Byron Barnett News reporter Biography, Family

Quick Info

Profession	News reporter
Nationality	American
Birthplace	Minneapolis, Minnesota, USA
Date of Death	04/08/2025

Latest News about Byron Barnett

04/08/2025

Byron Barnett, a veteran reporter for Boston's 7News WHDH, passed away at age 69 after battling cancer for several years. He died peacefully at his home in Minneapolis, Minnesota, surrounded by family including his wife Kathleen and son Parker. His family expressed gratitude to the Dana-Farber Cancer Institute and Mayo Clinic for their care, and highlighted his four-decade career covering major events for New England viewers.

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Physical Stats & More

Height	175 cm
Weight	65 Kg
Eye Color	Black
Hair Color	Black

Educational Qualification(s)

School	Sanford Middle School, Minneapolis, Minnesota Roosevelt High School, Minnesota
College/University	Gustavus Adolphus College, Minnesota (1973-1974) University of Minnesota Twin Cities (1974-1977)
Educational Qualification	Bachelor of Arts (BA) in Journalism in 1977

Personal Life

Religion	Christianity
Food Habit	Non-vegetarian
Hobbies	Fishing Playing music in a band

Relationships & More

Marital Status	Married
Marriage Date	08/06/1985

Family

Father	Lloyd R. Barnett
Mother	Ella Mae Moore (died on 23 February 2023)
Siblings	0
Spouse	Kathleen Barnett
Children	Son - Parker Barnett (graduated from University of Pennsylvania School of Engineering and Applied Science in 2018 with a master's in integrated product design)

Career

Career Highlights	Worked at KSTP TV from 1977 to 1983. Joined WHDH TV in Boston in 1983 and remained there until 2021. Notable coverage includes the Space Shuttle Challenger disaster and the Oklahoma City bombing. Gained fame as the host of WHDH-TV’s public affairs show Urban Update. Covered U.S. Presidential campaigns since 1984, including Barack Obama's inauguration. Reported live from Cape Canaveral during the Space Shuttle Challenger explosion in 1986. Interviewed Muhammad Ali, which he called a career highlight.
Awards	2013: Silver Circle Award from the Boston/New England Chapter of the National Association of Television Arts & Sciences 2017: Inducted in Massachusetts Broadcasters Hall of Fame 2018: Inducted into Roosevelt Hall of Fame Sigma Delta Chi Award National Association of Black Journalists’ Region One Journalist of The Year Award YMCA Black Achievers Award Emmy Award

Career Highlights

Worked at KSTP TV from 1977 to 1983.
Joined WHDH TV in Boston in 1983 and remained there until 2021.
Notable coverage includes the Space Shuttle Challenger disaster and the Oklahoma City bombing.
Gained fame as the host of WHDH-TV’s public affairs show Urban Update.
Covered U.S. Presidential campaigns since 1984, including Barack Obama's inauguration.
Reported live from Cape Canaveral during the Space Shuttle Challenger explosion in 1986.
Interviewed Muhammad Ali, which he called a career highlight.

Awards

2013: Silver Circle Award from the Boston/New England Chapter of the National Association of Television Arts & Sciences
2017: Inducted in Massachusetts Broadcasters Hall of Fame
2018: Inducted into Roosevelt Hall of Fame
Sigma Delta Chi Award
National Association of Black Journalists’ Region One Journalist of The Year Award
YMCA Black Achievers Award
Emmy Award

Favourites

NFL Team(s)	New England Patriots Minnesota Vikings

Social Media

Instagram	https://www.instagram.com/byronbarnett/
Facebook	https://www.facebook.com/byron.barnett1
Threads	https://www.threads.net/@byronbarnett
Twitter	https://x.com/byron_barnett
LinkedIn	https://www.linkedin.com/in/byron-barnett-4b69b982/

Some Lesser Known Facts

1. Byron was involved in student politics during his middle school years.
2. He began his career with an internship at KSTP-TV, where he was the only intern and quickly transitioned to preparing news stories.
3. Byron originally intended to be a foreign correspondent but remained in Boston due to changes in the media and personal life.
4. He has covered U.S. Presidential campaigns since 1984, including notable figures like Barack Obama.
5. In a 2018 interview, he emphasized the journalistic responsibility of truth and context in reporting.
6. He was notorious for asking tough questions to NFL coach Bill Belichick.

Byron Barnett News reporter American Minneapolis, Minnesota, USA