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Bill Whitaker

60 Minutes Correspondent

60 Minutes Correspondent

Travels From Travels From:
New York, NY, USA
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Bill Whitaker Biography

Bill Whitaker was named a 60 Minutes correspondent in March 2014; the 2018-19 season will be his fifth on the broadcast. In four decades as a journalist, he has covered major news stories domestically and across the globe for CBS News. He is the 2018 winner of the RTDNA's highest honor, the Paul White Award for career achievement.

Whitaker's investigation with the Washington Post revealed how the DEA's efforts to curb the opioid epidemic were hampered by a law pushed by drug industry lobbyists. The report was credited with forcing the law's chief sponsor, a congressman, to withdraw his nomination for the Trump Administration's drug czar. The next installment told how the biggest opioid case in U.S. history against one of the world's largest drug distribution companies was settled by the government in a deal that shocked DEA agents. Among the eight awards the reporting won are the DuPont-Columbia University award, the Peabody, an Emmy, and an RTDNA Murrow award.

Whitaker's 60 Minutes reporting has taken him to Asia, Africa, Europe, Mexico and the Middle East in his four seasons, including a timely investigation of the vetting process Syrian refugees undergo before coming to the U.S. and an interview with the highest-ranking North Korean official to defect in decades. His investigation of the H-1B visa program's loopholeWhitaker frequently reported from overseas as well, covering the funeral of Nelson Mandela from South Africa. He also did pieces from Japan on the Fukushima nuclear disaster and from Haiti after the tragic earthquake there. He reported from Kabul during the early stages of the War in Afghanistan.

Domestically, his stories have provided keen insights into the hot-button issue of race and policing in America with his reports from Cleveland, Chicago and most recently, Tulsa, Oklahoma, where he got the news-making first interview with the city police officer accused of manslaughter for shooting an unarmed black man. His stories have also drawn attention to death penalty issues in the U.S. and America's heroin epidemic. Whitaker has chronicled the epic battle to capture and hold Mexico's infamous drug lord Joaquin "el Chapo" Guzman, gaining rare access to investigations on both sides of the border.

Before joining 60 Minutes, Whitaker covered virtually all of the major news stories in the West since he was posted to Los Angeles in 1992, reporting regularly for the CBS Evening News and other CBS News broadcasts. He also has worked for Sunday Morning, turning out feature stories and thoughtful profiles, including on Barbra Streisand, Norman Lear and Gladys Knight. One of his most memorable Sunday Morning profiles was of ex-boxer Mike Tyson. He has interviewed First Lady Michelle Obama and Mexican President Enrique Pena Nieto.

Whitaker frequently reported from overseas as well, covering the funeral of Nelson Mandela from South Africa. He also did pieces from Japan on the Fukushima nuclear disaster and from Haiti after the tragic earthquake there. He reported from Kabul during the early stages of the war in Afghanistan.

In 2008, he covered Mitt Romney's presidential campaign. He was CBS News' lead reporter on the 2000 presidential campaign of George W. Bush.

Prior to his assignment to Los Angeles, Whitaker served as CBS News' Tokyo correspondent (1989-92). There, he covered stories throughout Asia, including the pro-democracy uprising in Tiananmen Square, military coup attempts in the Philippines and the enthronement of Japan's Emperor Akihito. He was in Baghdad for the build-up to Desert Storm.

Before that, Whitaker was based in Atlanta (1985-88), where he won an Emmy for his reports on the collapse of Jim and Tammy Bakker's television ministry and covered the 1988 presidential campaign of Michael Dukakis. Whitaker joined CBS News as a reporter in November 1984.

Previously, Whitaker was a correspondent for WBTV-TV, the CBS affiliate in Charlotte, N.C. He began his broadcast journalism career at KQED-TV in San Francisco, where he was a producer, associate producer and researcher/writer.

Whitaker was born in Philadelphia on August, 26, 1951; he was graduated from Hobart and William Smith Colleges with a B.A. degree in American history and from Boston University with a master's degree in African-American studies. Whitaker also holds a master's degree in journalism from the University of California, Berkeley. He was awarded an honorary Doctorate of Humane Letters from Hobart and William Smith Colleges in 1997. allowing companies to replace Americans with foreign workers won a Sigma Delta Chi award; another report on the biggest data leak in Swiss banking history won an Emmy.

