Former NBC correspondent and long-time RIAS Media Prize juror John Dancy dies

John Dancy, a long-time NBC News correspondent and RIAS Media Prize juror, has died, according to a former colleague at NBC News in Washington. Dancy, who passed away recently at the age of 84, served as an integral member of the RIAS Media Prize jury for many years and was well-remembered at the jury meetings for his friendly but firm insistence on holding up the highest standards for prize winning entries. His passing was announced recently by Washington news producer for NBC News Today Bill Hatfield in a Twitter post.

“Remembering my friend and mentor John Dancy (1936-2021),” wrote Hatfield. “John spent 30 years at NBC News with postings in Chicago, Berlin, Moscow, London and DC, where he covered every major beat. In retirement, he taught the next generation of journalists. I was lucky to know him.”

Born on August 5, 1936 in Jackson, Tennessee, John Albert Dancy graduated from Union University in Jackson in 1959 with a BA in English Literature. He later earned an honorary PhD from Union University in 1989. During his long career, Dancy received a Columbia-Dupont award for documentaries in 1977, an Overseas Press Club award for documentaries in 1977, a Janus award business reporting in 1984 and a Everett M. Dirksen award for reporting of Congress in 1987. He was a member of the Radio-Television Correspondents Association in Washington. He worked as a journalist for Westinghouse Broadcasting Company, KYW-television in Cleveland from 1961 to 1965 before becoming a Correspondent from 1965 for NBC News in Los Angeles, then Chicago, Berlin, London and Washington. He was the network’s Senior White House correspondent from 1978 to 1979. Dancy was later NBC’s Congressional correspondent from 1982-1988, Chief diplomatic correspondent in 1988 and Moscow correspondent from 1994 to 1996.

“Sadly acknowledging the passing of former veteran NBC News Correspondent John (“Bud”) Dancy, with whom I covered global diplomacy in the late 1980s/early 1990s,” wrote former RIAS board member and CNN correspondent Ralph Begleiter in a post on Facebook. “One of the smartest reporters on the diplomatic beat… After retiring from NBC, Dancy taught journalism at Duke University. My heartfelt condolences to Ann and his family.”

Dancy also served as a regular host for German journalists when he taught journalism at Brigham Young and Duke University, according to former RIAS Berlin Commission Executive Director Rainer Hasters. “This is really sad news,” said Hasters. “John was a good friend, long-time jury member and long-time university host for visiting German journalists.”