John Ferrugia

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John Ferrugia is an investigative reporter and news anchor who has worked at KMGH-TV in Denver, Colorado since 1992. He is a former CBS News correspondent. In the 1980s, he covered the White House, foreign and domestic assignments, and was a principal correspondent for the news magazine West 57th.

Early life and education

Ferrugia grew up in Fulton, Missouri. He attended Catholic grade school (St. Peter's) and the public high school. He served in the U.S. Naval Reserve (two years active duty in Europe) as a Navy journalist working for American Forces Radio and TV.

Ferrugia received a Bachelors in Journalism from the University of Missouri School of Journalism in 1975.

Personal

John Ferrugia has been married to his wife Mona since 1975. They have two children and live in Denver, Colorado.

Professional career

After graduating from the University of Missouri School of Journalism in 1975, Ferrugia worked as a reporter/photojournalist at WTVT-TV in Tampa, Florida where he was a member of a team (including producer Ray Blush and photojournalist-editor Jewell McGee) that reported and filmed half-hour programs highlighting issues of public public importance. He was later briefly the city hall reporter.

In 1977, Ferrugia moved to KCMO-TV in Kansas City, Missouri where he established himself as a top investigative and political reporter. He received a Peabody Award in 1977 at age 26 for tracking flood damaged cars after a major flood in the Kansas City metro area. The results of his investigation were aired nationally on the CBS Evening News. He produced several other stories that aired on the "CBS Morning News" and, in 1980, caught the eye of executives at CBS News, including Chicago bureau chief Jack Smith, during his coverage of the National Political Conventions.

In 1980, Ferrugia was hired by CBS News Washington Bureau Chief Ed Fouhy. He was assigned to cover important domestic and international stories including the inauguration of President Ronald Reagan; the assassination attempt of Reagan in March 1980 and subsequent investigation; the kidnapping of U.S. General James L. Dozier in Italy by the Red Brigades terrorist group; and the civil war in Lebanon.

In 1982, Ferrugia was assigned to the White House (replacing veteran correspondent Nelson Benton) working with correspondents Lesley Stahl, and Bill Plante. In addition to his reporting for the "CBS Morning News" and the daily "syndicated" stories from the White House for CBS affiliates, Ferrugia filed reports for CBS Radio and produced a nationally aired "First Line Report" from the White House each week.

In 1985, Ferrugia was named principal correspondent for the CBS news magazine West 57th. His colleagues included Meredith Vieira, Steve Kroft, and Bob Sirott. Ferrugia worked for Executive Producer Andrew Lack and Senior Producer Tom Yellin. He covered important national and international issues, including aspects of the Soviet war in Afghanistan, the Mafia trials in Sicily, CIA-sponsored propaganda in Pakistan, politics, and cutting edge cancer research in Japan. His investigative reports included medical fraud, inner city gangs and grey market prescription drugs.

Ferrugia moved to Denver in 1989 to anchor news and report for KCNC-TV, where he was honored with a regional Emmy Award for his investigation of the funding of violent skinhead groups in Colorado. He also produced a number of stories focused on educating the public about the AIDS virus.

Three years later he joined KMGH-TV where he initially anchored the midday news with co-anchor Anne Trujillo and continued to investigate issues of public policy. As the station's only investigative reporter, he worked alone.

His two-year investigation into deaths at the Colorado Mental Health Institute at Pueblo in 2010 prompted an outside third-party review of the forensic unit where patients died, the resignation of the hospital's director, and a criminal grand jury investigation. He and the team that worked the stories (Producers Arthur Kane and Tom Burke, and photojournalist Jason Foster) earned a 2011 national Edward R. Murrow Award for the series. The grand jury found the staff responsible for the death of a patient who was restrained face-down and suffocated. As a result of the death brought to light by the investigation, the Director of the Colorado Department of Human Services has banned the used of prone (face down) restraint in all CDHS funded facilities in Colorado and all contractors that receive public funding. The reports prompted major changes in state policies for dealing with the mentally ill in Colorado and prompted the state legislature to add additional staff funding.

Ferrugia's 2008 Peabody award-winning investigation into the deaths of several children in Denver lead to a statewide review of child welfare programs and restructuring of Denver's Department of Human Services to better protect children at risk. The investigative reports also prompted Colorado's governor to appoint a child welfare committee that recommended sweeping changes in the state system including a new case worker academy where all county caseworkers are now trained to make sure all are accountable for their actions.

His team's investigation into sexual assaults of female cadets at the U.S. Air Force Academy in 2003 and 2004 prompted Congressional hearings; a complete change in leadership at one of the world's most prestigious military institutions; and new initiatives for protecting and caring for sexual assault victims in the military. The investigation won 4 major national journalism awards including the DuPont-Columbia and Peabody and the Investigative Reporters and Editors Award (IRE).

While his principle job is investigative reporting, Ferrugia has been involved in reporting major national stories for the past two decades, including the Columbine school killings and subsequent investigation; reporting from the courtroom of the Oklahoma City bombing trials; reporting from the floor of both Democratic and Republican National Conventions since 1980; and producing and reporting a series on Homeland Security after the 2001 terrorists attacks including his first person reports of humanitarian aide, flying over Afghanistan following the U.S. invasion.

Ferrugia was the only North American TV reporter to travel with Pope John Paul II on his 1993 trip to the Jamaica, Mexico, and Denver, Colorado for World Youth Day. He secured an exclusive interview with the Pontiff at the Pope's summer home outside Rome prior to the U.S. trip.

Ferrugia has been a contributing correspondent to ABC's 20/20 and Good Morning America; has contributed to several CNN broadcasts; and has appeared on Oprah.

He has been honored with television journalism's most prestigious awards including the DuPont-Columbia Award, three)Peabody Awards, a national Investigative Reporters and Editors (IRE) Award, the National Headliner Award, the Society of Professional Journalists (SPJ) Award, a national Edward R. Murrow Award, and a regional Edward R. Murrow award for the documentary Room 206: The Platte Canyon Shooting. In 2012, Ferrugia received the Missouri Honor Medal for Distinguished Service in Journalism from the University of Missouri School of Journalism.

Sources

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