Bill Moyers, a Luminary of Journalism, Passes Away at 91
NEW YORK — Bill Moyers, the renowned former White House press secretary who later became one of television’s most lauded journalists, passed away on Thursday at the age of 91, leaving behind a legacy of insightful storytelling that illuminated complex ideas through the visual arts.
Moyers died in a New York City hospital, as confirmed by his longtime friend Tom Johnson, the former CEO of CNN and a former aide during the Lyndon B. Johnson administration. His son, William, noted that Moyers succumbed to a “long illness” at Memorial Sloan Kettering.
His multifaceted career spanned from being a young Baptist minister to serving as deputy director of the Peace Corps, and from Johnson’s press secretary to a newspaper publisher and senior news analyst for “The CBS Evening News.” He also held the title of chief correspondent for “CBS Reports.”
However, it was his work with public television that truly showcased Moyers’ ability to tackle thought-provoking subjects. Over hundreds of hours of PBS programming, he delved into topics ranging from government corruption to the nuances of modern dance, drug addiction, media consolidation, and environmental degradation.
In 1988, he produced “The Secret Government,” a groundbreaking examination of the Iran-Contra scandal, which was complemented by a book of the same name. This period also saw him engage viewers with “Joseph Campbell and the Power of Myth,” a six-part interview series with the esteemed religious scholar, leading to a bestseller.
His televised dialogues with poet Robert Bly were pivotal in igniting the Men’s Movement of the 1990s, and his 1993 series “Healing and the Mind” left a lasting impact on both the medical community and medical education.
In a landscape often criticized for favoring flashy visuals over substantive dialogue, Moyers became an aficionado of the so-called “talking heads” format. He once philosophically mused, “The question is, are the talking heads thinking minds and thinking people? Are they interesting to watch? I think the most fascinating production value is the human face.”
(Softly) Speaking Truth to Power: With his distinct Texas accent and what some have described as a “soft, probing style,” Moyers navigated the complexities of the world with a reasoned and calm demeanor, regardless of the subject matter.
Though often labeled a liberal—thanks in no small part to his ties with Johnson and his unflinching investigative approach—Moyers didn’t shy away from this characterization. “I’m an old-fashioned liberal when it comes to being open and being interested in other people’s ideas,” he stated in a 2004 radio interview, preferring to identify as a “citizen journalist” operating outside traditional media constraints.
His tenure in public television, along with his self-financed production company, granted him the freedom to widen “the conversation of democracy to all comers,” as he reflected in a 2007 interview with The Associated Press. “My peers in commercial television are talented and devoted journalists,” he remarked, “but they’ve chosen to work in a corporate mainstream that trims their talent to fit the corporate nature of American life. Hard truths about America often go unrewarded in a profit-driven environment.”
Over his illustrious career, Moyers accumulated numerous accolades, including more than 30 Emmys, 11 George Foster Peabody awards, three George Polks, and the prestigious Alfred I. duPont-Columbia University Gold Baton Award for career excellence in broadcast journalism. In 1995, he earned a well-deserved spot in the Television Hall of Fame.
From Sports to Journalism: Born Billy Don Moyers on June 5, 1934, in Hugo, Oklahoma, he was the son of a dirt farmer and truck driver who later relocated the family to Marshall, Texas. His high school years led him to journalism, where he humorously noted, “I wanted to play football, but I was too small. But I found that by writing sports for the school newspaper, the players were always waiting at the newsstand to see what I wrote.”
At just 16, he began working for the Marshall News Messenger and opted for the more suitable byline of Bill Moyers, strategically dropping the “y” from his name. He graduated from the University of Texas and earned a master’s in divinity from Southwestern Baptist Theological Seminary. Though ordained, he later concluded that his calling to the ministry was a “wrong number.”
Moyers’ bond with Johnson began in college when he reached out to the then-senator, offering to support his 1954 reelection campaign. Impressed by his initiative, Johnson hired him for a summer position. Moyers later served as a personal assistant to Johnson in the early 1960s and eventually became deputy director of the Peace Corps.
On the day of President John F. Kennedy’s assassination in Dallas, Moyers was in Austin assisting with the presidential trip. He returned to Washington on Air Force One with the newly sworn-in President Johnson, subsequently holding various roles, including press secretary.
Moyers’ time as press secretary was marked by attempts to reconcile the strained relationship between Johnson and the media. However, the Vietnam War took its toll, leading to his resignation in December 1966. Reflecting on his departure, he noted, “We had become a war government, not a reform government, and there was no creative role left for me under those circumstances.” He also expressed regret for being “too zealous in my defense of our policies,” particularly towards journalists like Pulitzer Prize-winner Peter Arnett and CBS’ Morley Safer, who challenged the war narrative.
A Long Television Tenure: In 1967, Moyers transitioned to publisher of Long Island’s Newsday, where he focused on enhancing news analyses, investigative stories, and engaging features. Within three years, the paper earned two Pulitzer Prizes, though Moyers departed in 1970 after a change in ownership. That summer, he undertook a 13,000-mile journey across the country, documenting his experiences in the bestselling “Listening to America: a Traveler Rediscovers His Country.”
His subsequent foray into public television yielded critical acclaim for “Bill Moyers Journal,” featuring interviews with notable figures such as economist Gunnar Myrdal and poet Maya Angelou. He served as chief correspondent for “CBS Reports” from 1976 to 1978, returned to PBS for three years, and then held the position of senior news analyst for CBS from 1981 to 1986.
When CBS curtailed its documentary programming, Moyers returned to PBS, accepting a significantly reduced salary. “If you have a skill that you can fold with your tent and go wherever you feel you have to go, you can follow your heart’s desire,” he once remarked.
In 1986, he and his wife, Judith Davidson Moyers, took control of their own destiny by establishing Public Affairs Television, an independent production company that not only created programs like the 10-hour “In Search of the Constitution” but also financed them through independent fundraising efforts.
In the 21st century, Moyers continued to make his mark with projects such as “Now,” a weekly PBS public affairs show, a new edition of “Bill Moyers Journal,” and a podcast addressing issues like racism, voting rights, and the rise of Donald Trump, among other pressing topics.
Moyers married his college classmate Judith Davidson in 1954, and they raised three children, including author Suzanne Moyers and author-TV producer William Cope Moyers. Judith became not only his partner but also his creative collaborator and president of their production company.
