About Jeffrey
Jeffrey Brown is the chief correspondent for arts, culture and society at PBS NewsHour.
In his 30-year career with the NewsHour, Brown has served as co-anchor, studio moderator, and field reporter on a wide range of national and international issues, with work taking him around the country and to many parts of the globe. As arts correspondent he has profiled many of the world's leading writers, musicians, actors and other artists. Recently, Brown presented a multi-year series, "Culture at Risk," about threatened cultural heritage in the United States and abroad. He created and hosts the NewsHour's online "Art Beat" and also hosts the monthly book club, "Now Read This," a collaboration with The New York Times.
Brown is author of a collection of poetry, titled "The News" and serves as an advisor to the Sun Valley Writers Conference. His numerous honors include a News & Documentary Emmy Award and multiple CINE Golden Eagle Awards. He earned a bachelor's degree in classics from the University of California, Berkeley, a master's degree from Columbia University's Graduate School of Journalism, an honorary degree (D.H.L) from Wesley College, and attended the UC Berkeley School of Law.
Jeffrey’s Recent Stories
Arts Feb 19
Wynton Marsalis meets the moment with jazz and a focus on the nation’s founding principlesTrumpet player, composer and jazz ambassador Wynton Marsalis is one of the country’s leading cultural figures. He is again meeting the moment with music, writing and recording his new composition "The Democracy! Suite" amid the pandemic. Jeffrey Brown has the…
World Feb 17
Applying the lessons of Ebola to the fight COVID-19Dr. Paul Farmer has worked for decades to bolster public health care around the globe. His new book, “Fevers, Feuds and Diamonds: Ebola and the Ravages of History,” looks at the 2014 Ebola crisis and what we can learn from…
Arts Feb 16
Universities look to the past to understand their relationships with raceIn the aftermath of the killings by police of George Floyd and other black men and women, American institutions of all kinds have looked to their past and present to understand their relationships to race and racism. That reckoning continues…
Arts Feb 15
Henry Louis Gates Jr. on his new series ‘The Black Church’A new four-part series, “The Black Church: This Is Our Story, This is Our Song," premieres Tuesday on PBS. It’s a sweeping history of religion, politics and culture led by Henry Louis Gates Jr., the noted Harvard scholar and host…
Arts Feb 10
A leading playwright and a pioneering virologist marry science and art on stageA new interactive theatrical production, "The Catastrophist," follows the story of a scientist thrilled by discovery and pained by loss. It was written by playwright Lauren Gunderson about her husband's life as a leading researcher into the causes and effects…
Arts Feb 05
Broadway’s closure exposes its sway on the economic ecosystemPrior to the pandemic, Broadway was booming. But curtains haven’t risen since March, with deep personal and financial impacts. By one count, Broadway is directly responsible for nearly 100,000 jobs in New York City alone and, as a leading attraction…
Arts Feb 04
As the pandemic rages on, finding ways to mourn and rememberEven as the pandemic rages on and deaths mount, communities, individuals and the federal government are finding ways to honor and keep loved ones close to their hearts. Jeffrey Brown reports for our arts and culture series, "CANVAS."…
Arts Feb 01
Maestro Michael Tilson Thomas on music and mentoring amid a pandemicA symphony requires all musicians playing their parts in harmony, but the pandemic makes that delicate choreography all the more challenging. Jeffrey Brown talks to maestro Michael Tilson Thomas about that and passing the baton to a younger generation as…
Arts Jan 29
Regina King’s first film captures a historical moment behind closed doorsIn her directorial debut, renowned actor Regina King's new film explores a 1960s gathering of four famous friends -- Muhammad Ali, Malcolm X, Jim Brown and Sam Cooke, who debated their work and responsibilities as Black men. Jeffrey Brown takes…
Nation Jan 22
Looking back at the life of baseball legend Hank AaronOne of America's greatest athletes, Henry Louis Aaron, died Friday at the age of 86. The famed baseball player endured blatant racism for much of his life, eventually breaking Babe Ruth's home run record. He was inducted into the Baseball…