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Speaker profile last updated by AAE Talent Team on 06/03/2024.

Bill Whitaker Videos

  • Bill Whitaker 2018 Acceptance Speech, Giants of Broadcasting ...
    Bill Whitaker's Acceptance Speech at The Library of American Broadcasting Foundation's 2018 Giants of Broadcasting & Electronic Arts ...
  • Bill Whitaker - 2017 RTDNF First Amendment Awards - YouTube
    I'm living the life my father could only dream of living," Bill Whitaker told RTDNF last year, showing just how far journalism, and our country,...
  • An Interview with Bill Whitaker - YouTube
    Emmy-winning news correspondent Bill Whitaker recently visited USC, hosted by the Institute for Diversity and Empowerment at Annenberg ...

FAQs on booking Bill Whitaker

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    Our experienced booking agents have successfully helped clients around the world secure speakers like Bill Whitaker for speaking engagements, personal appearances, product endorsements, or corporate entertainment since 2002. Click the Check Availability button above and complete the form on this page to check availability for Bill Whitaker, or call our office at 1.800.698.2536 to discuss your upcoming event. One of our experienced agents will be happy to help you get speaking fee information and check availability for Bill Whitaker or any other speaker of your choice.
  • What are the speaker fees for Bill Whitaker

    Speaking fees for Bill Whitaker, or any other speakers and celebrities, are determined based on a number of factors and may change without notice. The estimated fees to book Bill Whitaker are for live events and for virtual events. For the most current speaking fee to hire Bill Whitaker, click the Check Availability button above and complete the form on this page, or call our office at 1.800.698.2536 to speak directly with an experienced booking agent.
  • What topics does Bill Whitaker speak about?

    Bill Whitaker is a keynote speaker and industry expert whose speaking topics include Black Heritage, Broadcasting, Culture, Diversity & Inclusion, Entertainment, Journalism, News & Media.
  • Where does Bill Whitaker travel from?

    Bill Whitaker generally travels from New York, NY, USA, but can be booked for private corporate events, personal appearances, keynote speeches, or other performances. For more details, please contact an AAE Booking agent.
  • Who is Bill Whitaker’s agent?

    AAE Speakers Bureau has successfully booked keynote speakers like Bill Whitaker for clients worldwide since 2002. As a full-service speaker booking agency, we have access to virtually any speaker or celebrity in the world. Our agents are happy and able to submit an offer to the speaker or celebrity of your choice, letting you benefit from our reputation and long-standing relationships in the industry. Please click the Check Availability button above and complete the form on this page including the details of your event, or call our office at 1.800.698.2536, and one of our agents will assist you to book Bill Whitaker for your next private or corporate function.
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    AAE Speakers Bureau is a full-service speaker booking agency, meaning we can completely manage the speaker’s or celebrity’s engagement with your organization from the time of booking your speaker through the event’s completion. We provide all of the services you need to host Bill Whitaker or any other speaker of your choice, including offer negotiation, contractual assistance, accounting and billing, and event speaker travel and logistics services. When you book a speaker with us, we manage the process of hosting a speaker for you as an extension of your team. Our goal is to give our clients peace of mind and a best-in-class service experience when booking a speaker with us.
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    If you’re looking for the best, unbiased speaker recommendations, paired with a top-notch customer service experience, you’re in the right place. At AAE Speakers Bureau, we exclusively represent the interests of our clients - professional organizations, companies, universities, and associations. We intentionally do not represent the speakers we feature or book. That is so we can present our clients with the broadest and best performing set of speaker options in the market today, and we can make these recommendations without any obligation to promote a specific speaker over another. This is why when our agents suggest a speaker for your event, you can be assured that they are of the highest quality with a history of proven success with our other clients.

Bill Whitaker is a keynote speaker and industry expert who speaks on a wide range of topics . The estimated speaking fee range to book Bill Whitaker for your event is $30,000 - $50,000. Bill Whitaker generally travels from New York, NY, USA and can be booked for (private) corporate events, personal appearances, keynote speeches, or other performances. Similar motivational celebrity speakers are Lester Holt, Nia-Malika Henderson, T.J. Holmes, Kristen Welker and Wesley Lowery. Contact All American Speakers for ratings, reviews, videos and information on scheduling Bill Whitaker for an upcoming live or virtual event.

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