About William @WmBrangham
William Brangham is a correspondent and producer for PBS NewsHour in Washington, D.C. He joined the flagship PBS program in 2015, after spending two years with PBS NewsHour Weekend in New York City.
In his first three years, Brangham has done a range of award-winning reporting across the United States and internationally, covering everything from the severity of America’s opioid crisis, the integration of women into combat roles in the U.S. Marine Corps, to a profile of Ina Garten, the “Barefoot Contessa.”
Brangham’s reporting on the Syrian refugee crisis in 2015 was among the work cited when the NewsHour won a George Foster Peabody Award that year. The next year, he reported a six-part series on the global HIV/AIDS epidemic, which won a series of major awards including an Emmy and the National Academies of Sciences Communication Award. In 2018, Brangham worked on an investigative series about sexual assault and retaliation in the U.S. Forest Service. The day after that series aired, the head of the Forest Service suddenly stepped down.
When he is not out reporting in the field, Brangham is a regular interviewer on the NewsHour, and he has occasionally anchored the weekday and Weekend broadcasts.
During his career, Brangham has also worked on video projects for The New York Times, ABC News, National Geographic and Frontline. Prior to joining the NewsHour, he was a producer and correspondent for Need to Know on PBS, and before that, for Bill Moyers Journal. Brangham worked on several Moyers' documentary series in the 1990s, and was a producer on the critically acclaimed Now with Bill Moyers in the early 2000s.
In 2014, he was an adjunct professor at Columbia University’s Graduate School of Journalism.
Brangham lives in Washington, D.C., with his wife and three children.
William’s Recent Stories
Nation Dec 20
For-profit prisons reap business benefit from Trump’s immigration stanceA new investigation reveals the rapid growth of for-profit prisons being used to house immigrants. While the phenomenon has generated tremendous revenue for the industry, it has also resulted in hundreds of cases of alleged abuse and mistreatment in those…
Science Dec 18
Advancements in spinal cord research give the severely injured hopeWorld Dec 16
Why Madrid climate change talks failed to deliverClimate talks in Madrid ended Sunday with little agreement on addressing what many say is the single greatest challenge facing humanity. At the annual gathering, known as COP, the world’s largest polluters were unable to agree on stronger plans to…
Nation Dec 11
What Michael Horowitz told the Senate Judiciary Committee about Russia probeThe origins of the Russia investigation were under the microscope on Capitol Hill Wednesday. Michael Horowitz, inspector general for the Department of Justice, sat for a day-long hearing with the Senate Judiciary Committee about his recent report examining accusations of…
Politics Dec 09
Read the full DOJ inspector general’s report on the FBI’s Russia probeA watchdog report on the Russia probe, by the Justice Department inspector general, finds no evidence of political bias but says 17 "significant errors or omissions" occurred during the Russia investigations.
Nation Nov 12
Why lawsuit against Remington could have a ripple effect for gun industryOn Tuesday, the Supreme Court denied an attempt by Remington Arms to block a lawsuit filed by families of the victims of the 2012 Sandy Hook massacre, who argue the maker of the AR-15-style rifle should be held liable for…
Nation Nov 07
Could selling PG&E to its customers help solve California’s power problems?During California’s recent wildfires, the intentional blackouts PG&E implemented to reduce danger frustrated residents. The utility’s poorly maintained infrastructure is blamed for at least five previous fires. Now, the mayors of over a dozen California cities are suggesting PG&E should…
Science Nov 07
A father took an at-home DNA test. His son was then falsely accused of murderGenetic genealogy, the technique millions of people are using to learn about their family history, has now become a potent tool with which law enforcement can solve crimes. But the method has major privacy implications that are prompting some critics…
Science Nov 06
How at-home DNA tests helped solve this 30-year-old murderIn 2019, American law enforcement agencies have identified over 70 suspects using a new technique called genetic genealogy, which California detectives leveraged in 2018 to identify the Golden State Killer. In the first of a two-part series, William Brangham shares…
Politics Nov 04
Why pro-Trump Kentucky is facing such a competitive governor’s raceThe Kentucky governor’s race is one of three gubernatorial contests that will serve as key tests of Republican strength ahead of the 2020 presidential election. President Trump is campaigning there Monday for the incumbent, Matt Bevin, who’s facing a very…
