Bill Chappell Bill Chappell is a writer and editor on the News Desk in the heart of NPR's newsroom in Washington, D.C.
Stories By

Bill Chappell

Bill Chappell

Reporter, Producer

Bill Chappell is a correspondent and editor, and a leader on NPR's flagship digital news team. He has frequently contributed to NPR's audio and social media platforms, including hosting dozens of live shows online.

He has gone to two Olympics for NPR (Rio and Pyeongchang), focusing on finding the human aspect of sports — and sharing that fascination through text, video and images on NPR's Instagram and other branded accounts. He was also the lead editor for several other Olympic Games.

Because of his contributions, Chappell is also named on NPR's Peabody-award winning team for its Ebola coverage. Years ago, he established the Peabody Award-winning StoryCorps' presence on NPR.org, which separately won a Webby Award.

At NPR, Chappell has trained digital and radio staff in how to tell compelling stories online, facilitating collaboration between departments and desks. He was previously NPR.org's homepage editor, and has frequently worked with shows such as Morning Edition, Fresh Air, and All Things Considered.

Prior to NPR, Chappell was an editor on the Assignment Desk at CNN International, handling coverage in areas from the Middle East, Asia, Africa, Europe, and Latin America. He also edited and produced stories for CNN.com's features division, and edited video for the CNN Sports Illustrated venture.

Story Archive

Monday

The Japan Aerospace Exploration Agency (JAXA) shut down its moon lander days after its historic arrival due to power concerns. Here, JAXA's leaders brief the media about the successful moon mission, and a problem with the lander's solar cell Friday. JIJI PRESS/AFP via Getty Images hide caption

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JIJI PRESS/AFP via Getty Images

Friday

An Oct. 21, 2022, photo provided by the California Department of Corrections and Rehabilitation shows Scott Peterson. The convicted murderer's case is now being taken up by the Los Angeles Innocence Project. California Department of Corrections and Rehabilitation via AP hide caption

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California Department of Corrections and Rehabilitation via AP

Thursday

Staff of the Japan Aerospace Exploration Agency (JAXA) watch a live stream of the moon landing by the Smart Lander for Investigating Moon (SLIM) spacecraft at JAXA's Sagamihara Campus near Tokyo. Eugene Hoshiko/AP hide caption

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Eugene Hoshiko/AP

Tuesday

Monday

Brady Reinagel shovels snow before the AFC Wild Card playoff game between the Buffalo Bills and Pittsburgh Steelers at Highmark Stadium in Buffalo, N.Y. The Bills hired local residents to help clear snow from the stadium before Monday's game. Sarah Stier/Getty Images hide caption

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Sarah Stier/Getty Images

Friday

Hundreds of people are buried in numbered graves in a pauper's graveyard near the Hinds County Detention Center and Hinds County Penal Farm. Families say their loved ones were buried there without notice. Google Maps/Screenshot by NPR hide caption

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Google Maps/Screenshot by NPR

A plastic sheet covers part of the fuselage of an Alaska Airlines Boeing 737 Max 9 at Portland International Airport on Jan. 8. NTSB investigators are trying to learn why the aircraft suffered a midair fuselage blowout last Friday. Mathieu Lewis-Rolland/Getty Images hide caption

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Mathieu Lewis-Rolland/Getty Images

Monday

The Washington Huskies, seen here celebrating with the trophy after beating the Texas Longhorns in the Sugar Bowl in New Orleans, quickly rebuilt its roster by using transfers and players from out of state — particularly California. Sean Gardner/Getty Images hide caption

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Sean Gardner/Getty Images

Friday

Wednesday

A look back at some of the NPR stories that were the most read online

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Saturday

Thursday

Kensington White, an aspiring Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtle, asked Santa Luke for "numchuks" for Christmas. Bill Chappell/NPR hide caption

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Bill Chappell/NPR

After 38 years on the job, Santa Luke still has time for everyone. Yes, you too

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Friday

Thursday

Messages from X, the former Twitter, celebrated its support for rights groups such as Reporters Without Borders. But the press freedom group says X is "in no way an ally to an organization defending journalism." Screenshot by NPR hide caption

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Screenshot by NPR

2023 has been a wild year. This composite image shows some of the subjects of our most popular stories: Fireball Whiskey, a Steller's jay, a Yellowstone visitor attempting to help a stranded bison calf, and Tucker Carlson. David Becker/Getty Images; Mick Thompson/Flickr Creative Commons; Hellen Jack/National Park Service; Chip Somodevilla/Getty Images hide caption

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David Becker/Getty Images; Mick Thompson/Flickr Creative Commons; Hellen Jack/National Park Service; Chip Somodevilla/Getty Images

Wednesday

Kenneka Jenkins was found dead in 2017 in a kitchen freezer at a Crowne Plaza hotel outside of Chicago. Her family has now reached a settlement of a lawsuit filed in 2018. Google Maps/Screenshot by NPR hide caption

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Google Maps/Screenshot by NPR

Tuesday

Harvard President Claudine Gay speaks about antisemitism on campus during a hearing of the House Committee on Education on Capitol Hill on Dec. 5. Mark Schiefelbein/AP hide caption

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Mark Schiefelbein/AP

Monday

A jury was seated Monday to decide what kind of punitive damages Rudy Giuliani, left, the former lawyer for former President Donald Trump, should pay in a civil case brought by two Georgia election workers who accused him of defamation. Kevin Dietsch/Getty Images hide caption

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Kevin Dietsch/Getty Images

Friday

A woman is facing charges after pouring what appears to be gasoline on the porch of the Queen Anne style house in Atlanta where Martin Luther King Jr. spent the first 12 years of his life. The home was not damaged. Historic American Buildings Survey/ Library of Congress hide caption

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Historic American Buildings Survey/ Library of Congress

Thursday

CosMc's offers a large variety of drinks — and no hamburgers. The first store testing the new McDonald's concept is opening in Bolingbrook, Ill., near Chicago. McDonald's/Screenshot by NPR hide caption

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McDonald's/Screenshot by NPR

Wednesday

The Sycamore Gap tree drew visitors and fame to a section of Hadrian's Wall near Hexham, in northern England. It's seen here in June and, at bottom, after it was felled in September. Oli Scarff/AFP via Getty Images hide caption

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Oli Scarff/AFP via Getty Images

Tuesday

Sen. John Fetterman, D-Pa., paid recently expelled Rep. George Santos, R-N.Y., to record a video message aimed at Sen. Bob Menendez, D-N.J. Like Santos, Menendez is under a federal indictment. Alex Wong/Getty Images hide caption

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Alex Wong/Getty Images

Monday

Rizz is the word of year for 2023, according to the publishers of the Oxford English Dictionary. The term deals with charisma and charm — and other rizzes are available, such as Stockard Channing, center, seen here as Betty "Rizz" Rizzo in the 1978 film Grease. CBS via Getty Images hide caption

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CBS via Getty Images

Friday

The world's largest iceberg, A23a, is moving into the open waters near Antarctica after being essentially stuck in place for decades. It's seen here in satellite imagery from Nov. 15. European Union/Copernicus Sentinel-3/via Reuters hide caption

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European Union/Copernicus Sentinel-3/via Reuters