William “Will” Bunch was born in 1958 in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania. From an early age, Bunch was an avid reader and developed a passion for writing. He attended Northeast Catholic High School and sharpened his reporting and writing skills as editor of the student newspaper.
After graduating high school in 1976, Bunch attended Georgetown University in Washington D.C. He earned a bachelor’s degree in English in 1980. At Georgetown, Bunch wrote for the student run newspaper The Hoya. This experience cemented his interest to pursue a career in journalism.
Early Journalism Career
After earning his degree, Bunch landed an internship at the Philadelphia Daily News in 1980. This served as his entry into professional journalism. He was hired by the publication as a staff writer later that year.
Over the next decade, Bunch reported on a variety of local issues like crime, politics, and high school sports. He earned greater responsibility and covered major national stories as well like the First Gulf War. His writing was lucid, insightful, and helped inform Philadelphians on important current events.
Transition to an Investigative Columnist
As Bunch gained more experience in journalism, he developed a reputation as an intrepid investigative reporter. In 1992, he started writing a column at the Philadelphia Daily News focused on long form investigative journalism.
Some major issues he examined in-depth at this time included poverty, racial injustice, inadequate healthcare access, and overzealous criminal sentencing guidelines. Bunch relished taking on these controversial topics that impacted people’s lives.
His sharp eye, attention to detail, and thorough analysis resulted in several journalistic awards during this period:
- 1993 National Headliner Award for Investigative Reporting
- 1994 Award from the National Lesbian and Gay Journalists Association
- Finalist for 1994 Pulitzer Prize (Spot News Reporting category)
Shift to Digital Media and Activism
By the early 2000s, Bunch recognized that media was rapidly transitioning from print to digital mediums. As people increasingly turned to blogs and websites for news, he became a prominent voice in the growing arena of digital media.
In 2007, Bunch launched a news website called Attytood focused on progressive opinion journalism. The site took a partisan viewpoint but grounded assertions in factual evidence. Bunch skillfully blended advocacy and reporting to produce compelling content.
Most Notable Achievements with Attytood:
- Gained over 20 million views within first few years
- Featured on Countdown with Keith Olbermann over 25 times
- Won 2008 National Headliner Award for Attytood
Attytood enabled Bunch to reach a wider audience and openly push for political reform. He increasingly embraced the role of an activist, unafraid to criticize politicians and corporations violating public trust. However, he always based arguments on irrefutable evidence rather than ideology alone. Ultimately, Bunch shifted journalism’s emphasis toward holding institutional power accountable.
Return to the Philadelphia Inquirer
In 2016, Bunch returned to daily newspaper journalism when the Philadelphia Inquirer hired him as a senior writer. Concentrating again on domestic issues impacting Americans, he produced award winning content focused on immigration challenges, gun violence tragedies, and the turbulence of the Trump presidency.
Some highlights of his Philadelphia Inquirer contributions include:
- Finalist for 2017 Pulitzer Prize (Explanatory Reporting category)
- 2022 Sigma Delta Chi Award for excellence in journalism
Currently, in addition to writing for the Inquirer, Bunch teaches journalism at Temple University and regularly publishes books analyzing critical political and cultural issues. Over a decorated 40+ year career, he has established himself as one of the most intrepid and insightful journalists in America through his uncompromising integrity and determination to uncover truth.
What motivates Will Bunch’s activism and reporting?
From an early stage in his career, Bunch demonstrated a determination to uncover inconvenient truths and give voice to society’s most vulnerable groups. Over time, his reporting became steadily more activism focused as he encountered grave injustice and violations of public trust.
Several overarching motivations stand out when analyzing what drives Bunch’s writing:
Strong Moral Convictions
Bunch clearly possesses an extremely strong moral compass dedicated to principles like social justice, economic fairness, non-violence, and political accountability. When he encounters situations that violate these moral standards, he leverages his platform as a journalist to demand reform.
