Beloved television broadcaster Bill Moyers passes away at the age of 91.
Modern Maverick: Bill Moyers, the Probing Journalist Who Sparked Conversations
Bill Moyers, the former White House press secretary who turned television into a platform for insightful, thought-provoking discussions, passed away at the ripe age of 91. He breathed his last in a New York City hospital, according to a longtime companion, Tom Johnson, former CEO of CNN, and ex-assistant of Moyers during Lyndon B. Johnson's administration. His son, William, confirmed the news, stating his father succumbed to a longstanding illness at Memorial Sloan Kettering in NYC.
Throughout his multi-faceted career, Moyers traversed various paths from a youthful Baptist minister to a deputy director at the Peace Corps, from Johnson's press secretary to newspaper publisher, senior news analyst for "The CBS Evening News," and chief correspondent for "CBS Reports." However, it was public television that Moyers utilized to create some of television’s most cerebral, introspective and, at times, provocative series.
For hundreds of hours on PBS, Moyers tackled subjects that ranged from government corruption to modern dance, drug addiction to media consolidation, religion to environmental degradation. He was adept at handling topics both profound and intimate, all while retaining a sense of empathy and curiosity.
In 1988, Moyers produced "The Secret Government" about the Iran-Contra scandal and simultaneously published a book under the same title. Around the same time, he captivated viewers with "Joseph Campbell and the Power of Myth," a series of six one-hour interviews with the renowned religious scholar. The accompanying book became a best-seller.
Moyers' conversations with poet Robert Bly practically kick-started the 1990s Men's Movement, and his 1993 series "Healing and the Mind" left a lasting impression on the medical community and medical education.
Despite the media stereotype that abhors "talking heads," or conversations between a subject and interviewer, Moyers specialized in just that. In defense of his style, he once stated, "The question is, are the talking heads thinking minds and thinking people? Are they intriguing to watch? I believe that the most fascinating production value is the human face."
Standing Firm in the Face of Power
With a style described as "softly probing," Moyers approached his subject matter with a calm, level-headed perspective. Critics sometimes labeled him a liberal, due to his ties with Johnson and public television, as well as his dogged approach to investigative journalism. Yet, Moyers didn't hesitate to identifiy himself as an old-fashioned liberal and a "citizen journalist" operating independently of mainstream establishments.
"I’m an old-fashioned liberal when it comes to being open and being interested in other people’s ideas," he once admitted during a 2004 radio interview. On another occasion, though, he preferred to tout himself as a "citizen journalist" operating outside the establishment. In a 2007 interview with The Associated Press, he declared, "Public television (and his self-financed production company) gave me the freedom to fling open the conversation of democracy to all parties."
Over the years, Moyers has garnered a multitude of accolades, including more than 30 Emmys, 11 George Foster Peabody awards, three George Polks, and, twice, the Alfred I. duPont-Columbia University Gold Baton Award for career excellence in broadcast journalism. In 1995, he entered the Television Hall of Fame.
Born in Hugo, Oklahoma, on June 5, 1934, Moyers was the son of a dirt farmer-truck driver who eventually relocated the family to Marshall, Texas. His high school experience steered him towards journalism. Initially attracted to sports, he found his niche as a sports reporter for the school newspaper, which actually earned him the attention of the school's athletes. By age 16, he was employed at the Marshall News Messenger, ultimately choosing Bill Moyers as his pen name.
His association with Johnson began during college, when Moyers offered to assist in Johnson's 1954 re-election campaign. Impressed, Johnson hired him for a summer job. Later, he served as a personal assistant, and over the next few years, he worked at the Peace Corps, eventually attaining the position of deputy director.
On the day John F. Kennedy was assassinated in Dallas, Moyers was in Austin organizing the President's visit. He flew back to Washington on Air Force One with the newly-sworn-in President Johnson, who continued to employ him in various roles over the subsequent years.
Moyers' stint as presidential press secretary was highly contentious, particularly during the escalation of the Vietnam War. Frustrated by the nature of his role, Moyers resigned in December 1966. In a 1994 interview, he expressed his thoughts about his departure, saying, "We had become a war government, not a reform government, and there was no constructive role remaining for me under those circumstances."
He conceded that he may have been "too zealous in my defense of our policies" and lamented criticizing journalists such as Pulitzer Prize-winner Peter Arnett, then an AP special correspondent, and CBS's Morley Safer for their war coverage.
A Career That Spanned the Decades
In 1967, Moyers became editor of Long Island-based Newsday, focusing on adding news analyses, investigative pieces, and lively features. Within three years, the suburban daily had won two Pulitzers. He left the paper after the ownership changed. That summer, he embarked on a 13,000-mile journey across the country, resulting in a best-selling book entitled "Listening to America: a Traveler Rediscovers His Country."
His next venture was in public television, where he gained critical acclaim for "Bill Moyers Journal," a series that featured a wide range of interviewees, from Gunnar Myrdal, the Swedish economist, to poet Maya Angelou. He served as chief correspondent for "CBS Reports" from 1976 to 1978, returned to PBS for three years, and held the position of senior news analyst for CBS from 1981 to 1986.
When CBS cut back on documentaries, he returned to PBS for far less money. "If you have a skill that you can adapt wherever you feel you have to go, you can follow your heart’s desire," he once stated.
In 1986, Moyers and his wife, Judith Davidson Moyers, established their independent production company, Public Affairs Television, which has produced numerous groundbreaking programs, such as the 10-hour "In Search of the Constitution."
Throughout the 21st century, Moyers pursued projects such as "Now," a weekly PBS public affairs program, a new iteration of "Bill Moyers Journal," and a podcast tackling topics like racism, voting rights, and the surge of Donald Trump, among others.
Moyers married Judith Davidson, a college classmate, in 1954, and they raised three children, including bestselling author Suzanne Moyers, and author-TV producer William Cope Moyers. Over the years, Judith joined her husband as a creative partner, collaborator, and eventually president of their production company.
In his career spanning decades, Bill Moyers was not only a seasoned journalist but also a bridge between politics, general news, entertainment, and celebrities. His exploration of topics extended from government scandals to religious scholars, and he even interviewed renowned poets such as Robert Bly, impacting the Men's Movement and medical education. Despite questioning the mainstream, Moyers' interviews, often considered provocative, revealed a curious and empathetic approach to journalism, making him a prolific figure in investigative television and public affairs.
