Ed Hooper
Encyclopedia
William Edward Hooper (born March 10, 1964) is an author
, news
broadcaster
and columnist
from Knoxville, Tennessee
. He is most widely known for his work in military affairs reporting and his coverage of historic preservation
and U.S. veterans issues.
, including three of the U.S. military's highest civilian awards: The Department of Defense
Medal for Distinguished Public Service presented on Aug. 15, 2001, The Department of Defense Seven Seals Public Service Award presented on June 12, 2004 and The U.S. Secretary of the Navy’s Meritorious Public Service Award presented on August 9, 2005. They were awarded for his work documenting Tennessee’s notable veteran
s, his efforts decorating the graves of the Tennessee’s Medal of Honor
recipients across the nation and for his ongoing work as a military affairs reporter in the War on Terror
, where he also served as an embedded reporter with the U.S. Army’s 489th Civil Affairs Battalion while working as a news reporter for WIVK-FM and contributing as a freelance writer for the Knoxville News Sentinel
and other soldiers' hometown newspapers,who served in the unit.
One of Hooper's broadcast credits also cited in the awards was his creating and producing WIVK's twice-weekly broadcast series Voices from the Front with long-time colleague and WIVK afternoon announcer Ted Gunner Ousley, which gave soldiers and sailors from Tennessee the opportunity to speak with family members and listeners. The series was awarded numerous times for its public service
contributions and led other stations across the nation to copy the program for their listeners.
In 1998, Hooper was nominated for the Pulitzer Prize
in feature reporting for the Tennessee Star Journal series Appalachia: Behind the Spinning Wheel featuring minority accomplishments in Southern Appalachia and again in 2001 for Above and Beyond the Call of Duty, a series of stories on the American Southeast
's Medal of Honor
recipients. He has been twice awarded the prestigious Golden Press Card Award for Excellence in Journalism from the East Tennessee Society of Professional Journalists
; first in 2002 for Historic Preservation finds Common Groundand again in 2009 for his book Knoxville in the Vietnam Era.
for Banjo
Newsletter when he was 17 years old. His first syndicated broadcast series was Radio Appalachia
, 1986–1992, which aired on more than 30 stations in the Southern Appalachian region. The daily program covered the history and culture of Southern Appalachia and was noted for dispelling media stereotypes of the region that pervade popular culture. His work with the program was also noted for its original documentation of minorities in Southern Appalachian history.
His first national story as a news reporter was his coverage of the 1994 Watts Bar Nuclear Generating Station
protest by the radical environmental group Earth First for WVLT-TV
in Knoxville, which resulted in numerous arrests, police actions and national media coverage. He was the only broadcast reporter to arrive at the site before protesters set up a transportation blockade
on highways and roads leading to the power station. In addition to news reporting and anchoring a weekly public affairs talk show
for the station, Hooper created and produced a television newscast feature series on Tennessee history and archaeology in 1995. The twice-weekly broadcast was carried by CBS
affiliates statewide and earned regional and statewide recognition for its documentaries on Tennessee's past.
In 1996, Hooper coordinated a successful national media campaign to bring attention to the plight of Shiloh National Military Park
’s erosion issues and the destruction of a Mississippian Indian Mound, which sat on the back of the National Park Service
's Shiloh property. The ensuing efforts led him and broadcast producer Jeff Hentschel to create the Tennessee Online Internet site, which serves as a teaching aid for students studying the history of Tennessee
. In addition, Hooper served as a Trustee and as Museum Outreach Chairman of the National Medal of Honor Museum of Military History
from 1996 to 2002, where he assisted in researching and assisting with the displays of MOH "Halls of Valor" across the nation and at U.S. military facilities overseas.
In 2002, the Tennessee Legislature unanimously passed Senate Joint Resolution 0537 officially giving Hooper the ancient title of “Bard
Laureate” of Tennessee for his efforts documenting Tennessee’s notable veterans. In 2005 and 2006, Hooper served two successive terms as President of the East Tennessee Society of Professional Journalists
.
