John Ferrugia

John Ferrugia is a nationally recognized investigative reporter who is currently News Anchor and Managing Editor for Rocky Mountain PBS in Denver, Colorado. From 1992 through February 2016, he worked as an investigative reporter and news anchor at KMGH-TV.

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Investigative Reporter John Ferrugia

As a 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. He has been honored with journalism's most prestigious national awards for his reporting.

Early life and education

Ferrugia grew up in Fulton, Missouri. He attended St. Peter Catholic elementary school and Fulton High School. He served in the U.S. Naval Reserve (two years active duty in Europe) as a Navy journalist working for American Forces Network.

Ferrugia received a Bachelors in Journalism from the University of Missouri School of Journalism in 1975 and completed some post-graduate work.

Personal

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

Professional Career

Early Local Television

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KCMO-TV General Manager Charles McAbee, Investigative Reporter John Ferrugia and News Director Mike Casserly accept the 1977 Peabody Award for "Where have all the Flood Cars Gone". (Photo courtesy of the Peabody Awards)

As a journalism student working at KOMU-TV Ferrugia was sent to film a local HUD home improvement project. What was to be a feature story turned into his first investigation as he discovered a young woman being held against her will by two elderly residents of a house under renovation. Nadine Hamm had been held for more than a decade and the stories produced by Ferrugia brought law enforcement and the local D.A. to her rescue. 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) reporting and filming half-hour programs highlighting issues of 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". In 1980, he caught the eye of executives at CBS News, including Chicago bureau chief Jack Smith, and producer Joe Peyronnin during his coverage of the National Political Conventions.

CBS News

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John Ferrugia, Bill Plante and Lesley Stahl in the CBS White House office in 1985 where they covered President Ronald Reagan. (Photo courtesy of the Washington Journalism Review/ Photo by Diana Walker)

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 attempted assassination of Ronald 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 Lebanese civil war.

In 1982, Ferrugia was assigned to the White House (replacing veteran correspondent Nelson Benton) working with correspondents Lesley Stahl, and Bill Plante, and producer Susan Zirinsky. 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.

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CBS News "West 57th" correspondents Meredith Vieira, Steve Kroft, John Ferrugia, Bob Sirott and Jane Wallace in 1986. (Photo courtesy of CBS News)

In 1985, Ferrugia was named principal correspondent for the CBS news magazine West 57th. His colleagues included Meredith Vieira, Steve Kroft, Jane Wallace 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 reports included investigations into medical fraud, inner city gangs, grey market prescription drugs, and the redesign of space shuttle rocket boosters after the Challenger disaster.

Return to Local Television

After nearly a decade of travel and the birth of his first son, Ferrugia left CBS News in 1989 for family reasons. He moved to Denver, Colorado to anchor news and report for KCNC-TV. He anchored the "Colorado Evening News" with former CNN anchor Reynelda Muse and in his first year, 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 HIV and AIDS.

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Producer Kurt Silver and Investigative Reporter John Ferrugia accept the 2003 Peabody Award from Board Juror Ron Nessen for "Honor and Betrayal". (Photo courtesy of the Peabody Awards)

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. But by 2002 KMGH-TV had hired investigative producer Jeff Harris and News Director Byron Grandy who, with Ferrugia, began to build the station's investigative reporting profile. The investigative team added producer Kurt Silver (now an FBI special agent) and producer Tom Burke. Jason Foster was the team's Photojournalist/Editor.

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John Ferrugia, Kurt Silver, Byron Grandy, Jason Foster, and Jeff Harris accept a 2003 duPont-Columbia Award for "Honor and Betrayal". CBS Correspondent Bob Simon was the presenter.

With Ferrugia as lead reporter, the 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 Alfred I. duPont–Columbia University Award, Peabody and the Investigative Reporters and Editors Award IRE.

Ferrugia's 2008 investigation into the deaths of several children in Denver was honored with his third Peabody Award and 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 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. The investigative reports also prompted the state to establish the State Office of the Child Protection Ombudsman as an independent third party to investigate complaints.

Ferrugia's 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 (Producers Arthur Kane and Tom Burke, and photojournalist Jason Foster) earned a 2011 national Edward R. Murrow Award (Radio Television Digital News Association) 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 caused the resignation of the hospital's long time director; prompted major changes in state policies for dealing with the mentally ill in Colorado; and prompted the state legislature to add funding for 50 additional staff at the state's largest mental health facility.

During Ferrugia's tenure at KMGH-TV the investigative team was responsible for reporting that led to statewide changes in laws, regulations and practices that effected the health and safety of Coloradans.

Public Televison

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"Imminent Danger", an RMPBS "Insight with John Ferrugia" project, was honored with the 2019 duPont-Columbia Award for journalistic excellence.

In March 2016, John Ferrugia left KMGH-TV to accept a position at Rocky Mountain PBS as Anchor and Managing Editor of a signature program, "Insight with John Ferrugia". He, along with RMPBS VP of Journalism, Laura Frank, have built a team of experienced journalists and editors to produce monthly in-depth investigative/public policy projects that air statewide in Colorado. In a unique distribution arrangement, correspondents John Ferrugia and Lori Jane Gliha also appear on a commercial Denver station where they produce shorter reports that air on the late news. Several of the investigative stories have also aired on the PBS Newshour. In its first two years on air the program was honored with a 2019 Alfred I. duPont–Columbia University Award for "Imminent Danger", an in-depth examination of guns and mental illness. Ferrugia obtained exclusive interviews with families of mentally ill killers who had access to guns, including the parents of 2012 Aurora shooting killer James Holmes. "Insight" has also garnered several regional Emmy awards, including an Emmy for investigative reporting and a national "Gracie" award given by the Alliance for Women in Media for an investigative project into human trafficking led by correspondent Lori Jane Gliha.

Covering Major Stories

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John Ferrugia interviews Pope John Paul II aboard the Papal aircraft on route to Jamaica during the Pope's World Youth Day trip to Denver in 1993. The Pope's spokesman, Dr. Joaquin Navarro-Valls, holds the microphone.

While his principal job is investigative reporting, Ferrugia has been involved in reporting major national stories for the past three decades in Colorado, 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; 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; and investigating the 2012 Aurora shooting at a metro area theater.

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 at Castel Gandolfo outside Rome prior to the U.S. trip.

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

Major Awards

John Ferrugia has been honored with television journalism's most prestigious awards including two (2) Alfred I. duPont–Columbia University Award, three (3) Peabody Awards, a national Investigative Reporters and Editors (IRE) Award, the Grand Award for the National Headliner Award, the Society of Professional Journalists Sigma Delta Chi Award, a national Edward R. Murrow Award, and regional Edward R. Murrow awards for both news and documentary. As of 2018 he has been honored with more than 20 Regional Emmy Awards, multiple awards from the Associated Press, Colorado Broadcasters Association, and Missouri Broadcasters Association. Ferrugia has a;sp been honored with the Heartland NATAS Silver Circle Award for his career contribution to journalism.