John Cranfill, who led The News into the digital age, dies at 78

John Cranfill, who spent more than three decades at The Dallas Morning News in a variety of roles and helped usher the paper into the digital era, died Feb. 15.

He was 78.

John Elgin Cranfill was born in Waco on Dec. 17, 1944, and attended La Vega High School and Baylor University before earning his master’s degree from the University of Southern California.

During the Vietnam War, Cranfill served as an information officer for the Air Force from 1968 to 1971. He was then stationed at Scott Air Force Base in Illinois, where he wrote for the base newspaper.

Following his honorable discharge in 1972, Cranfill came to Dallas to report at The News, where he became the paper’s first energy editor. He was a Pulitzer Prize finalist for his work in 1974 and, according to his obituary, “always proud to have been a nominated finalist for the Pulitzer, John felt he was a winner to have come in second.”

Cranfill went on to join the newsroom’s management team as an assistant managing editor.

Later in his tenure with The News, Cranfill helped bringing journalism into the age of the internet. He was the founding managing director of The News’ digital presence, dallasnews.com, which was launched in 1996.

Just a few months later, The News became known as the first metropolitan publication to break a major national story online before the print edition. The News published the confession of Oklahoma City bomber Timothy McVeigh online in February 1997, and it was known as “the scoop of the year.”

Cranfill also was known for his work in updating the state’s Open Records Act for the digital era and for chairing the Elections Advisory Committee to the Texas Secretary of State from 1982 to 2007.

After 32 years, Cranfill retired from The News and worked as a public policy consultant with Dean International. He was a member of The Church of the Incarnation and a board member of Dallas Challenge, the Dean Learning Center and the Dean Foundation.

Cranfill is survived by his wife of 55 years, Mira Potts Cranfill, and his daughter, Jennifer Cranfill.