John Newsom

An award-winning writer and veteran journalist, John is a writer, editor and storyteller who spent 30 years in daily journalism. He most recently served as the higher education reporter at the News & Record and Greensboro.com in Greensboro, North Carolina.

In more than two decades at the News & Record, John held a variety of roles as a writer and editor. For seven years he covered Guilford County Schools, and his K-12 reporting won state and national awards. As a higher education reporter, John covered a dozen colleges and universities in central North Carolina — including two public research universities, local community and technical colleges, small liberal arts colleges, mid-sized private universities with professional schools, a women’s historically Black college and the University of North Carolina system. From 2013 to 2021, he wrote a blog on North Carolina higher education called The Syllabus, which covered breaking news and explored trends and issues related to the colleges and universities across the region, state and nation. In 2020, John was the recipient of the North Carolina Press Association’s Duke University/Green-Rossiter Award for exceptional coverage of higher education.

During his career in journalism, John has covered major stories related to higher education management, policy and finance, including leadership changes at UNCG, Guilford College, Bennett College and the UNC system; state higher ed legislation; student protests; campus naming controversies, college admissions, faculty research and more.

John earned his bachelor’s degree in history and English from the College of William & Mary and his master’s degree from the Columbia University School of Journalism.