Hooper served as a publisher/editor of the Civil War Courier newspaper and national reenacting magazines Camp Chase Gazette, and the Citizen's Companion from 2004 to 2009. During his tenure, he served as national media coordinator for the 140th Battle of Franklin and the 145th Battle of Chickamauga. He also coordinated The Battle of Chickamauga's School Days program and the Medal of Honor
program for more than 7,000 school children. He was the event manager for the opening ceremony's keynote speaking event featuring the Vice President of the United States
.
His extensive work with American Indian
tribes helping document their military veterans and Medal of Honor recipients has been cited numerous times for its preservation of tribal contributions to the U.S. military. His research has also assisted state and federal officials in drafting legislation and resolutions honoring notable veterans in American history. In 2010, Hooper was recognized on the floor of the U.S. House of Representatives for his efforts originating and assisting in the drafting of the bipartisan HR 1442 that was passed by Congress designating November as U.S. Military History Month. It calls on state legislatures and assemblies to designate November as United States Military History Month and encourages citizens to study the subject and participate in Veterans Day activities.
He is the author of six books. His 2008 release Knoxville in the Vietnam Era and Knoxville's WIVK are additions to his photographic histories and features never-before-seen photographs of Knoxville and Tennessee
. His 2009 book release Knoxville's WNOX traces the origins of the celebrated broadcast station WNOX
from its launching of Country music
as an American music genre
to its formative impact on Rock and roll
in popular music.
Hooper is a frequent speaker on veterans' issues
, the American Southeast and Southern Appalachian
culture. He currently works as a newspaper columnist
, special assignment journalist, and writes for the History News Service.
Author
An author is broadly defined as "the person who originates or gives existence to anything" and that authorship determines responsibility for what is created. Narrowly defined, an author is the originator of any written work.-Legal significance:...
, news
News
News is the communication of selected information on current events which is presented by print, broadcast, Internet, or word of mouth to a third party or mass audience.- Etymology :...
broadcaster
Presenter
A presenter, or host , is a person or organization responsible for running an event. A museum or university, for example, may be the presenter or host of an exhibit. Likewise, a master of ceremonies is a person that hosts or presents a show...
and columnist
Columnist
A columnist is a journalist who writes for publication in a series, creating an article that usually offers commentary and opinions. Columns appear in newspapers, magazines and other publications, including blogs....
from Knoxville, Tennessee
Knoxville, Tennessee
Founded in 1786, Knoxville is the third-largest city in the U.S. state of Tennessee, U.S.A., behind Memphis and Nashville, and is the county seat of Knox County. It is the largest city in East Tennessee, and the second-largest city in the Appalachia region...
. He is most widely known for his work in military affairs reporting and his coverage of historic preservation
Historic preservation
Historic preservation is an endeavor that seeks to preserve, conserve and protect buildings, objects, landscapes or other artifacts of historical significance...
and U.S. veterans issues.
Recognition
Hooper holds dozens of awards for his work as a broadcast and print journalistJournalist
A journalist collects and distributes news and other information. A journalist's work is referred to as journalism.A reporter is a type of journalist who researchs, writes, and reports on information to be presented in mass media, including print media , electronic media , and digital media A...
, including three of the U.S. military's highest civilian awards: The Department of Defense
United States Department of Defense
The United States Department of Defense is the U.S...
Medal for Distinguished Public Service presented on Aug. 15, 2001, The Department of Defense Seven Seals Public Service Award presented on June 12, 2004 and The U.S. Secretary of the Navy’s Meritorious Public Service Award presented on August 9, 2005. They were awarded for his work documenting Tennessee’s notable veteran
Veteran
A veteran is a person who has had long service or experience in a particular occupation or field; " A veteran of ..."...
s, his efforts decorating the graves of the Tennessee’s Medal of Honor
Medal of Honor
The Medal of Honor is the highest military decoration awarded by the United States government. It is bestowed by the President, in the name of Congress, upon members of the United States Armed Forces who distinguish themselves through "conspicuous gallantry and intrepidity at the risk of his or her...
recipients across the nation and for his ongoing work as a military affairs reporter in the War on Terror
War on Terror
The War on Terror is a term commonly applied to an international military campaign led by the United States and the United Kingdom with the support of other North Atlantic Treaty Organisation as well as non-NATO countries...
