Bill Chappell

Bill Chappell is a blogger and producer who works with NPR's Morning Edition and Digital Media group. In addition to coordinating Web features, he frequently contributes to NPR's blogs, from The Two Way and All Tech Considered to The Salt.

Chappell's work at NPR has ranged from being the site's first full-time homepage editor to leading the London 2012 Olympics blog, The Torch. His assignments have included being the lead web producer for NPR's trip to Asia's Grand Trunk Road, as well as establishing the Peabody Award-winning StoryCorps on NPR.org.

In 2009, Chappell was a key editorial member of the small team that redesigned NPR's web site. One year later, the site won its first Peabody Award, along with the National Press Foundation's Excellence in Online Journalism award.

At NPR, Chappell trains both digital and radio staff to use digital tools to tell compelling stories, in addition to "evangelizing" — promoting more collaboration between departments. Other shows he has worked with include All Things Considered, Fresh Air, and Talk of the Nation.

Prior to joining NPR in late 2003, Chappell worked on the Assignment Desk at CNN International, handling coverage in areas from the Middle East, Asia, Africa, Europe, and Latin America, and coordinating CNN's pool coverage out of Qatar.

Chappell's work for CNN also included producing Web stories and editing digital video for SI.com, as well as editing and producing stories for CNN.com's features division. He also worked at the network's video and research library.

Before joining CNN, Chappell wrote about movies, restaurants and music for alternative weeklies, in addition to his first job: editing the police blotter.

From 2002-2003, Chappell served as editor-in-chief of The Trans-Atlantic Journal, a business and lifestyle monthly geared for expatriate Europeans working and living in the United States.

A holder of bachelor's degrees in English and History from the University of Georgia, he attended graduate school for English Literature at the University of South Carolina.

Pages

9:08am

Tue August 7, 2012
The Torch

Let's Catch Up: Australia's Quiet Summer, And A U.S. Invasion

Credit Christophe Simon / AFP/Getty Images

Good morning. A lot has been happening in London, where the Summer Games are in their eleventh day. Here's a rundown of the news that caught our eye:

Read more

8:47am

Tue August 7, 2012
The Torch

Coming Up On Day 11 Of The London Olympics

On the Olympics' eleventh day, artistic gymnasts will go for their last big batch of medals. There are 21 medals up for grabs Tuesday. Here are some of the highlights of the day's action:

Gymnastics

  • 9:00a Men's Parallel Bars Final
  • 9:47a Women's Beam Final
  • 10:37a Men's Horizontal Bar Final
  • 11:23a Women's Floor Exercise Final

Athletics (a.k.a. Track and Field)

  • 2:00p Men's High Jump Final
  • 2:15p Women's 100m Hurdles Semi-finals
Read more

4:34pm

Mon August 6, 2012
The Torch

Boxer Claressa Shields,17, Reaches Olympic Semifinal, Where A Medal Awaits

Originally published on Mon August 6, 2012 6:44 pm

Credit Jack Guez / AFP/Getty Images

U.S. Olympic boxer Claressa Shields, the teenager whose dream of being in the first crop of Olympic women boxers led her to tell her story on All Things Considered back in February, will fight for a medal in London.

Read more

4:01pm

Mon August 6, 2012
The Torch

Watching The Olympics Online: Fans Find Ways Around NBC's Control

Originally published on Tue August 7, 2012 9:42 am

Credit Sergey Ponomarev / AP

When we posted about the apps and streaming options NBC and others offer for the London 2012 Games, many readers responded that as non-TV subscribers, they were cut out of the plan. Many added that they aren't scofflaws — they're people who watch broadcast television, and occasionally pay for cable shows or movies via Netflix or iTunes.

Read more

1:22pm

Mon August 6, 2012
The Torch

Protests Filed For Two Boxers After Questionable Calls By Referee

Credit Jack Guez / AFP/Getty Images

Olympic boxing continues to be mired in controversy at the 2012 Summer Games. Over the weekend, Belarus and Cuba filed protests about questionable decisions involving their fighters.

Two decisions Sunday angered fans and boxing commentators. Judges awarded victory to Teymur Mammadov, a heavyweight fighter from Azerbaijan, even though his opponent from Belarus, Siarhei Karneyeu, appeared to land most of the punches in a third round in which the Belarussian was repeatedly held.

Read more

11:08am

Mon August 6, 2012
The Torch

Mustafina Wins Gold In Uneven Bars, As 'Drained' Douglas Struggles

Credit Ronald Martinez / Getty Images

Gymnast Aliya Mustafina of Russia has won the 2012 Olympic gold medal in the uneven bars, standing atop the podium in a highly competitive event that also featured American star Gabby Douglas, defending medalist He Kexin of China, and British favorite Beth Tweddle.

Read more

10:21am

Mon August 6, 2012
The Torch

American Sees Silver Slip Away In Rifle Event's Final Shot

Credit Marwan Naamani / AFP/Getty Images

U.S. rifle shooter Matthew Emmons has won a bronze medal in the 50-meter three positions rifle event. That may sound like a slight let-down for the man who had been poised to win silver — a horrible final shot of 7.6 dropped him into third place — but it's far better than Emmons' earlier Olympic experiences.

First there was Athens 2004, when he inadvertently fired upon the wrong target.

Read more

9:35am

Mon August 6, 2012
The Torch

Coming Up: Today's Highlights Include Gymnastics, Track, And Soccer

It's Day 10 of the London 2012 Games, and athletes are competing in 20 different sports today. The highlights include three gymnastics finals, the men's 400-meter race, and a semifinal in women's soccer.

Here's a list of events we're watching today. All times refer to the Eastern time zone:

Gymnastics

  • 9:00a Men's Rings Final
  • 9:50a Women's Uneven Bars Final
  • 10:41a Men's Vault Final

Soccer

  • 2:45p U.S. women vs. Canada (Semifinal)

Athletics

Read more

9:24am

Mon August 6, 2012
The Torch

Let's Catch Up: U.S. Women's Basketball Blowout, And Maroney's Vault Woes

Credit Christian Petersen / Getty Images

As we enter the final week of the 2012 Summer Olympics, and athletes from the United States have won a total of 60 medals. That's just behind China, at 61. The two countries have stayed in lock-step with one another all through the London Games. Here's a quick rundown of other news out there:

Read more

3:54pm

Sat August 4, 2012
The Torch

Phelps Wins His 18th Gold Medal, As His Olympic Career Ends

Originally published on Sat August 4, 2012 4:32 pm

Credit Christophe Simon / AFP/Getty Images

Swimming the final race of his Olympic career, Michael Phelps gilded his resume just a bit more, helping the U.S. men's 4x100m medley relay team claim the gold medal at London's aquatic center. Phelps turned away a surprising challenge from the Japanese team, which had the lead when he went into the water to swim butterfly, the relay's third leg.

It was the 18th gold medal of Phelps' record-setting Olympic career. He leaves the London 2012 Games with 22 Olympic medals overall.

Read more

Pages