Web Journalists
John MacLauchlan
E-mail John MacLauchlan
Born in Philadelphia to Catholic parents with gypsy blood coursing through their veins, John was brought to South Florida at a very early age as his parents tried to stay one step ahead of the law. (Just kidding – but every bio needs a catchy opening)
Growing up in Hollywood in the late 1960s and early 1970s, John spent his youth as most youth do; reading comic books, fantasizing that he was a super hero and wondering what the neighbors were having for dinner. When attending Hollywood Hills High, John realized his future would involve writing because he had the math skill of a 5th grader and he had no interest in athletics. Graduating with a semi-respectable grade point average, John went to Florida State University where he majored in Communications because everything else seemed like work.
After graduating FSU with semi-respectable grades, the real work began; John set out to find a job. Since "the first man on the moon" and being Hugh Hefner were already taken (damn you Hef), John went to work at 940 WINZ - a news/talk radio station in Miami - as a producer. He was eventually promoted to reporter and then to the assignment desk, where he lost most of his hair (pulled it out actually) covering breaking news and coddling finicky reporters.
Somewhere in the late 1990s he made the switch to Newsradio 610 WIOD where his news shows won numerous Florida Associated Press awards for "best newscasts", etc. After 25 years in the 'news radio' business, John was downsized out of a job in late 2005. In early 2006, he was hired by CBS4's web department where he has been ever since.
John is not what you really call a 'newsie'; in fact, he hates watching news networks like CNN, MSBC, Fox News with their talking head shows where the experts go 'blah blah blah' all day long. So what does he like – probably every thing you do; from watching the guys blow stuff up on Mythbusters, to Rachael Ray whipping up a 7 course dinner in 30 minutes (or less) and re-runs of NCIS. His down to earth lifestyle is reflected in his writing. He takes the information & facts and puts them into a story that both enlightens and informs – and sometimes will even make you laugh.
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