, where he also served as an embedded reporter with the U.S. Army’s 489th Civil Affairs Battalion while working as a news reporter for WIVK-FM and contributing as a freelance writer for the Knoxville News Sentinel
Knoxville News Sentinel
The Knoxville News Sentinel is a daily newspaper in Knoxville, Tennessee, USA owned by the E. W. Scripps Company. It operates , an award-winning news website....
and other soldiers' hometown newspapers,who served in the unit.
One of Hooper's broadcast credits also cited in the awards was his creating and producing WIVK's twice-weekly broadcast series Voices from the Front with long-time colleague and WIVK afternoon announcer Ted Gunner Ousley, which gave soldiers and sailors from Tennessee the opportunity to speak with family members and listeners. The series was awarded numerous times for its public service
Community service
Community service is donated service or activity that is performed by someone or a group of people for the benefit of the public or its institutions....
contributions and led other stations across the nation to copy the program for their listeners.
In 1998, Hooper was nominated for the Pulitzer Prize
Pulitzer Prize
The Pulitzer Prize is a U.S. award for achievements in newspaper and online journalism, literature and musical composition. It was established by American publisher Joseph Pulitzer and is administered by Columbia University in New York City...
in feature reporting for the Tennessee Star Journal series Appalachia: Behind the Spinning Wheel featuring minority accomplishments in Southern Appalachia and again in 2001 for Above and Beyond the Call of Duty, a series of stories on the American Southeast
Southeastern United States
The Southeastern United States, colloquially referred to as the Southeast, is the eastern portion of the Southern United States. It is one of the most populous regions in the United States of America....
's Medal of Honor
Medal of Honor
The Medal of Honor is the highest military decoration awarded by the United States government. It is bestowed by the President, in the name of Congress, upon members of the United States Armed Forces who distinguish themselves through "conspicuous gallantry and intrepidity at the risk of his or her...
recipients. He has been twice awarded the prestigious Golden Press Card Award for Excellence in Journalism from the East Tennessee Society of Professional Journalists
Society of Professional Journalists
The Society of Professional Journalists , formerly known as Sigma Delta Chi, is one of the oldest organizations representing journalists in the United States. It was established in April 1909 at DePauw University, and its charter was designed by William Meharry Glenn. The ten founding members of...
; first in 2002 for Historic Preservation finds Common Groundand again in 2009 for his book Knoxville in the Vietnam Era.
Career milestones
Ed Hooper's first nationally published article was as a columnistColumnist
A columnist is a journalist who writes for publication in a series, creating an article that usually offers commentary and opinions. Columns appear in newspapers, magazines and other publications, including blogs....
for Banjo
Banjo
In the 1830s Sweeney became the first white man to play the banjo on stage. His version of the instrument replaced the gourd with a drum-like sound box and included four full-length strings alongside a short fifth-string. There is no proof, however, that Sweeney invented either innovation. This new...
Newsletter when he was 17 years old. His first syndicated broadcast series was Radio Appalachia
Appalachia
Appalachia is a term used to describe a cultural region in the eastern United States that stretches from the Southern Tier of New York state to northern Alabama, Mississippi, and Georgia. While the Appalachian Mountains stretch from Belle Isle in Canada to Cheaha Mountain in the U.S...
, 1986–1992, which aired on more than 30 stations in the Southern Appalachian region. The daily program covered the history and culture of Southern Appalachia and was noted for dispelling media stereotypes of the region that pervade popular culture. His work with the program was also noted for its original documentation of minorities in Southern Appalachian history.
