William J. Broad (born March 7, 1951) is an American
science journalist, author and a Senior Writer at ''
The New York Times
''The New York Times'' (''NYT'') is an American daily newspaper based in New York City. ''The New York Times'' covers domestic, national, and international news, and publishes opinion pieces, investigative reports, and reviews. As one of ...
''.
Early life and education
Broad was born on March 7, 1951. He earned a
master's degree
A master's degree (from Latin ) is a postgraduate academic degree awarded by universities or colleges upon completion of a course of study demonstrating mastery or a high-order overview of a specific field of study or area of professional prac ...
from the
University of Wisconsin
A university () is an institution of tertiary education and research which awards academic degrees in several academic disciplines. ''University'' is derived from the Latin phrase , which roughly means "community of teachers and scholars". Uni ...
in 1977.
[About the Author](_blank)
William J. Broad.
Career
Broad is the author or co-author of eight books, including ''
Germs: Biological Weapons and America's Secret War'' (Simon & Schuster, 2001) which was a number-one
''New York Times'' Best Seller. His other titles include ''Betrayers of the Truth: Fraud and Deceit in the Halls of Science'' (co-written with
Nicholas Wade, Simon & Schuster, 1982), ''Teller's War: The Top-Secret Story Behind the Star Wars Deception'' (Simon & Schuster, 1992), ''The Universe Below: Discovering the Secrets of the Deep Sea'' (Simon & Schuster, 1997), and ''The Science of Yoga: The Risks and the Rewards'' (Simon & Schuster, 2012). His books have been translated into more than a dozen languages. His work focuses on the social repercussions of science.
In 2009, he received criticism for an article on the sustainability of the
blue grenadier fish from representatives of the
New Zealand fishing industry.
Awards
Broad has won two shared
Pulitzer Prize
The Pulitzer Prizes () are 23 annual awards given by Columbia University in New York City for achievements in the United States in "journalism, arts and letters". They were established in 1917 by the will of Joseph Pulitzer, who had made his fo ...
s, an
News and Documentary Emmy Award, and an
Alfred I. duPont–Columbia University Award. The 1986
Pulitzer Prize for Explanatory Journalism recognized ''
New York Times
''The New York Times'' (''NYT'') is an American daily newspaper based in New York City. ''The New York Times'' covers domestic, national, and international news, and publishes opinion pieces, investigative reports, and reviews. As one of ...
'' staff coverage of
U.S. antimissile defense in space, or Star Wars: "a six-part comprehensive series on the Strategic Defense Initiative, which explored the scientific, political and foreign policy issues involved in 'Star Wars'." The 1987
Pulitzer Prize for National Reporting recognized ''New York Times'' staff coverage of the
Space Shuttle Challenger disaster
On January 28, 1986, the Space Shuttle Challenger, Space Shuttle ''Challenger'' broke apart 73 seconds into its flight, killing all seven crew members aboard. The spacecraft disintegrated above the Atlantic Ocean, off the coast of Cape Can ...
: "the aftermath of the Challenger explosion, which included stories that identified serious flaws in the shuttle's design and in the administration of America's space program." In 2002, the
PBS ''Nova'' documentary ''Bioterror'' won a
News and Documentary Emmy Award; it detailed the threat of
bioterrorism and featured the work of Broad and his fellow co-authors of ''Germs''. In 2005 he and ''New York Times'' colleague
David E. Sanger were Pulitzer finalists in the Explanatory Reporting category for their aggressive reporting and lucid writing that cast light on the shadowy process of
nuclear proliferation". In 2007, he shared a
DuPont Award (with the ''New York Times'' team,
Investigation Discovery and
Canadian Broadcasting Corporation
The Canadian Broadcasting Corporation (), branded as CBC/Radio-Canada, is the Canadian Public broadcasting, public broadcaster for both radio and television. It is a Crown corporation that serves as the national public broadcaster, with its E ...
) from the
Columbia University Graduate School of Journalism for the documentary, ''Nuclear Jihad: Can Terrorists Get the Bomb?''
Publications
* With
Judith Miller and Stephen Engelberg, ''
Germs: Biological Weapons and America's Secret War''
* ''The Publishing Game: Getting More for Less'' (in the journal ''Science'', 1981)
* With
Nicholas Wade, ''
Betrayers of the Truth: Fraud and Deceit in the Halls of Science''. New York:
Simon & Schuster
Simon & Schuster LLC (, ) is an American publishing house owned by Kohlberg Kravis Roberts since 2023. It was founded in New York City in 1924, by Richard L. Simon and M. Lincoln Schuster. Along with Penguin Random House, Hachette Book Group US ...
, 1983. .
''Star Warriors: A Penetrating Look into the Lives of the Young Scientists Behind Our Space Age Weaponry'' Simon & Schuster (1985) .
''Teller's War: The Top-Secret Story Behind the Star Wars Deception'' Simon & Schuster (1992) .
* ''The Universe Below'' (1997) New York: Simon & Schuster. Also
* ''The Oracle: The Lost Secrets and Hidden Messages of Ancient Delphi'' (2006). New York: Penguin Press. Also
* ''
The Science of Yoga: The Risks and the Rewards'' (2012). New York: Simon & Schuster.
"A Spy’s Path: Iowa to A-Bomb to Kremlin Honor" ''The New York Times'' (Nov. 12, 2007)
Reviews
Some of Broad's works are reviewed in:
*
*
References
{{DEFAULTSORT:Broad, William J.
1951 births
Living people
American science writers
American science journalists
American male journalists
Pulitzer Prize for Explanatory Journalism winners
Pulitzer Prize for National Reporting winners
The New York Times Pulitzer Prize winners
Webster University alumni
Place of birth missing (living people)