By Michael Minnich, WV News
CLARKSBURG, W.Va. (WV News) — Media has lost “The Legend.”
WV News Executive Editor John Miller died Tuesday at the age of 62, leaving a legacy of over 40 years of community-based journalism and involvement.
“John Miller was the heart of WV News. For more than four decades, he set the standard for community journalism in West Virginia,” WV News owner and President Brian Jarvis said. “The WV News family is shocked and saddened by losing one of our friends and leaders. Our thoughts and prayers are with John’s family.”
“John Miller was like a brother to me,” WV News publisher Andy Kniceley said. “His dedication and work ethic exceeded the standards of the industry. His passion for journalism was the motivation for his team, which is responsible for 22 publications covering WV News’ footprint, stretching from Gallipolis, Ohio, to Garrett County, Maryland.”
Miller began his career in sports as a part-time correspondent and always kept his feet there, even as his job responsibilities at The Exponent Telegram and WV News expanded.
He coached youth sports and played a pivotal role in building the annual Harrison County Sports Awards ceremony into a special event.
“Public education did not have a greater supporter than John Miller,” Kniceley said.
Miller had the newspaper bug from a young age, starting as a paper boy at the age of 8 and then becoming an independent contractor at the age of 17.
On April 22, 1985, he joined the newspaper full-time, wearing the hats of sports reporter, then sports editor, then managing editor starting in 1999, then executive editor beginning in 2013.
“He earned the respect of local, state and national leaders alike for his depth of knowledge and activism for what best served the public’s interest,” Kniceley said. “WV News has lost a great leader. The communities we served have lost a great journalist and community advocate.”
“We will celebrate his life. But, we will mourn the loss of a great man.”
In 2023, Miller was named one of just 12 “Editors Extraordinaire” in the nation by Editor and Publisher Magazine.
“He trained and mentored generations of reporters and editors. Many of the best journalists working in West Virginia today carry John’s fingerprints on their careers,” Jarvis said.
When Miller started his career, he worked on two publications.
Now, there are 22 in the WV News umbrella.
Miller worked intimately with their staffs to create publications that showed the best in something he always believed in: local journalism.
“It feels really special,” Miller said in 2023. “I think that any time you pour yourself into something and see the reward for it, it has extra meaning. This is especially meaningful because of what we have been able to accomplish in the business over that time period, the obstacles we’ve overcome as a team and the many, many people who I’ve had the pleasure of working with.
“I’ve learned from everybody, mentored a few and have certainly been blessed. We do things right. We have found a model that works, and this award is as much for the efforts of the team as it is for my contributions.”