His first national story as a news reporter was his coverage of the 1994 Watts Bar Nuclear Generating Station
Watts Bar Nuclear Generating Station
The Watts Bar Nuclear Generating Station is a Tennessee Valley Authority nuclear reactor used for electric power generation and tritium production for nuclear weapons. It is located on a 1,770-acre site in Rhea County, Tennessee, near Spring City, between the cities of Chattanooga and Knoxville...
protest by the radical environmental group Earth First for WVLT-TV
WVLT-TV
WVLT-TV is the CBS television network affiliate station serving Knoxville, Tennessee, the 58th DMA in America according to Nielsen Media Research...
in Knoxville, which resulted in numerous arrests, police actions and national media coverage. He was the only broadcast reporter to arrive at the site before protesters set up a transportation blockade
Blockade
A blockade is an effort to cut off food, supplies, war material or communications from a particular area by force, either in part or totally. A blockade should not be confused with an embargo or sanctions, which are legal barriers to trade, and is distinct from a siege in that a blockade is usually...
on highways and roads leading to the power station. In addition to news reporting and anchoring a weekly public affairs talk show
Talk show
A talk show or chat show is a television program or radio program where one person discuss various topics put forth by a talk show host....
for the station, Hooper created and produced a television newscast feature series on Tennessee history and archaeology in 1995. The twice-weekly broadcast was carried by CBS
CBS
CBS Broadcasting Inc. is a major US commercial broadcasting television network, which started as a radio network. The name is derived from the initials of the network's former name, Columbia Broadcasting System. The network is sometimes referred to as the "Eye Network" in reference to the shape of...
affiliates statewide and earned regional and statewide recognition for its documentaries on Tennessee's past.
In 1996, Hooper coordinated a successful national media campaign to bring attention to the plight of Shiloh National Military Park
Shiloh National Military Park
Shiloh National Military Park preserves the American Civil War Shiloh and Corinth battlefields. The main section of the park is in the unincorporated town of Shiloh, about nine miles south of Savannah, Tennessee, with an additional area located in the city of Corinth, Mississippi, 23 miles ...
’s erosion issues and the destruction of a Mississippian Indian Mound, which sat on the back of the National Park Service
National Park Service
The National Park Service is the U.S. federal agency that manages all national parks, many national monuments, and other conservation and historical properties with various title designations...
's Shiloh property. The ensuing efforts led him and broadcast producer Jeff Hentschel to create the Tennessee Online Internet site, which serves as a teaching aid for students studying the history of Tennessee
History of Tennessee
Tennessee is a U.S. state, one of the 50 states of the United States. It was admitted to the Union on June 1, 1796.-Prehistory:Paleo-Indians are believed to have hunted and camped in what is now Tennessee as early as 12,000 years ago...
. In addition, Hooper served as a Trustee and as Museum Outreach Chairman of the National Medal of Honor Museum of Military History
Military history
Military history is a humanities discipline within the scope of general historical recording of armed conflict in the history of humanity, and its impact on the societies, their cultures, economies and changing intra and international relationships....
from 1996 to 2002, where he assisted in researching and assisting with the displays of MOH "Halls of Valor" across the nation and at U.S. military facilities overseas.
In 2002, the Tennessee Legislature unanimously passed Senate Joint Resolution 0537 officially giving Hooper the ancient title of “Bard
Bard
In medieval Gaelic and British culture a bard was a professional poet, employed by a patron, such as a monarch or nobleman, to commemorate the patron's ancestors and to praise the patron's own activities.Originally a specific class of poet, contrasting with another class known as fili in Ireland...
Laureate” of Tennessee for his efforts documenting Tennessee’s notable veterans. In 2005 and 2006, Hooper served two successive terms as President of the East Tennessee Society of Professional Journalists
Society of Professional Journalists
The Society of Professional Journalists , formerly known as Sigma Delta Chi, is one of the oldest organizations representing journalists in the United States. It was established in April 1909 at DePauw University, and its charter was designed by William Meharry Glenn. The ten founding members of...
.
