Byron Barnett

News reporter

American Minneapolis, Minnesota, USA

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Quick Info

ProfessionNews reporter
NationalityAmerican
BirthplaceMinneapolis, Minnesota, USA
Date of Birth00/00/1956
Age69 years (died on 03, Aug, 2025)
Date of Death03/08/2025

Latest News about Byron Barnett

03/08/2025

Byron Barnett, a longtime Boston television reporter for WHDH 7News, died after a battle with cancer. He was widely known for his four-decade career covering major New England and national stories, including presidential campaigns and major breaking news events. His family said he died peacefully surrounded by loved ones in Minnesota.

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Physical Stats & More

Height175 cm
Weight65 Kg
Eye ColorBlack
Hair ColorBlack

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 QualificationBachelor of Arts (BA) in Journalism in 1977

Personal Life

ReligionChristianity
Food HabitNon-vegetarian
Hobbies
  • Fishing
  • Playing music in a band

Relationships & More

Marital StatusMarried
Marriage Date08/06/1985

Family

FatherLloyd R. Barnett
MotherElla Mae Moore (died on 23 February 2023)
Siblings0
SpouseKathleen Barnett
ChildrenSon - 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

Favourites

NFL Team(s)
  • New England Patriots
  • Minnesota Vikings
NFL Team(s
  • New England Patriots
  • Minnesota Vikings

Social Media

Instagramhttps://www.instagram.com/byronbarnett/
Facebookhttps://www.facebook.com/byron.barnett1
Threadshttps://www.threads.net/@byronbarnett
Twitterhttps://x.com/byron_barnett
LinkedInhttps://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.
Information on this page is collected from public sources and may not be 100% accurate. Report an error
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