Bill Whitaker Profile

Bill Whitaker is an American Emmy award-winning television journalist working for CBS. He previously worked at WBTV-TV.

Bill Whitaker Education

Whitaker has a B.A. and Master’s degree in American History and a Master’s in African-American Studies. In 1997, he received an Honorary Doctorate in Human Letters from Hobart and William Smith Universities. He also holds a master’s degree from Berkeley University of California.

Bill Whitaker’s Career

Whitaker serves at CBS as a correspondent on the CBS News program 60 Minutes. In four decades as a journalist, CBS News has reported big news events both nationally and across the world. He is the recipient of the highest distinction of RTDNA in 2018, the Paul White Prize for career achievement. Whitaker’s investigation for the Washington Post exposed how the DEA’s attempts to combat the heroin crisis were thwarted by a law pushed by drug company lobbyists.

The research was credited with pressuring the Chief Sponsor of the Legislation, the Representative, to revoke his appointment as Drug Czar of the Trump Administration. The next episode told how the biggest heroin lawsuit in U.S. history against one of the world’s largest prescription delivery firms has been negotiated by the government in a settlement that stunned DEA agents. Among the eight awards to be received are the DuPont-Columbia University Award, the Peabody Award, the Emmy Award, and the RTDNA Murrow Award.

Whitaker’s 60 Minutes took him to Asia, Africa, Europe, Mexico, and the Middle East in his four seasons, including a timely investigation of the trial of Syrian refugees before heading to the U.S. and a decades-long interview with the highest-ranking North Korean official. His prosecution of the H-1B visa breach Whitaker regularly mentioned abroad, including the funeral of Nelson Mandela from South Africa. He also did parts of Japan during the Fukushima nuclear crisis and Haiti during the tragic earthquake there. He wrote from Kabul during the early stages of the Afghanistan war.

Domestic, his stories have offered insights into the hot-button problem of race and policing in America through his coverage from Cleveland, Chicago, and most recently, Tulsa, Oklahoma, where he got the first interview with a local police officer convicted of manslaughter for killing an unarmed black man. His stories have also brought attention to the problems of the death penalty in the U.S. and the American opioid crisis. Whitaker has chronicled the dramatic struggle to arrest and retain Mexico’s notorious drug lord Joaquin “El Chapo” Guzman, with rare access to investigations on both sides of the border.

Quick Facts About Bill Whitaker

Since joining 60 Minutes, Whitaker had reported nearly all big news reports in the West since he was sent to Los Angeles in 1992, reporting daily on CBS Evening News and other CBS News broadcasts. He also worked with Sunday Morning, delivering cover stories and thoughtful profiles, including Barbra Streisand, Norman Lear, and Gladys Knight. One of his most unforgettable Sunday Morning profiles was retired boxer, Mike Tyson. First Lady Michelle Obama and Mexican President Enrique Pena Nieto were interviewed.

Whitaker has regularly reported from abroad, reporting the funeral of Nelson Mandela in South Africa. He also did parts of Japan during the Fukushima nuclear crisis and Haiti during the tragic earthquake there. He wrote from Kabul during the early stages of the Afghanistan war. Whitaker covered the presidential campaign of Mitt Romney in 2008.

He was CBS News’ chief correspondent for George W. Bush’s 2000 presidential campaign. Whitaker was a Tokyo correspondent for CBS News from 1989 to 92. Previously, Whitaker was based in Atlanta and Charlotte, N.C. Whitaker received an Emmy for his article on the fall of Jim and Tammy Bakker’s television ministry. He started his career in broadcasting journalism at KQED-TV in San Francisco.

Bill Whitaker Age

Whitaker was born on August 26, 1951, in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania, United States (he is 71 years old as of 2022.) He celebrates his birthday on the 26th of August every year.

Bill Whitaker Height

Whitaker stands at an average height of 6 feet 1 inch.

Bill Whitaker Family

Information regarding Whitaker’s parents and siblings is currently under review. However, the information will be updated as soon as it’s available.

Bill Whitaker Wife and Children

Whitaker is a married man. He is married to Terri Whitaker, and the couple has two children inclusive of a son called Gail and a daughter known as Lesley.

Bill Whitaker Salary

Being one of the top reporters for CBS, Whitaker earns an annual salary ranging from $ 20,000 – $ 100,000.

Bill Whitaker’s Net Worth

Whitaker has an estimated net worth of between $1 million – $5 Million which he has earned through his successful career as a journalist.

Bill Whitaker CBS News

At CBS News Whitaker works alongside;

1. Jeffrey Pegues
2. Jamie Yuccas
3. Susan Zirinsky
4. Omar Villafranca
5. Peter Van Sant
6. Imtiaz Tyab
7. Tracy Smith
8. Susan Spencer
9. Bob Schieffer
10. Serena Altschul
11. David Begnaud
12. Jeff Berardelli
13. Nikki Battiste
14. Jan Crawford