Hooper served as a publisher/editor of the Civil War Courier newspaper and national reenacting magazines Camp Chase Gazette, and the Citizen's Companion from 2004 to 2009. During his tenure, he served as national media coordinator for the 140th Battle of Franklin and the 145th Battle of Chickamauga. He also coordinated The Battle of Chickamauga's School Days program and the Medal of Honor
Medal of Honor
The Medal of Honor is the highest military decoration awarded by the United States government. It is bestowed by the President, in the name of Congress, upon members of the United States Armed Forces who distinguish themselves through "conspicuous gallantry and intrepidity at the risk of his or her...
program for more than 7,000 school children. He was the event manager for the opening ceremony's keynote speaking event featuring the Vice President of the United States
Vice President of the United States
The Vice President of the United States is the holder of a public office created by the United States Constitution. The Vice President, together with the President of the United States, is indirectly elected by the people, through the Electoral College, to a four-year term...
.
His extensive work with American Indian
Native Americans in the United States
Native Americans in the United States are the indigenous peoples in North America within the boundaries of the present-day continental United States, parts of Alaska, and the island state of Hawaii. They are composed of numerous, distinct tribes, states, and ethnic groups, many of which survive as...
tribes helping document their military veterans and Medal of Honor recipients has been cited numerous times for its preservation of tribal contributions to the U.S. military. His research has also assisted state and federal officials in drafting legislation and resolutions honoring notable veterans in American history. In 2010, Hooper was recognized on the floor of the U.S. House of Representatives for his efforts originating and assisting in the drafting of the bipartisan HR 1442 that was passed by Congress designating November as U.S. Military History Month. It calls on state legislatures and assemblies to designate November as United States Military History Month and encourages citizens to study the subject and participate in Veterans Day activities.
He is the author of six books. His 2008 release Knoxville in the Vietnam Era and Knoxville's WIVK are additions to his photographic histories and features never-before-seen photographs of Knoxville and Tennessee
Tennessee
Tennessee is a U.S. state located in the Southeastern United States. It has a population of 6,346,105, making it the nation's 17th-largest state by population, and covers , making it the 36th-largest by total land area...
. His 2009 book release Knoxville's WNOX traces the origins of the celebrated broadcast station WNOX
WNOX
WNOX is a radio station in the Knoxville, Tennessee area. It broadcasts a news-talk format.WNOX operates a 100,000-watt transmitter, located on Cross Mountain north of Briceville, Tennessee...
from its launching of Country music
Country music
Country music is a popular American musical style that began in the rural Southern United States in the 1920s. It takes its roots from Western cowboy and folk music...
as an American music genre
Music genre
A music genre is a categorical and typological construct that identifies musical sounds as belonging to a particular category and type of music that can be distinguished from other types of music...
to its formative impact on Rock and roll
Rock and roll
Rock and roll is a genre of popular music that originated and evolved in the United States during the late 1940s and early 1950s, primarily from a combination of African American blues, country, jazz, and gospel music...
in popular music.
Hooper is a frequent speaker on veterans' issues
Veteran
A veteran is a person who has had long service or experience in a particular occupation or field; " A veteran of ..."...
, the American Southeast and Southern Appalachian
Appalachia
Appalachia is a term used to describe a cultural region in the eastern United States that stretches from the Southern Tier of New York state to northern Alabama, Mississippi, and Georgia. While the Appalachian Mountains stretch from Belle Isle in Canada to Cheaha Mountain in the U.S...
culture. He currently works as a newspaper columnist
Columnist
A columnist is a journalist who writes for publication in a series, creating an article that usually offers commentary and opinions. Columns appear in newspapers, magazines and other publications, including blogs....
, special assignment journalist, and writes for the History News Service.
External links
- http://www.washingtonpost.com/wp-dyn/content/article/2009/09/30/AR2009093004204.html
- http://www.ajc.com/opinion/american-indians-fought-and-736621.html
- http://www2.h-net.msu.edu/~hns/articles/2010/022710a.html
- http://www.ajc.com/opinion/black-history-too-narrowly-361511.html
- http://www.knoxnews.com/news/2010/apr/11/forget-texas-congress-the-real-battleground-for/?partner=RSS
- http://www.hnn.us/articles/127087.html
- Profile page on Huffington Post