Donald McNeil Jr.

Donald Gerard McNeil Jr. (born February 1, 1954) is an American journalist. He was a science and health reporter for The New York Times where he reported on epidemics, including HIV/AIDS and the COVID-19 pandemic.

Donald McNeil Jr.
Born (1954-02-01) February 1, 1954
San Francisco, California
Alma materUniversity of California, Berkeley (BA)
OccupationJournalist
Known forScience and health reporting

Early life and education

McNeil was born on February 1, 1954, in San Francisco. He graduated summa cum laude from the University of California, Berkeley in 1975 with a bachelor's degree in rhetoric.

Career

McNeil started at The New York Times in 1976 as a copy boy.[1] He left in 1979 to teach journalism at Columbia University while studying history. From 1995 to 2002, he was a foreign correspondent based in South Africa and France. In 2013, he was featured in an acclaimed documentary about AIDS drugs, Fire in the Blood.[2] During the COVID-19 pandemic, he became known for his early and persistent warnings about the severity of the situation.[3]

Accusations of racism and sexism

In 2019, during a trip in which McNeil accompanied a group of high school students traveling to Peru, multiple participants accused McNeil of repeatedly making racist and sexist remarks, including the use of the slur nigger in the context of discussing racist language.[4] In response to the complaints, The New York Times stated that it had "disciplined Donald for statements and language that had been inappropriate and inconsistent with our values. We found he had used bad judgment by repeating a racist slur in the context of a conversation about racist language."[4] On February 5, 2021, the New York Times announced that he is leaving the company.

Personal life

McNeil lives in Brooklyn. He has two daughters and a stepson.[5]

Awards

References
  1. "Philanthropy in Global Health: Speakers". Basel Institute on Governance. Archived from the original on July 25, 2011. Retrieved November 28, 2012.
  2. Bale, Miriam (September 5, 2013). "'Fire in the Blood' Spotlights AIDS in Africa". The New York Times. Retrieved January 22, 2021.
  3. Delkic, Melina (March 19, 2020). "Our Infectious Diseases Reporter on the 'Urgent' Response to the Coronavirus". The New York Times. Retrieved June 19, 2020.
  4. Tani, Maxwell; Cartwright, Lachlan (January 28, 2021). "Star NY Times Reporter Accused of Using 'N-Word,' Making Other Racist Comments". The Daily Beast. Retrieved January 28, 2021.
  5. "Donald G. McNeil Jr". The New York Times. Archived from the original on May 7, 2010. Retrieved November 28, 2012.
  6. "New York Times Science and Health Reporter Donald G. McNeil Jr. Wins Prestigious 2020 John Chancellor Award". Columbia Journalism School. September 29, 2020. Retrieved December 8, 2020.
  7. "Awards for Excellence in Health Care Journalism: 2013 winners". Association of Health Care Journalists. Retrieved December 8, 2020.
  8. "2012 winners named in top health journalism awards". Association of Health Care Journalists. February 25, 2013. Retrieved December 8, 2020.
  9. "2007: Donald McNeil, Jr. and Celia W. Dugger, "Disease on the Brink" New York Times". Robert F. Kennedy Center for Justice & Human Rights. Archived from the original on January 8, 2011. Retrieved December 8, 2020.
  10. "2006 OPC Award Winners". Overseas Press Club of America. May 1, 2007. Retrieved January 22, 2021.
  11. "2002 NABJ Award Winners". National Association of Black Journalists. Archived from the original on August 3, 2002.
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