Latest news with #Moyers
Scoop
29-06-2025
- Politics
- Scoop
Bill Moyers And The Death Of American Decency
Monday, 30 June 2025, 10:25 am Opinion: Martin LeFevre - Meditations One of the greats of American journalism and political life, Bill Moyers, died in the last few days. In 1989 he famously asked, 'Can a nation die from too many lies?' The answer is now self-evident. Despite serving as Lyndon Johnson's press secretary during LBJ's fabrications and massive military buildup in Vietnam, and despite covering and commenting on the erosion of American values and decency in his career as a journalist, Moyers was the rare man that was able to remain uncorrupted and uncynical. Most Americans, including former Republicans, agree that the Republican Party is moribund, having become a cult-like captive of a despotic, petty, vengeful man that epitomizes the now dominant, darkest side of America. What many Americans refuse to see is that the Democratic Party is moribund as well. And only a few acknowledge that what Moyers foresaw in 1989 – the death of the nation's soul. In his characteristically clear and nonthreatening style, Moyers said of his colleagues, 'I think my peers in commercial television are talented and devoted journalists, but they've chosen to work in a corporate mainstream that trims their talent to fit the corporate nature of American life. And you do not get rewarded for telling the hard truths about America in a profit-seeking environment.' To his credit, Moyers quit as Johnson's press secretary in 1966 rather than be party to the mendacity behind the war in Vietnam. He later wrote: 'We had become a war government, not a reform government.' The closest you'll come to hearing the truth now, even in non-commercial national media, is the euphemistic refrain: 'We must not let ourselves become numb to the Trump Administration's authoritarianism.' The reality is that a deadness of heart and the death of decency in the United States is what gave rise to this monstrous president and his right-hand man, the hatemonger Stephen Miller. After all, he was elected not once, or twice in succession, but after an interregnum and last gasp of faltering decency in the form of Joe Biden. Of course the death of America's soul began long before the manufactured 'good' Gulf War pushed the American people's psyche and spirit into the abyss of Trump-Vance. Slavery, indigenous genocide, and the cold-blooded justification year after year for dropping atomic bombs on Hiroshima and Nagasaki led inexorably to the monumental mistake of Vietnam. Then came America's glorious victory in the cooked up Persian Gulf War, which killed over 200,000 Iraqis to less than 200 US soldiers, and supposedly exorcised the ghosts of Vietnam. It was, spiritually, the last straw. If decency is the minimal requirement for civility and the last guardrail against the abyss, just what is decency in a body politic? One definition of decency is 'the conditions considered essential for a proper standard of living.' Obviously 'standard of living' in a pathologically externalizing and consumeristic culture is viewed in strictly material, economic terms. More importantly however, it applies to the intangible bonds between a people, the true qualities beyond nationalistic identification that define them as an intact people, what Lincoln called 'the mystic chords of memory.' That's why Trump and his sycophants are hell-bent on banning books and institutional references to aspects of American history they want to whitewash, from slavery, to past and present genocides, to progressive advances in women's reproductive rights. In contrast, Bill Moyer's obituary spoke of how he 'masterfully used a visual medium to illuminate a world of ideas, producing some of TV's most cerebral and provocative series for public television.' That reads like a dirge not for the man but for the nation. Purblind political scientists even now talk as if the swings from one party to another continue, as if the pendulum isn't broken, stuck in the rafters of the right-wing extremism that have taken over America. They believe blather like this: 'It's pretty common after the party who loses the election and obviously has no clear leader, for there to be a period where it's not clear who the leaders are going to be. That happened after losses in 1980 and 1984 and 1988 as well. So it takes a while for that to shake out. That's not surprising.' Democrats are clutching at straws. It's absurd to believe that the death of this nation's soul can be