About John @johnyangtv
John Yang is a correspondent for the PBS NewsHour. He covered the first year of the Trump administration and is currently reporting on major national issues from Washington, DC, and across the country.
Previously, Yang was a Chicago-based correspondent for NBC News, reporting for NBC Nightly News with Lester Holt, Today, and MSNBC. Yang was part of an NBC team that reported on “In Plain Sight: Poverty in America,” a 2013 George Foster Peabody Award recipient, and his reporting in April 2011 on tornado devastation in Alabama was included in an NBC Nightly News broadcast that received an Edward R. Murrow Award for Best Newscast.
Prior to joining NBC, Yang worked for ABC News, based in Washington, where he was weekend White House correspondent, and in Jerusalem, where he served as Middle East correspondent.
Yang has been part of teams that have been honored with an Emmy, two Peabody Awards and to Alfred I. DuPont-Columbia University Awards.
Yang’s career also includes time at The Washington Post, Wall Street Journal, TIME, and The Boston Globe. He is a cum laude graduate of Wesleyan University.
John’s Recent Stories
World Jan 08
Ukrainian airlines to stop flying to Iran after plane crash near Tehran kills 176A Ukrainian International Airlines passenger plane went down outside the Iranian capital of Tehran early Wednesday morning, killing all 176 people aboard. Iranian authorities offered conflicting explanations for the crash but rejected the idea that a missile had caused it.
Nation Jan 07
Magnitude 6.4 tremor causes Puerto Rico’s worst earthquake damage in decadesPuerto Rico is under a state of emergency after experiencing a magnitude 6.4 earthquake Tuesday morning. The tremor, part of a series that has shaken the U.S. territory since Christmas, caused substantial damage along the southern coast. One man died…
Politics Jan 03
How 2020 candidates are grappling with online disinformationAs the 2020 presidential campaign heats up, candidates are facing an unprecedented challenge: the growing scale and variety of disinformation online. John Yang reports on the difficulty of verifying that content is authentic and not manipulated -- especially when it…
World Jan 02
How automotive tycoon Carlos Ghosn became a global fugitiveCarlos Ghosn was once in the driver’s seat of two of the world’s most iconic automakers -- and credited with saving both from insolvency. But Ghosn went from the pinnacle of the corporate world to facing criminal allegations, a record…
Politics Dec 20
How 2020 Democrats sought to distinguish themselves at year’s final debateIn Los Angeles, seven leading candidates for the 2020 Democratic presidential nomination faced off for the final time this year at the PBS NewsHour/POLITICO debate Thursday night. They jousted over policy, campaign contributions and who among them is best equipped…
Arts Dec 20
Greta Gerwig’s fresh take on the old favorite ‘Little Women’The classic novel “Little Women” has enchanted readers young and old for generations. Brought to the movie screen many times, a new version hits theaters nationwide on Christmas Day, featuring both familiar touches and a modern flavor. John Yang sits…
Nation Dec 17
What Trump’s refugee policies could mean for places like Bowling Green, KentuckyFor the year that began in October, President Trump has capped the number of refugees who may enter the U.S. at 18,000 -- the lowest level since 1980. The policy is having a significant effect in what may seem like…
World Dec 16
Veterans receive hero’s welcome at commemoration of Battle of the BulgeMonday marks 75 years since the beginning of one of World War II’s most savage battles. In December 1944, the Nazi army surprised U.S. and Allied forces in the frozen forests of Belgium. Badly outnumbered, the U.S. lost 10,000 soldiers…
Health Dec 12
Ambitious Louisville study seeks to understand impact of trees on our healthTrees can add beauty and serenity to a neighborhood -- but can they also improve the health of its residents? In Kentucky, the University of Louisville — with help from the National Institutes of Health and The Nature Conservancy —…
Nation Dec 10
In Maryland, many juvenile offenders languish in prison without paroleNearly a year ago, President Trump signed a bipartisan federal criminal justice reform bill that reduced mandatory sentences. Many states followed suit -- but not Maryland. In collaboration with the University of Maryland’s Howard Center for Investigative Journalism, John Yang…
