John Barr

Background

About John Barr

I joined ESPN in June 2003 after working for more than a decade in local news and immediately following a stint as an independent journalist and producer, who worked primarily for The National Geographic Channel. During my 22-years at ESPN, I was honored dozens of times by various organizations, including twice by the Peabody Awards - in 2013, for my work on the NFL’s concussion crisis, and, in 2019, for my work on the Larry Nassar sexual assault scandal, which resulted in sweeping changes at Michigan State University and USA Gymnastics. The book Start by Believing, co-authored with my fellow ESPN reporter Dan Murphy and released in 2020, chronicles the Nassar story from its beginnings. Prior to my time at ESPN, I worked at KSTP-TV in Minneapolis/St. Paul WBFF-TV in Baltimore WHTM-TV in Harrisburg, Pa.(1995-1997); WTHI-TV in Terre Haute, Ind.(1993-1995); TV-43 in Hopkinsville, Ky.(1992-1993); and WFIU-FM in Bloomington, Ind.(1990-1992). I was born in London, Ontario, and grew up in Toronto but, in 1990, moved to the United States for graduate school and never moved back. My great-great grandfather on my mother's side was a newspaperman, a publisher of the Strathroy Dispatch. My great grandfather, grandfather and later my two uncles were all publishers of the Stratford Beacon Herald, which at the time of its sale in the late 90s was the last family owned newspaper in the province of Ontario. Journalism is in my blood.