Quick Facts
Born:
June 5, 1934, Hugo, Oklahoma, U.S.
Died:
June 26, 2025, Manhattan, New York (aged 91)
Awards And Honors:
Emmy Award
Britannica AI Icon
Adding us as a Preferred Source tells Google you trust our content, so our articles show up more often in your Google Search, Discover feed, and AI Overviews.
verifiedCite
While every effort has been made to follow citation style rules, there may be some discrepancies. Please refer to the appropriate style manual or other sources if you have any questions.
Select Citation Style
Feedback
Corrections? Updates? Omissions? Let us know if you have suggestions to improve this article (requires login).
Thank you for your feedback

Our editors will review what you’ve submitted and determine whether to revise the article.

External Websites
Britannica Websites
Articles from Britannica Encyclopedias for elementary and high school students.

Bill Moyers (born June 5, 1934, Hugo, Oklahoma, U.S.—died June 26, 2025, Manhattan, New York) was an American journalist who was especially known for his television programs that aired on the Public Broadcasting Service (PBS).

Moyers originally trained for the Baptist ministry; he was ordained in 1954 and received a master of divinity degree from the Southwestern Baptist Theological Seminary in 1959. During that time he also studied journalism (B.A., 1956) at the University of Texas. In 1961 he joined the Peace Corps and soon became its deputy director (1962–63). Following the assassination of U.S. Pres. John F. Kennedy in 1963, Moyers became special assistant to Pres. Lyndon B. Johnson, and from 1965 to 1967 he served as Johnson’s press secretary.

Moyers subsequently focused on journalism. He created and hosted the public affairs program Bill Moyers Journal on PBS (1972–76, 1979–81, 2007–10) and served as a news analyst for CBS News (1981–86). In 1987 he formed Public Affairs TV, Inc., for which he produced such television specials and series as A World of Ideas (1988, 1990), Healing and the Mind (1993), Genesis (1996), Now with Bill Moyers (2002–04), Bill Moyers on Faith and Reason (2006), and Moyers & Company (2012–14). He wrote a number of best-selling books based on the programs.

The recipient of numerous honors, Moyers won more than 30 Emmy Awards, including a lifetime achievement award (2006).

The Editors of Encyclopaedia BritannicaThis article was most recently revised and updated by Mindy Johnston.
Discover the fascinating events that shaped the world, straight from our editors.
By clicking “Sign Up”, you consent to the Britannica Privacy Policy and Terms of Use.