Political reporter John DiStaso was central figure in NH politics

TUESDAY. JENNIFER:Okay, O JACKIE, THANK YOU. WELL, IT HAS BEEN A VERY SAD DAY FOR ALL OF US HERE AT WMUR. WE’RE MOURNING THE LSOS OF OUR COLLEAGUE AND GDOO FRIEND, POLITICAL REPORT, JOHN DiSTO.AS TOM: JOHN WAS KNOSWN THE DEAN OF THE NEW HAMPSHIRE POLITICAL JOURNALIST, COVERING PRESIDENTIAL PRIMARIES, REALLY LIKE NO OTHER, ASKING THE TOUGH QUESTIONS, BEING A MENTOR TO BUDDING JOURNALISTS AND WAS A REALLY WELL SPIRITED PERSON AND JUST ALL-AROUND GREAT GUY. WMUR POLITICAL DIRECRTO ADAM SEXTON WITH MORE ON JOHN STDiASO. >>> IT’S AN UNDERSTATEMENT TO SAY THIS IS A DEVASTATING LOSS NOT JUST FOR US BUT THE STATE OF NNEW HAMPSHIRE. JOHN WAS ININSTITUTION IN THE GRANITE STATE AND LEAVES BEHIND A REMARKABLE LEGACY. JOHN DiSTASO WAS A JOURNALIST, BUT ALSO ONE OFHE T CENTRAL FIGURES IN NEW HAMPSHIRE POLITICS OVER FIVE DIFFERENT DECADES. HE WORKED SO HARD TO GET THE FACTS AND GET THEM OUT FIRST, WHETHER THE STORY WAS ABOUT THE PRESIDENT OF THE UNIDTE STATES, OR THE MOST INTRICATE INSIDER DETAILS OF A LOCAL POLITICAL PARTY DISPUTE. HE WAS A NEWSPAPER REPORTER, OF THE OLD SCHOOL, ALWAYS WORKING THE PNEHOS. AND WHEN THE TRANSITION CAME FROM PRINT TO DIGITAL, IT WASTN’ UNCOMMON FOR JOHN TO BREAK NEWS ATNY A HOUR OF THE DAY OR NIGHT. YOU COULD WAK UEP IN THE MORNING AND SCROLL THROUGH TWIERTT AND SEE HE HAD POSTED A MAJOR STORY AT 3:00 A.M. JOHN WAS TOUGH, HE WAS A RELENTLESS CPEOMTITOR AND DID NOT REALLY HAVE AN OFF SWITCH WITH IT CAME TO THAT COMPETITIVE IN THE. ANY JOURNALIST WHO SAT NEXT TO HIM INHE T NEWSROOM, LEARNED SO MUCH BY JUST LISTENING TO HIM, NOT ONLY CONDUCT INTERVIEWS, BUT ESPECIALLY WORKING SOURCE. IF SOMEHOW A BIG STORY WENT SOMEWHERE ELSE, THOSE SOURCES HERALD FROM JOHN WHO WAS ALSO VERY CALM BUT CLEAR AND DIRECT ABOUT HOW THAT WAS NOT GOING TO HAPPEN AGA.IN BUT THOSE CALLS DIDN’T HAVE TO HAPPEN VERY OFTEN, BECAUSE JOHN WAS SO TRUSTED AND SO UPFRONT AND KIND WITH EVERYONE HE DEALT WITH. HIS REPORTING WAS SIMOS LARRY DIRELYCT AND CONSEQUENCAL AND NO MATTER HOW BIG A STORY HE BKERO A DAY OR HOUR BEFORE, HE WAS ALWAYS MOVING TO THE NEXT BIG STORY, MAKING SURE HE GOT IT AND GOT IT RIGHT. HE WAS NEREV ONE TO BRAG ABOUT JU HSTOW CONSEQUENTIAL HIS REPORTING COULD BE, BUTNE O FORMER HHS COMMISSIONER ONCE TOLD ME THAT JOHN DiSTASO’S REPORTING WAS INTERGRAIL IN THE DECISION TO CSELO THE LACONIA STATE SCHL,OO AN INSTITUTION FOR PEOPLE WITH DISABILITIES TTHA HAD FAILED GRANITE STATERS. AND JOHN PLAYED A ROLE IN BRINGING THOSE PROBLEMS TO LIGHT. OF COURSE, ALONGSIDE THAT IMPACTFUL LOLCA JOURNALISM, WAS HIS FRONT ROWEA ST REPORTING ON THE DOZENS OF FIRST IN THE NAONTI CANDIDATES, WHO FLOCKED TO NEW HAMPSHIRE OVER THE YEARS, TO TRY TO BECOME PRESIDENT OF ETH UNITED STATES. JOHN APPROACDHE ALL OF THEM WITH A SKEPTICAL EYE, NO FEAR, NO DEFERENCE TO TIGHTAL OR PEDIGREE, AND ALMOST PERFECT EMBODIMENT OF HOW YOUR CLASS,IC NEW HAMPSHIRE VOTER, WOULD ASMESU THE GREAT RESPONSIBILITY AND TREMENDOUS PRIVILEGE OF CHALLENGING AND TESNGTI THESE MEN AN WOMEN WHO SEEK THE MOST POWERFUL OFFICE ON PLANET EARTH. AIL RIDE PETE IT JUST BECAUSET I IS — I’LL REREPEAT IT T BECAUSE IT’S THE ESSENCE OF WHO JOHN WAS, HWOE RKED SO, SO HARD, HE NEVER STOPPED, EVEN JUST A FEW DAYS AGO, HE TALKED ABOUT WANTING TO GET BACK TO DOING SOME WK,OR GET THAT BYE LINE BACK IN THE MIX ON WMUR.COM WHERE HE ALWAYS WANTED TO TOP SPOT. WITHOUT QUESTION, THE GRANITE STATE IS DIMINISHED BY THIS LOSS. BUT THE HARD WORK AND THE WRITTEN WORDS OF JOHN DiSTASO WILL LIVE ON, AS A DEFINING RECORD OF HIS ERA OF NEW HAMPSHIRE POLITICS. >> O SURINCERE CONDOLENCES AND LOVE GOUT O TO JOHSN’ WIFE DIANE AND HIS TWO SONS. WE LTOS A GREATRI FEND AND ALLY IN THIS NEWSROOM. TOM: A ADAM, VERY W

Political reporter John DiStaso was central determine in New Hampshire politics

Up to date: 5:37 PM EDT Apr 22, 2022

John DiStaso, who died this week at age 66 after a chronic sickness, was an establishment in and of himself within the Granite State, and he leaves behind an incredible legacy.

John DiStaso, who died this week at age 66 after a chronic sickness, was an establishment in and of himself within the Granite State, and he leaves behind an incredible legacy.