph Begleiter at the University of Delaware April 8, 2009