John Wesley Johnson, a Meridian legend, passed away on March 17, 2025.

 

Best known as the long-time Anchorman and News Director at WTOK-TV, Johnson was one of the first African American news directors in Mississippi and the Southeast. In his 32 years at WTOK, he molded hundreds of reporters. His last day at WTOK was Dec. 30, 2016, but his influence continues today. Colleagues who worked with Johnson over his tenure laud his impact on their own careers, in their personal lives and in the life of our community.

 

Senior Pastor at Northcrest Baptist Church Wade Phillips was an executive producer and anchor at WTOK from 2005-2017. He recalls John as a boss, mentor and friend.

 

“I learned so much from him about journalism, but more about life. There was never any pretense or insincerity about him. He was the same person no matter where he was. When I think about John, I will think about many hours sitting in his office over the years, talking about work and life and family and faith. I will remember how much we laughed together. He had such a great sense of humor! And I will remember how always – no matter what – he was kind. I saw him react with kindness in the most difficult situations imaginable. It is an example that I strive for, though I admit I have not yet met it. I’m thankful he took a chance on me all those years ago, and that he brought me back to Meridian after I’d left. I don’t believe that I would be anything that I am right now if not for John. If ever a man deserved a tribute, it is him.”

 

Deana Day Sommer, communications coordinator for Faith Comes by Hearing, was an anchor, reporter and executive producer at WTOK from 1989-1995, and then returned to the newsdesk from 2012-2014.

 

“John was my boss and was a serious journalist, one of the fairest I’ve ever known. I learned so much from him, but some of the many things that greatly impacted me during my first years at WTOK were the “Live Town Hall Meetings” that John was so passionate about producing and hosting. It was a big undertaking, but he knew how important it was to engage the community and get input from all sides on the issues affecting all of us. He made it look so easy! John taught us that as broadcasters, our core responsibilities are to inform and serve our community. I didn’t realize it at the time, but his dedication to journalistic principles was not always the standard in other newsrooms across the country. I was blessed to have such a great teacher and example in my early news years!”

 

“John also had an uncanny way of talking to each of us that made us feel important. Always the interviewer, he would motion you over to sit down and chat – asking about everything from your family and pets to your philosophies on world matters! I saw him treat friends and strangers the same way — taking the time to encourage, and to show each one how interested he was in your life. He loved to laugh, and some of my best memories are remembering the times when John would start to chuckle and then couldn’t stop laughing. It was infectious! We would all laugh so much we would forget what it was that we initially thought was mildly funny! John was a Christ-follower in a profession where it’s not always appreciated. His quiet servant leadership inspired so many people in ways that will stay with them for life,” Sommer added.

 

Lauderdale County Supervisor Joe Norwood remembers John as a colleague and a friend.

 

“John and I worked in Mobile, and when he moved to Meridian, he recruited me to come to the ‘Sip and work at WTOK. I stayed with his family when I first arrived in Meridian, so they were like a family to me then and now,” Norwood said. “I worked as chief photographer for 15 years, but John has remained my friend and mentor. He truly is one of the most ethical people I have ever known; I am the person I am today because of him.”

 

John stepped away from the anchor desk in 2011, but he continued to lead the news department as news director until 2016.

 

Today, Lindsey Hall is an anchor and reporter at WTOK, but he remembers that John hired him in 1986.

 

“I took on the role of Sports Director thinking I’d be in Meridian for a couple of years and move on.  38 years later, I’m still here and a lot of that has to do with John.

 

“John was my boss, but he also was a friend and mentor. He’s an excellent broadcaster but I think he’ll be remembered most for what a terrific and kind person he was.  John not only cared for you as an employee but took great interest in you as a person. He was genuine, kind, fair and caring. You can become very jaded in the broadcasting world, but John was always the same. Calm, cool and collected. He’s a legend in every aspect of the word. Old School. There’s not too many of those remaining.”

 

“In fact, now that I’m in news, I realize I’m following in John’s footsteps, and he set the bar very high. I hope I make him proud,” Hall said.

 

Former Mayor Percy Bland recalls John as a true legend in Meridian’s media community.

 

“John was more than a broadcaster. He was a voice for the people, a storyteller who brought our city’s triumphs and challenges into our homes with honesty and heart. His passion for journalism was matched only by his love for this community. He mentored young reporters, uplifted local voices, and ensured that Meridian’s stories were told with dignity and truth.”

 

“John’s impact will be felt for generations, not just in the newsroom but in the lives of those he touched. We have lost a giant, but his legacy will live on in the stories he told and the lives he inspired,” Bland said.

 

John Johnson served on the Board of Trustees at Meridian Community College from 2008 to 2020 and was serving when Dr.Tom Huebner became president in 2018.

 

“John was an important member of our community for decades, strongly supported education at all levels, and cared deeply about Meridian Community College. He was a man of great character and success, but those who knew him would also say he was kind, gracious, patient, wise, and thoughtful. His wife, Pranati, a well-known local educator, strongly supported his work with our college, and his two daughters, Jennifer and Joya, are incredible individuals who I know made their father proud. John’s contributions to our community and our college are significant and serve as a reminder of how one person can have a lasting impact,” Huebner said.

 

DeVon Pruitt, a 2011 graduate of Meridian High School and now a financial advisor with the Piedmont Group, remembers John Johnson’s influence on his life.

 

“As a Black boy growing up in Meridian raised by my mother and grandmother, I had to look outside my home for male mentorship. There weren’t many examples of college-educated, well-poised Black men to guide me. But every night at 6 p.m. and 10 p.m. on WTOK-11, one man entered my home. He spoke with grace and authority, dressed in a suit and tie, and looked exactly like me. For all my childhood and adolescence, I could count on the steady presence of John Wesley Johnson.”

 

“He made little Black boys like me proud—to dress sharp, to speak with polish, and to step into spaces where we were once unwelcome. He showed us how to love our spouses, raise our children, and uphold the highest ideals of service and leadership,” Pruitt said.

 

John Johnson was an active member of St. Paul United Methodist Church and numerous civic and professional organizations. John was a devoted San Francisco 49ers fan and an all-around sports enthusiast. Around the city, he could be found playing basketball, baseball and participating in half and full marathons. He would later become an avid golf fan and spent many hours on the Lakeview golf course.

 

Whether it was listening to his Motown vinyl records, honing his photography skills, or acting in plays at the Meridian Little Theatre, John also maintained his lifelong passion for the arts.

 

John leaves behind his loving wife of 43 years Pranati and two daughters, Jennifer Anjali of Chicago, Illinois, and Joya Marie of Jackson.