Eleven-year-old John Wortman hosts a newscast from Chapel Hill, North Carolina. John started John News shortly after the pandemic caused his school to stop meeting in person in March, 2020. John was in first grade then; now he is in sixth grade, and John News is still going strong!
John says that he started John News "because I wanted to make people happy--even during coronavirus time."
Watch the latest episode of John News!
UNTIL EVERYONE HAS A SEAT AT THE TABLE
John visits with two disability advocates and discusses issues that persons with disabilities encounter. John News displays how inclusion is important and powerful.
See the FIFTH annual
"Back-to-School" episode of John News
"Back-to-School" episode of John News
IT DEPENDS ON WHAT YOU DO WITH IT
John is moving from elementary school to middle school this year. That got him thinking about transitions – whether to a new school, a new job, or even a new house. John News welcomes a middle school principal to talk about transitions and how to deal with them.
john selected as a Hometown hero
Check THIS out! Another accolade for John and John News! WCHL, the local radio station, named John a "Hometown Hero"! It's worth your time to listen to the audio. Click here.
And you get to hear what John's school principal says about him!
listen to john's interview on the radio
John appeared on WCHL, 97.9 The Hill. He had a lot of fun substituting as the guest for the station's Talking Books segment. Click here to listen.
John gets a major award
WHAT WERE YOU THINKING?
It's a big day for John! At the annual recognition ceremony for his school district, John is one of three students — out of 12,000 in the district — to receive the “Hamlett's Heroes“ award. John News was there to record the superintendent presenting this important award to John.
Help fight hunger. All proceeds go to TABLE, Inc., a nonprofit that feeds hungry kids in John's community. To order your shirt, click here.
John News Featured on CBS 17 News Program
May 2, 2021 Reporter Crystal Price interviews John, gives an in-depth account of how John News is created, and reports on why John started his newscast. To view the story, click here.
Visit John's YouTube channel here.
See where it all began
Watch the very first episode of John News! You can see how far John has come.