John Alexander, 26, an associate producer with Koppel on Discovery, has passed away.
It's a tragedy to lose someone so young, vibrant and with so much life still in front of him. John has been with Koppel on Discovery since its inception in 2006 and previously with ABC News and NPR's Morning Edition. He had a true passion for broadcast journalism, which was evidenced in the excellent work that he produced.
Our thoughts and prayers go out to John's family, friends, and those who worked closely with him.
View a tribute to John in pictures.
From his self-written bio:
John Alexander has trouble sitting still. "I was a pretty rambunctious kid, always on the move. My preschool teacher once told my parents that I rode my tricycle on two wheels." Luckily, Alexander has been able to channel what his grade school teachers called hyperactivity into a passion for the fast-paced world of broadcast journalism.
That passion was ignited during an internship at ABC News Nightline, following his sophomore year at the University of Michigan. "I remember Tom Bettag telling me, 'Journalism can't be taught, it can only be caught.' —I sure caught it that summer."
Alexander honed his journalism skills in the newsroom of Michigan Radio, where he came to appreciate the use of language and sound to paint vivid pictures. He later spent a year abroad, first studying at the London School of Economics while "enjoying the theater that is the British parliamentary system" as an intern for the BBC's political unit, and later in Geneva, Switzerland, where he studied international affairs.
After graduating from the University of Michigan, he served as an editorial assistant for NPR's Morning Edition before returning to ABC News to work under Tom Bettag, then executive producer of ABC News Nightline and This Week With George Stephanopoulos.
Alexander grew up in Cincinnati, Ohio, and attended St. Xavier High School. Once an aspiring race car driver, he remains an avid motorsports enthusiast. "The excitement, the strategy, the teamwork and the sheer unpredictability of making television -– it's exhilarating and, in many respects, not unlike driving a race car," he says. Alexander hopes the passion that he and his colleagues feel for their stories comes through on the screen.
