Bill Moyers | Television Journalist

Bill Moyers
Television Journalist

Born: 1934

When I learn something new—and it happens
every day— I feel a little more at home in this universe,
a little more comfortable in the nest.

—Bill Moyers

William Moyers was born in Oklahoma on June 6, 1934, and was raised in Texas. He began his journalism career at age 16 as a cub reporter on the Marshall News Messenger.

Moyers established Public Affairs Television as an independent production company in 1986, and has produced more than 300 hours of programming including: "On Our Own Terms: Moyers on Dying," "Surviving the Good Times: A Moyers Report," "Free Speech for Sale," "Moyers on Addiction: Close to Home," "In Search of the Constitution," "A Gathering of Men with Robert Bly," "Facing Hate with Elie Wiesel," "Listening to America with Bill Moyers," "Healing and the Mind" and "Trade Secrets," an exposé the chemical industry. Five of Moyers' books based on his television series have become best sellers including: "Listening to America," "Joseph Campbell and the Power of the Myth," "A World of Ideas I and II," and "Healing and the Mind."

During his 30+ years in the media Moyers has received numerous awards for excellence, including the prestigious "Gold Baton" from the Alfred I. duPont Columbia University Award, and more than 30 Emmy Awards from the Academy of Television Arts and Sciences. Two of his public television series, "Creativity" and "A Walk Through the 20th Century" were named the outstanding informational series by the Academy of Arts and Sciences. In 1991, Moyers was elected a Fellow of the American Academy of Arts and Sciences.

Moyers retired from television in December, 2004 at age 70. Upon his retirement the AP News Service quoted Moyers as saying, "I'm going out telling the story that I think is the biggest story of our time: how the right-wing media has become a partisan propaganda arm of the Republican National Committee. We have an ideological press that's interested in the election of Republicans, and a mainstream press that's interested in the bottom line. Therefore, we don't have a vigilant, independent press whose interest is the American people."

Moyers is now back in broadcasting, hosting Bill Moyers Journal on PBS.

In addition to broadcasting, Moyers was Deputy Director of the Peace Corps in the Kennedy Administration and special Assistant to President Johnson from 1963-1967. He was a trustee of the Rockefeller Foundation for 12 years, and has served as president of The Florence and John Schumann Foundation. Moyers was the recipient of the 2004 Global Environmental Citizen Award from The Center for Health and the Global Environment at Harvard Medical School. Moyers is also an ordained Baptist minister.

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