Wade William Goodwyn (January 12, 1960 – June 8, 2023) was an American journalist who was the national desk correspondent for National Public Radio. Goodwyn began his career in radio as a freelancer and began working for NPR in 1991. His coverage focused on news in and around Texas.
Goodwyn was the son of Lawrence Goodwyn, a journalist, liberal activist, and history professor at Duke University.[1][2] Wade Goodwyn attended the University of Texas, graduating with a degree in history. His first career was as a political campaign staffer for Lloyd Doggett and Ralph Nader.[3] He spent time in New York City as a political organizer, and his time listening to WNYC inspired him to pursue a career in radio in general, and with NPR in particular.[4]
In 1991, Goodwyn met with All Things Considered host Robert Siegel, who connected him with the NPR hiring office. Without prior experience in radio or journalism, Goodwyn began as a freelancer, learning radio techniques from his first editor, Judith Doherty.[4] To make his career transition financially possible, he moved back to Texas.[3]
In 1993, Goodwyn went to Waco, Texas to add to National Desk Correspondent John Burnett's coverage of the 1993 Branch Davidian siege. It became a major national story, and Goodwyn managed the first interview of a former Branch Davidian and other scoops which led to his being hired by NPR as a staff correspondent.[3][4][5]
