60 Minutes Correspondent Bill Whitaker to Speak at SPJ/LA Awards Banquet
The Los Angeles Chapter of the Society of Professional Journalists is honored to announce Bill Whitaker, renowned CBS News 60 MINUTES correspondent, as the 2024 keynote speaker for the 48th annual Distinguished Journalist Awards Banquet in Burbank, California.
Whitaker is an award-winning journalist and 60 MINUTES correspondent who has covered major news stories domestically and globally for CBS News for over forty years. He joined 60 Minutes in 2014, and the 2024-25 season is his tenth on the broadcast. His work has been recognized with numerous awards, including two Alfred I. duPont-Columbia University Awards, a Peabody Award, the RTDNA's highest honor, the Paul White Award for career achievement, and numerous Emmy Awards.
His recent work has had a profound global impact. He reported on the ongoing war in Ukraine, conducting an in-depth interview with French President Emmanuel Macron on the impact the conflict has taken on U.S. and French relations. His investigation into the unregulated online trade called 'ghost guns' had a global impact, revealing the ease with which illegal gun parts can be assembled at home and how untraceable the deadly weapons can be for law enforcement agencies.
His most extensive investigation was a collaboration with The Washington Post, where reporting revealed the critical role of pharmaceutical interests in hampering the Drug Enforcement Agency's efforts to control the U.S. opioid epidemic. Whitaker's reporting for this series went on to win more awards than any other work at 60 Minutes.
PURCHASE TICKETS HERE
Whitaker has extensive experience as a foreign correspondent in Asia, the Middle East, Latin America, Europe, and Africa. He has been at the forefront of covering race and policing in the U.S., with reports on policies in major cities such as Chicago, Cleveland, and Tulsa.
Please join us as we celebrate the journalism recipients of the SPJ/LA Distinguished Journalist Awards Banquet who have made significant contributions to the profession. The banquet is scheduled for 6 p.m. on Wednesday, October 23rd, at the Castaway Restaurant in Burbank, California.
Tickets may be purchased on Eventbrite by clicking here.