restored by a change in party leadership, or barnstorming rallies by Bernie Sanders, or a charismatic mayor of New York. Wishful thinking is like dropping coins into a deep well and hoping to hear a tiny splash. For a rebirth to occur, the death must be fully acknowledged and mourned. Can the dead come back to life? Yes, but only if they see and own their deadness, and want their hearts restored more than they want to physically survive and have endless BBQs. Of course, many people take the attitude of the Guardian columnist who cynically wrote: 'Assume the worst, as I do, and your life will be much simpler. Expect those around you to fail and flout the rules that govern our world.' Such people become the worst of human nature that they despise. Bill Moyers saw the worst, and retained his humanity. So must we, the dwindling decent minority. Martin LeFevre © Scoop Media
Express Tribune
27-06-2025
- Politics
- Express Tribune
Bill Moyers, former White House press secretary and PBS journalist, passes away at 91
Bill Moyers, a distinguished journalist known for his unwavering moral conviction and dedication to investigative reporting, passed away on Thursday in Manhattan at the age of 91, according to The New York Times. With a career spanning over four decades, Moyers became a prominent figure in American journalism, particularly for PBS, where he left an indelible mark on the field. Moyers was celebrated for his deep intellectual curiosity and his concern for both the state of the world and its potential future. Throughout his career, he was vocal about his belief that mainstream media was heavily influenced by corporate interests, often reflecting biases that aligned with the right. Despite exposing corruption and the shortcomings of various political figures and institutions, Moyers remained an idealist, advocating for journalism's crucial role in safeguarding democracy. Katrina Vanden Heuvel, editor and publisher of The Nation, paid tribute to Moyers, acknowledging his commitment to giving a platform to dissenting voices, both from the left and the right. "Moyers constantly reminded us of journalism's indispensable role in our democracy," she wrote, highlighting his ability to elevate marginalized issues and challenge the political elite. Moyers had a long association with PBS, hosting shows such as Bill Moyers Journal and Now With Bill Moyers. He also produced influential documentaries like Joseph Campbell and the Power of Myth and The Secret Government: The Constitution in Crisis, which stirred controversy for their critiques of U.S. foreign policy. Before his PBS career, Moyers served as the White House press secretary under President Lyndon B. Johnson and played a pivotal role in the formation of the Peace Corps. Over the years, he also worked with CBS, NBC, and MSNBC, further cementing his status as a leading figure in American journalism. Moyers received numerous accolades, including more than 30 Emmys and a Lifetime Achievement Emmy Award in 2006. He is survived by his wife Judith, three children, and five grandchildren.
USA Today
27-06-2025
- Politics
- USA Today
Bill Moyers, legendary PBS journalist, 'Power of Myth' host, dies at 91
Bill Moyers, a former White House press secretary to Lyndon B. Johnson who became the thoughtful voice of public television, has died. He was 91. Moyers died in a New York City hospital on June 26 following a "long illness" and complications from prostate cancer, his longtime friend Tom Johnson, the former CEO of CNN, confirmed. Tom Johnson was an assistant to Moyers during Lyndon Johnson's administration and said his former boss deserved a spot on the "Mount Rushmore of splendid journalists," with the likes of CBS's legendary Edward R. Murrow. "In five decades of broadcast journalism, Bill reached the very highest standards of excellence in journalism. I believe he reached the same stature as Edward R. Murrow," Johnson tells USA TODAY. "He was one of President Johnson's most trusted advisors and in many ways was the son that LBJ never had." Moyers won 35 Emmy Awards in his storied career, primarily for his work on PBS as host of "Frontline" and "Bill Moyers Journal." His career was punctuated by the 1988 landmark series, "Joseph Campbell and the Power of Myth,' a series of six one-hour interviews with Campbell, the prominent mythologist and religious scholar. The accompanying book became a national bestseller, with both series popularizing Campbell's phrase, "Follow your bliss." 