Albert Scardino | |
|---|---|
| Born | 1948 or 1949 (age 76–77) |
| Education | Columbia College (BA) University of California at Berkeley (MA) |
| Occupation | Journalist |
| Spouse | |
| Children | 3, includingHal |
| Awards | Pulitzer Prize for Editorial Writing (1984) |
Albert Scardino (born 1948 or 1949[1]) is an American journalist and former publisher ofThe Georgia Gazette who is known for winning thePulitzer Prize for Editorial Writing in 1984.[2]
Scardino was born inBaltimore, Maryland, and grew up inSavannah, Georgia, where his father, Dr. Peter Scardino, practiced medicine.[3] He graduated fromSavannah Country Day School.[4] After receiving his Bachelor of Arts fromColumbia College in 1970, he went on to get his Master of Arts in journalism at theUniversity of California at Berkeley.[3][5] At Columbia, he was night editor of theColumbia Daily Spectator.[5]
On April 10, 1978, he startedThe Georgia Gazette with his wife Majorie on $50,000 raised among family and friends and the two managed the daily operations of the newspaper as publishers and maintained a staff of around twenty.[6] The newspaper was famous for its investigative journalism that exposed the corruption of Sam Caldwell, who was later convicted of fraud conspiracy.[7] He won thePulitzer Prize in 1984 for his editorials exposing the corruption and ineptitude of local and state governments.[2][8] However, their style of journalism did not appeal to many locals, and the paper occasionally met resistance from the officials, including then mayorJohn Rousakis. Circulation of the newspaper was meager and hovered between 2,500 and 4,000.[7][8] Eventually, financial constraints forced the couple to shut down the newspaper in 1985.[7]
Scardino was later hired byThe New York Times as an editor and worked there until 1990, when he was hired by mayorDavid Dinkins as his press secretary, a role he served until his resignation 1991.[3][9]
He later moved to theUnited Kingdom with his wife after she was promoted to the CEO of theEconomist Group and worked as a journalist and executive editor ofThe Guardian from 2002 to 2004.[10][11] He also served as a governor ofThe Royal Shakespeare Company, a director ofMedia Standards Trust, and judge on theOrwell Prize jury in 2008.[12][13]
Outside of his journalism career, he ownedNotts County F.C., the world's oldest professional association football club, in a futile attempt to help it get out of debt.[14][15][16]
In 1974 he marriedMarjorie Scardino (née Morris), who was raised inTexas and received her BA fromBaylor University and JD from theUniversity of San Francisco.[4] She became the first female CEO of aFTSE 100 Index company when she was appointed as the chief executive of British publisherPearson plc in 1997.[17] The couple has three children, includingHal Scardino, who was a child actor known for playing the protagonist inThe Indian in the Cupboard and two filmsSearching for Bobby Fischer andMarvin's Room.[18][19]
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