Ken Dixon and John Elliott to be inducted to the Connecticut Journalism Hall of Fame on May 23
The Connecticut Society of Professional Journalists will induct two longtime journalists into the Connecticut Journalism Hall of Fame at its annual dinner on May 23.
Hearst Connecticut political editor Ken Dixon and now retired 96.5 WTIC morning news anchor John Elliott both had careers that spanned more than 40 years.
Ken Dixon
Dixon is responsible for political coverage for eight daily newspapers that are part of Hearst Connecticut Media, including the New Haven Register, Connecticut Post, The Norwalk Hour, Danbury News Times, Stamford Advocate, Greenwich Time, the Register-Citizen in Torrington and The Middletown Press.
For 24 years until 2018, he was a one-person state Capitol bureau, first for The Connecticut Post and eventually for the other Hearst papers, as they were acquired, covering public policy, the legislature, state departments and politics, and writing one or two columns a week.
Dixon began his career at the Bridgeport Post and Telegram newspapers in July 1977, after a short stint as the farm editor of a central-Ohio daily. He started his journalism career in the Nutmeg state covering Westport and Norwalk before moving to Bridgeport City Hall in 1983. From 1990 through 1994, he was a full-time columnist for what became the Connecticut Post.
Dixon graduated from Ohio University’s journalism program in 1976. He have won state, regional and national awards for reporting and column-writing and he was recently a National Press Foundation fellow.
In his spare time, Dixon plays soccer in leagues and clubs and he plays the electric mandolin and guitar. Dixon is part of a journalists’ bar band, The Bad Slugs, and wrote an iconic tune about working in newspapers: “Ride the Dinosaur.”
John Elliott
Elliott holds the distinction of being the longest running radio news anchor in the state of Connecticut with 42 years at WTIC.
Elliott knew from when he was a little boy that he wanted to be in the news business. When he was a boy, Elliott’s father bought a miniature reel to reel tape recorder with a microphone, which he used to interview family members on tape. His next door neighbor growing up was legendary disc jockey Bob Steele.
Elliott graduated from Emerson College in 1974. He hoped for a career in television news but was turned down by Channels 3, 8 and 30. When told he should try radio, he had his first radio news job with WCCC with morning host Rusty Potz.
His start with WTIC was as a summer replacement worker where he handled the morning news for Steele, who helped Elliott with his writing and delivery on the air.
Elliott started at WTIC in 1976 before the radio station’s switched from a classical music to a pop music format.
He part of the station’s popular morning show Craig and Company with Gary Craig. Elliott retired from the radio station in last July.
During his 42 years at the station, Elliott sat on the same chair and after his retirement, he auctioned off the chair, raising $10,000 which was donated to the American Civil Liberties Union. The chair was later donated to Elliott’s alma mater, Wethersfield High School’s Career and Technical Education Department by fellow radio personality Mark “The Shark” Christopher, who was the highest bidder on the chair. He also started a John Elliott Scholarship for the high school.
