John Fountain - Profile and Journalist Details
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John Fountain
Verified
Columnist, Chicago Sun-Times
Chicago
Beats
Biography
A native son of Chicago's West Side, John W. Fountain is an award-winning columnist, journalist, professor, publisher and author of True Vine: A Young Black Man's Journey of Faith, Hope and Clarity; and Dear Dad: Reflections on Fatherhood. A tenured full professor of journalism at Roosevelt University since 2007, he has written a weekly Sunday column for the Chicago Sun-Times for the past 13 years. As a journalist, Fountain has chronicled the story of murder for 30 years, mostly in Chicago. He was a 2021-22 Fulbright Scholar to Ghana, where taught at the University of Ghana at Legon and conducted a research project: "Africa Calling: Portraits of Black Americans Drawn to the Motherland" He has been a professor of journalism for the last 19 years.In July 2022, Fountain won a 1st Place National Association of Black Journalists' "Salute To Excellence Award" for Feature News Series for newspapers under 100,000. In June 2022, he was named 1st Place winner in Social Justice commentary from the ¬National Society of Newspaper Columnists; and a 1st place winner for column writing for the Illinois Press Association Media Editors 2021 newspaper contest. Fountain was formerly a national correspondent for The New York Times and a staff writer at the Washington Post and the Chicago Tribune, where he was once that newspaper's chief crime reporter. Throughout his career, Fountain has received numerous awards for his work. His essay, "The God Who Embraced Me," penned for National Public Radio's series, "This I Believe," appears in the corresponding book.He was previously a tenured full professor of journalism at his alma mater, the University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign, and is a graduate of Providence St. Mel School, Chicago
Race Crime PovertySocial Justice Urban Affairs
Content
By John Fountain Verified| Substack@ This is the first in a series titled, “The Fellas”Dedicated to the memory of our friend Michael Morris. We still miss you, man, after all these years, Rest in HeavenBy John W. FountainTHIS ONE IS FOR “The Fellas.” For all the Black boys who, like me, grew up in the Chi on the West Side in North Lawndale—whether K-Town or the “Holy City.” Back when bubble gum and candy were a penny and our young hearts ran free. Back when differences between us could be settled without the gun.
By John Fountain Verified| Substack@ By John W. FountainON A COLD SUNNY April afternoon, I found spring, sparkling like hidden treasure just beyond glass doors in a garden paradise filled with splendid emerald grass and trees and a rainbow of flowers of varying species. I found her—spring—in full bloom inside this nearly 120-year-old edifice of mostly steel and glass on Chicago’s West Side, where I was born and raised and where the invisible fragrance of jasmine today swelled, like the giant, sprawling green palm trees.
By John Fountain Verified| Substack@ From then Sun-Times Editorial Page Editor Lorraine Forte, April 21, 2022:“John, your tweet was brought to my attention. You are welcome to feel however you like about your pay rate. But of course no editor worth his/her salt is going to publish a line, in their publication, that basically denigrates that pay, which is the same as that received by other columnists. 50 Cent A Word is a reader-supported publication. To receive new posts and support my work, consider becoming a free or paid subscriber.
Company Info
Chicago Sun-Times
The Chicago Sun-Times is a daily newspaper based in Chicago, Illinois, launched in February 1948 from the merger of the morning Chicago Sun and the evening Times. It has a rich history, tracing back to the Chicago Evening Journal, which was published from 1844 until 1929. The newspaper has changed ownership several times, with the most recent acquisition by ST Acquisition Holdings in 2017. The Chicago Sun-Times provides extensive news coverage, including local, national, and international events. Its content encompasses politics, crime, education, and community news, along with in-depth sports analysis of Chicago teams like the Cubs, White Sox, Bears, Bulls, and Blackhawks. The newspaper also features entertainment reviews, opinion pieces, and business news, catering to a diverse audience in the Chicago metropolitan area.
Chicago, Illinois, United States
+1 312-321-3000
Founded: 1948