'Not only was Bill a journalist of the highest caliber, he played an essential role in the creation of PBS as a trusted aide to President Johnson," PBS chief Paula Kerger said in a statement. "It was my privilege to work closely with him for over three decades, and I was always inspired by the clarity of his vision and his unwavering commitment to the ideals that continue to inspire public media. Bill was always of service: as a journalist, a mentor, and a fierce champion for PBS. He fought for excellence and honesty in our public discourse and was always willing to take on the most important issues of the day with curiosity and compassion. While he will be greatly missed, we will continue to carry his legacy forward in service to the American people.' Born Billy Don Moyers in Hugo, Oklahoma, on June 5, 1934, the son of a dirt farmer and truck driver, Moyers dropped the "y" from his first name when he took his first journalism job as a cub reporter at 16 in Marshall, Texas. Moyers' career veered from Baptist minister to deputy director of the Peace Corps to Johnson's press secretary, a role he filled from 1965-67. Tom Johnson said Moyers played a pivotal role in shaping President Johnson's "Great Society" task forces and historic legislation. Moyers left Johnson's administration after growing disagreements with the President over America's escalating involvement in the Vietnam War. In 1967, Moyers was a member of the Carnegie Commission on Educational Television that recommended the creation of a public broadcasting system. The report's recommendations led to the passage of the Public Broadcasting Act of 1967, which authorized the establishment of the Corporation for Public Broadcasting. As the publisher of the Long Island-based newspaper Newsday from 1967 to 1970, Moyers recruited legendary journalists such as Pete Hamill, Daniel Patrick Moynihan and Saul Bellow, and led the paper to win two Pulitzer Prizes. "His time at 'Newsday' was quite remarkable," says Johnson. Moyers was a senior news analyst and commentator for the "CBS Evening News" and chief correspondent for "CBS Reports." Along with his Emmy wins, Moyers won two Alfred I. Dupont-Columbia University Awards, nine Peabody Awards and three George Polk Awards. Moyers also received the first-ever Honorary Doctor of Fine Arts from the American Film Institute. In 2013, Moyers officiated at the wedding of "Star Wars" creator George Lucas and CBS News reporter Mellody Hobson. Moyers is survived by his wife and frequent producer, Judith Davidson Moyers, the president of their production company, and three children, among them the author Suzanne Moyers and author and TV producer William Cope Moyers.
New Indian Express
27-06-2025
- Politics
- New Indian Express
Bill Moyers, the former White House press secretary turned acclaimed TV journalist, dead at 91
NEW YORK: Bill Moyers, the former White House press secretary who became one of television's most honored journalists, masterfully using a visual medium to illuminate a world of ideas, died Thursday at age 91. Moyers died in a New York City hospital, according to longtime friend Tom Johnson, the former CEO of CNN and an assistant to Moyers during Lyndon B. Johnson's administration. Moyers' son William said his father died at Memorial Sloan Kettering in New York after a 'long illness.' Moyers' career ranged from youthful Baptist minister to deputy director of 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.' But it was for public television that Moyers produced some of TV's most cerebral and provocative series. In hundreds of hours of PBS programs, he proved at home with subjects ranging from government corruption to modern dance, from drug addiction to media consolidation, from religion to environmental abuse. In 1988, Moyers produced 'The Secret Government' about the Iran-Contra scandal during the Reagan administration and simultaneously published a book under the same name. Around that time, he galvanized viewers with 'Joseph Campbell and the Power of Myth,' a series of six one-hour interviews with the prominent religious scholar. The accompanying book became a best-seller. His televised chats with poet Robert Bly almost single-handedly launched the 1990s Men's Movement, and his 1993 series 'Healing and the Mind' had a profound impact on the medical community and on medical education. In a medium that supposedly abhors 'talking heads' — shots of subject and interviewer talking — Moyers came to specialize in just that. He once explained why: '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.'
