Modern America has a strong generational divide. Whether it’s cultural or political, there are a wide-range of topics that can be off limits when talking to “the grandparents.” On the reverse side, it can be hard to listen to the “wisdom” of a generation that’s had such a hard time adjusting to everything from computers to same-sex marriage. So, with that being said, it's surprising that in today's journalistic landscape, the hippest newsman on the scene is 79 years old. His name is Bill Moyers.
While Anderson Cooper and Rachel Maddow would probably beat him in a style competition, Moyers’ street cred comes from his sheer tenacity to delve into the stories that no one else is covering and interview guests that no one else is talking to. In fact, if you go to the homepage of his website at billmoyers.com , you’ll see the bulk of his content is focused on four issues: Money & Politics, Climate Change, Net Neutrality, and Economic Inequality. You won’t see these topics on the top banner of any other mainstream news site, and it’s important to remember that this scrappy, brilliant reporter is very much on a mainstream stage.
With a journalism career spanning over 45 years, Moyers has a solid reputation as being “the reasonable man’s reasonable man”. But under the surface of this friendly, former Baptist pastor is one of the sharpest minds in television news. And while thoughtfully covering topics that most news organizations spend little-to-no time on, his soft-spoken, plain-spoken, folksy delivery is a nice alternative to the reactionary emotion-ramped punditry that passes for normal news commentary today.
Perhaps his greatest talent comes from his ability to teach the big-picture issues of our day in an easily approachable way – always grounding the stories with a universal morality that appeals to the majority of Americans. And while he wears this morality on his sleeve, it’s always tempered and contemplated –nothing like the phony outrage machine created by cable news to score partisan political points.
In addition to all the Moyers content you can find on Youtube the Bill Moyers channel on Vimeo has uploaded over 1,000 videos available for free online. Because we’re such big fans of Moyers, we at Films For Action have shared many of his reports, interviews, and commentaries. The following is a list of our ten favorites. If you’ve never heard of Bill Moyers, these are a great place to start. If you’re already a fan, let us know if you think we’ve left anything out.
Bill Moyers Journal: Whistleblower Exposes Health Industry (2010)
Bill Moyers on Plutonomy (2010)
Bill Moyers Essay: Plutocracy and Democracy Don't Mix from BillMoyers.com on Vimeo.
Moyers & Company: Is Net Neutrality Dead?
Is Net Neutrality Dead? from BillMoyers.com on Vimeo.
The Secret Government
The Constitution in Crisis - The Secret Government from BillMoyers.com on Vimeo.
Moyers & Company: Putting the Freeze on Global Warming
Putting the Freeze on Global Warming from BillMoyers.com on Vimeo.
Interview with David Simon - Creator of the Wire
Bill Moyers Journal: David Simon from BillMoyers.com on Vimeo.
Moyers & Company: Politics Effect on Science and Technology
Bill Moyers Journal: Theordore Olson and David Boise on Same-Sex Marriage
Bill Moyers Journal: Theordore Olson and David Boise on Same-Sex Marriage from BillMoyers.com on Vimeo.
Bill Moyers Journal: Buying the War (2007)
Bill Moyers Journal: Buying the War from BillMoyers.com on Vimeo.
Bill Moyers Interviews Noam Chomsky