About Tom
Tom Bearden joined the NewsHour in 1985 as a Correspondent based in Denver and has done extensive reporting on commercial aviation, the environment, immigration, the military, technology, science, and various natural disasters.
From 1971 to 1985, he was a reporter and anchor for WJTV Jackson, Mississippi; WHBQ Memphis, Tennessee; KMGH Denver, Colorado. He won a regional Emmy for investigative reporting, both national and local Sigma Delta Chi Awards, two Cine Golden Eagle awards for science reporting, and a National Press Club award for environmental reporting. While with the NewsHour, Tom has filed stories from all 50 states, Japan, Panama, France, Qatar, Germany, Canada, Mexico, and Chile.
Tom is married, has two adult children, and lives in Lone Tree, Colorado.
Tom’s Recent Stories
World May 16
Amid Flooding Threat in Louisiana, Not All Obeying Evacuation OrderIn Krotz Springs, La., the Mississippi River threatens to inundate local homes and businesses, but not everyone is heeding the call to evacuate the area. EmbedVideo(573, 482, 304); Tune in to Monday's NewsHour for Bearden's full report…
Nation Apr 04
Program Offers Badly Wounded Vets a Rugged Road Back to HealthOn the NewsHour Monday, we present a profile of LifeQuest -- a private, civilian-run organization in Colorado Springs that helps badly wounded veterans recover their physical and mental health. The non-profit group uses a combination of physical exercise and Outward…
World Mar 01
Students Experience Hunger to Raise Money for HaitiStudents sort clothes at World Vision warehouse. Photo by Tom Bearden Any parent can testify to the fact that teenagers can sometimes resemble a plague of locusts -- they can eat you out of house and home. So it…
World Sep 10
Trapped Miners’ Families Stay Vigilant in ChileCOPIAPO, Chile | The makeshift tent city at the entrance to the San Jose gold and copper mine houses relatives of the 33 miners trapped by a cave-in nearly half a mile underground. For more than a month, they have…
Science Aug 26
At Louisiana Forum, Questions on Oil Spill’s Long-Term ImpactSo many questions, so few definitive answers. Last Saturday, I participated in the taping of a television program called "Louisiana Public Square." It's part of a monthly public affairs series that airs on the six non-commercial television stations that…
Economy Aug 13
Debate Over Reopening Gulf Fishing Grounds Falls Along Surprising LinesThe state of Louisiana is about to reopen several state-controlled fishing grounds that were closed because of the Macondo oil well disaster. You'd think that fishermen would be thrilled with that idea. You'd be wrong. A couple of dozen…
Science Aug 06
In Louisiana, Journalists and Cleanup Crews Bake in the HeatIf you're not used to it, the heat and humidity along the Gulf Coast can be devastating. I'm not used to it, despite having made eight trips to the Gulf since April 28. I live in Colorado, where the humidity…
Science Aug 05
Gulf Residents Ask: Will Promises Be Broken on the Oil Spill Response?A lot of people in south Louisiana think the rest of the country is about to abandon them. Again. On Wednesday, the U.S. government announced that most of the oil from the Macondo well blowout is already gone…
Science Aug 02
Going Aboard the Drillship Discoverer Enterprise in the GulfFor months, the eyes of the world were focused on the images coming from the drillship Discoverer Enterprise. Cameras aboard the ship's ROVs, or remotely operated vehicles, provided part of the video stream from the blown out well,…
Science Jul 16
For Fishermen on Louisiana’s Coast, Guarded Optimism on an Oil FixOut-of-work fishermen do maintenance on their boats at the Delta Marina in Empire, La. "At least we're taking more oil out of the Gulf than is going in," says Billy Nungesser, president of Plaquemines Parish. Cautiously optimistic. Pleased, but guarded.