Los Angeles Times
27-06-2025
- Politics
- Los Angeles Times
Bill Moyers, former White House aide and PBS journalist, dies at 91
Bill Moyers, a soft-spoken former White House aide turned journalist who became a standard bearer of quality in TV news, died Thursday in New York. He was 91. Moyers' son William told the Associated Press his father died at Memorial Sloan Kettering hospital after a long illness. Moyers began his TV career in 1971 during the early years of PBS after serving as a leading advisor and press secretary to President Johnson. He spent 10 years in two stints at CBS News in the 1970s and '80s. He was editor and chief correspondent for 'CBS Reports,' the network's prestigious documentary series, and an analyst for the 'CBS Evening News.' He also did a turn as a commentator on 'NBC Nightly News' and was a host of the MSNBC program 'Insight' in 1996. But Moyers was often frustrated with the restraints of corporate-owned media and returned to non-commercial PBS each time. At PBS, 'Bill Moyers Journal' was the first news program on the service, launched in 1972 just as the Watergate scandal was heating up. His documentaries and series, which included 'Now With Bill Moyers' and the weekly interview show 'Moyers & Company, ' often examined complex issues and offered serious discussion. He earned top prizes in television journalism, including more than 30 Emmy Awards. His final program for PBS aired in 2013. Moyers made a posthumous star out of a literature professor at Sarah Lawrence College with the landmark 1988 PBS series 'Joseph Campbell and the Power of Myth,' an exploration of religious and mythological archetypes. The series was watched by 30 million viewers. His 2006 series 'Faith and Reason,' where Moyers interviewed authors about the role of religion in their lives, was the kind of programming that distinguished public television, even as audiences had more viewing options on cable. Moyers also fronted tough investigative programs such as 'The Secret Government,' a deep dive into the Iran-Contra scandal during the Reagan administration. He often focused on the influence of money in the nation's politics. A believer in liberal causes, Moyers aggravated Republican administrations who often cited his programs when they accused PBS of bias and attempted to cut its federal funding. PBS President Paula Kerger, who worked closely with Moyers for decades, said he always embodied the aspirations of public television. 'Bill was always of service: as a journalist, a mentor, and a fierce champion for PBS,' Kerger said in a statement. 'He fought for excellence and honesty in our public discourse, and was always willing to take on the most important issues of the day with curiosity and compassion.' Moyers was born June 5, 1934 in Hugo, Okla., the son of a dirt farmer and day laborer. He attended high school in Marshall, Texas, where he covered sports for the local newspaper. After graduating from the University of Texas, he earned a master's in divinity from Southwestern Baptist Theological Seminary and became an ordained minister. He preached at small rural churches. While in college, he established a relationship with Johnson, who hired him to work on his 1954 reelection campaign for U.S. Senate. He worked as a news editor for KTBC radio and television, the Austin, Texas, outlets owned by Johnson's wife, Lady Bird. Moyers stuck with Johnson when the senator was elected as John F. Kennedy's vice president, becoming his personal assistant and later serving as a deputy director of the Peace Corps. After Johnson was sworn in as president on Nov. 22, 1963, following the assassination of Kennedy, Moyers ascended as well. He was a top Johnson aide with a wide range of duties including press secretary. According to a 1965 profile in Time magazine, Moyers was a key figure in assembling Johnson's ambitious domestic policy initiatives known as the Great Society. He shaped legislation and edited and polished the work of Johnson's speechwriters. When Johnson underwent anesthesia for a gall bladder operation, Moyers was given responsibility to decide whether then-Vice President Hubert Humphrey should take over the president's powers in the event of a crisis. Moyers had a major impact on political communication when in 1964 he signed off on the creation of the 'Daisy' ad for Johnson's presidential election campaign. The ad showing a girl counting petals she pulls from a daisy blends into a countdown for the launch of nuclear missile. Moyers expressed regret for the spot — an attack on Johnson's Republican opponent Barry Goldwater's views on the use of nuclear weapons. He believed the use of visceral imagery harmed the country's politics in the long term. Moyers left the Johnson White House in 1967 as he was disenchanted with the escalation of the Vietnam War. He went on to become publisher of the Long Island, N.Y., daily newspaper Newsday, raising its stature in the journalism industry, before his first tenure at PBS. When he rejoined PBS in 1986, he formed his own production company called Public Affairs Television. Moyers' preacher-like delivery and emphasis on high moral standards in his commentaries led some people to criticize him as being a pious scold. But as cable news brought a more raucous style of current affairs discussions to TV, Moyers' gentler approach was an oasis for many. 'His mission has always been to make things better, not louder,' Neil Gabler wrote in an appreciation of Moyers for The Times in 2009. 'In a world of ego and bombast, he has always been modest and self-effacing.' Moyers is survived by his wife Judith; three children, Suzanne Moyers, John D. Moyers and William Cope Moyers; six grandchildren; and a great-granddaughter.
