Robert MacNeil
Robert MacNeil was a prominent Canadian-born American television journalist and author, celebrated for his influential role as coanchor of PBS's The MacNeil/Lehrer Report, which later became The MacNeil/Lehrer NewsHour. Born on January 19, 1931, in Montreal, Quebec, MacNeil grew up in Halifax, Nova Scotia, and pursued journalism after graduating from Carleton University. His career began in London with Independent Television and Reuters before he joined NBC News, where he covered significant historical events, including the Cuban missile crisis and the civil rights movement.
In 1975, he and Jim Lehrer launched their groundbreaking news program, which transformed television journalism by providing in-depth coverage of current events. MacNeil's influence extended beyond broadcasting; he authored several works, including memoirs and novels, and remained engaged with PBS even after retiring from daily news. He was recognized with numerous awards, including two Peabody Awards and honors from the American Academy of Arts and Sciences. MacNeil passed away on April 12, 2024, leaving behind a legacy that has inspired generations of journalists.
Subject Terms
Robert MacNeil
Journalist
- Born: January 19, 1931
- Place of Birth: Montreal, Quebec
- Died: April 12, 2024
- Place of Death: New York, New York
Robert MacNeil was a Canadian-born American television journalist, broadcaster, and author best known for his twenty-year role as coanchor of public television’s The MacNeil/Lehrer Report (later The MacNeil/Lehrer NewsHour), which helped to reshape the face of television journalism. During his lengthy career, MacNeil covered numerous breaking events, including the Cuban missile crisis, the civil rights movement, the assassination of US president John F. Kennedy in Dallas, Texas, and the September 11, 2001, terrorist attacks on the United States.
Background
Robert Breckenridge Ware MacNeil was born in Montreal, Quebec, on January 19, 1931, to Robert A. S. MacNeil and Margaret Virginia Oxner. Commonly referred to as Robin, MacNeil was brought up in Halifax, Nova Scotia, where he attended Dalhousie University. He later transferred to Ottawa’s Carleton University, from which he graduated in 1955. During his years at college, MacNeil worked as radio actor and announcer and was an aspiring playwright.
Career in Journalism and Writing
After graduating from Carleton University, MacNeil relocated to London, England, and entered the world of journalism, first with Independent Television (ITV) and then with the news agency Reuters. In 1960, MacNeil began his career in television journalism as a correspondent for NBC News. From 1960 to 1963, he worked in NBC’s London office, where he covered the Cuban missile crisis and other high-profile events. He then moved to the Washington bureau, where he covered the White House and the evolving civil rights movement. From 1967 to 1971, MacNeil worked again in London, covering US and European politics for the BBC.
In 1971, MacNeil returned to the United States as a senior correspondent for PBS. In 1973, he was paired with Texas journalist Jim Lehrer to report on the Watergate hearings. As a result of their innovative reporting, MacNeil and Lehrer received an Emmy Award and began what was to be one of television’s most respected partnerships.
In October 1975, MacNeil and Lehrer launched their weekday (Monday through Friday) news program, which debuted locally on New York’s Channel Thirteen/WNET. The program, The Robert MacNeil Report, costarring Lehrer, was the first of its kind, covering a different issue each night. Shortly thereafter, Public Broadcast Service (PBS) began to distribute the show nationally under its new name, The MacNeil/Lehrer Report.
In 1983, The MacNeil/Lehrer Report was renamed The MacNeil/Lehrer NewsHour and became the first hour-long evening news program in the United States. Broadcast from both New York and Washington, DC, The MacNeil/Lehrer NewsHour influenced thousands of journalists worldwide.
MacNeil remained coanchor and executive editor of The MacNeil/Lehrer NewsHour for twenty years, retiring in October 1995. With his departure, the program was renamed as The NewsHour with Jim Lehrer. In 2009, it was relaunched as PBS NewsHour, produced by MacNeil/Lehrer Productions until 2014, when the public broadcasting station WETA took ownership of the program.
Following his retirement from the show, MacNeil remained involved with PBS. In 2007, he presented the miniseries America at a Crossroads, an exploration of the challenges facing the United States in the wake of September 11, 2001, and the US war on terror. Eleven episodes of the series aired on PBS in the spring; a twelfth was pulled and later aired on Fox News Channel.
On April 14, 2011, MacNeil returned to PBS NewsHour for the first time in sixteen years with a six-part series called “Autism Now,” a comprehensive look at the disorder, which affected his own grandson. It was the first time in his career that he had brought his family into a story.
A true trailblazer in journalism, MacNeil inspired journalists with his dedicated coverage of several significant historical events throughout his decades-long career. Together with Jim Lehrer, MacNeil paved the way for daily news programs in the US with The MacNeil/Lehrer NewsHour and developed a lasting legacy at PBS.
In addition to his work as a journalist, MacNeil was a best-selling author, publishing numerous memoirs, other works of nonfiction, and four novels. Works include his 2003 memoir Looking for My Country: Finding Myself in America and the 1998 novel Breaking News.
MacNeil died at age ninety-three at NewYork–Presbyterian Hospital in Manhattan, New York, on April 12, 2024.
Impact
MacNeil received numerous awards and honorary degrees, including two Peabody Awards for electronic media and the Overseas Press Club lifetime achievement award. He was a fellow of the American Academy of Arts and Sciences and was named an officer of the Order of Canada. Lehrer and MacNeil were inducted into the Television Academy Hall of Fame in 1999.
Personal Life
MacNeil married three times and divorced twice. He married his third wife, Donna P. Richards, on October 20, 1984. She died in 2015. MacNeil had four children, two from his first marriage and two from his second. Actively involved in the arts and the world of journalism, MacNeil served as board chairman of the MacDowell Colony, considered the oldest artists’ colony in the United States, until 2010. He became a US citizen in 1997.
Bibliography
“America at a Crossroads.” PBS. WETA, Apr. 2007, weta.org/press/america-crossroads-episode-info. Accessed 7 Aug. 2024.
Jensen, Elizabeth. “MacNeil Named Host of Documentary Project.” The New York Times, 1 Nov. 2006, www.nytimes.com/2006/11/01/arts/television/macneil-named-host-of-documentary-project.html. Accessed 7 Aug. 2024.
Jensen, Elizabeth. “Robert MacNeil, Earnest News Anchor for PBS, Dies at 93.” The New York Times, 12 Apr. 2024, www.nytimes.com/2024/04/12/business/media/robert-macneil-dead.html. Accessed 19 Apr. 2024.
Kolbert, Elizabeth. “Robert MacNeil Gives a Thoughtful Goodbye.” The New York Times, 15 Oct. 1995, www.nytimes.com/1995/10/15/arts/television-robert-macneil-gives-a-thoughtful-goodbye.html. Accessed 7 Aug. 2024.
Lindsay, Jay. “MacNeil Returns to PBS to Tell Story of Autism.” Washington Times, 16 Apr. 2011, www.washingtontimes.com/news/2011/apr/16/macneil-returns-to-pbs-to-tell-story-of-autism. Accessed 7 Aug. 2024.
MacNeil, Robert. Interview by Don Carleton. Television Academy Foundation: The Interviews. Television Academy, https://interviews.televisionacademy.com/interviews/robert-macneil?clip=79593#about. Accessed 7 Aug. 2024.