Empathy for the Underprivileged
The pain and hardship of underserved groups like immigrants, racial minorities, the impoverished, and incarcerated individuals deeply disturbs Bunch. Much of his work gives voice to these vulnerable segments of society and brings attention to their plight.
Belief in Truth and Transparency
Bunch firmly believes that democracy depends on an informed citizenry and transparency around issues that dictate people’s lives. As a journalist, he sees his core responsibility as exposing truths that impact the public interest.
Ultimately, Bunch reports and advocates because his conscience compels him to confront injustice wherever he finds it. He will continue fighting to promote reform until his high minded values become reality.
How has Bunch innovated journalism throughout his career?
As a journalist spanning over four decades, Bunch displayed repeated ingenuity adapting to technological changes and identifying more effective ways to inform the public. Three major innovative moves stand out:
Pioneering Digital Media
In the early 2000s, Bunch recognized that the internet provided opportunities to reach wider audiences hungry for progressive reporting not well represented in traditional media. He launched Attytood to satisfy this need and became an early model for successful digital opinion journalism.
Blending Activism into Journalism
While objectivity and neutrality serve important purposes in reporting, Bunch felt that some circumstances required overtly championing reform. Attytood demonstrated that journalists could explicitly push change while retaining credibility through factual accuracy.
This advocacy infused reporting expanded journalism’s responsibility to driving progress.
Investigative Methodologies
Earlier in his career while at the Philadelphia Daily News, Bunch honed pioneering methods for in-depth investigative reporting. By thorough records research, cross-verification of sources, and meticulous attribution, he elevated journalistic standards for accuracy.
His attention to detail and unrelenting pursuit of the truth brought to light unethly practices that prompted impactful public reforms. This intensive investigative approach serves as an enduring legacy.
| Technological Adaptation | Reporting Evolution | Research Innovation |
|---|---|---|
| Pioneering digital media | Blending activism and journalism | Investigative reporting methodologies |
| Launched Attytood blog | Championed reform oriented writing | Rigorous sourcing and records research |
| Early model for successful opinion websites | Expanded responsibility to drive societal progress | Intensive cross-verification practices |
Bunch deserves recognition as one of journalism’s great modern innovators. Both his skillful adaptation to new technologies and evolutions in reporting philosophy expanded the medium’s influence and responsibility to society.
What political issues has Will Bunch focused on over his career?
Over 40+ years navigating critical current events both locally in Philadelphia and nationally across America, Bunch concentrated journalistic efforts on exposing truths around several major political realms critical for the public interest:
Corporate and Political Corruption
Investigations into shady corporate misdeeds and politicians abusing power recur throughout Bunch’s career. He brought immoral lobbyist influence peddling, Wall Street malpractice, dark money electoral violations, and numerous other unethical transgressions to light.
Social Justice Failures
An enduring priority in Bunch’s writing involves cases where vulnerable communities experience discrimination, police brutality, suppressed voting rights, harsh overpunishment in prisons, and general violations of human decency. He relentlessly demands reform on these issues.
Healthcare Inadequacies
Skyrocketing costs, insufficient insurance coverage, and limited access for many Americans to quality affordable care represents another shortcoming in the status quo that Bunch continually spotlights through in-depth human stories.
Economic Fairness Deficiencies
The skewed overconcentration of wealth among elites and struggles of the working poor trying to simply get by appears frequently in Bunch’s work as he advocates for more equitable prosperity distribution.
Environmental Stewardship Shortfalls
In assessing policy failures, Bunch argues that leaders too often subordinate ecological sustainability toward narrow special interests. He makes the case that preserving a livable planet for younger generations requires drastic responsibility reform.
Throughout his career, Bunch exhibited tremendous consistency spotlighting these core issues and speaking truth to power to drive meaningful public policy changes. His voice remains one of journalism’s most influential forces pushing for a more ethical society.
What journalistic awards and honors has Bunch received over his distinguished career?
As one of the most decorated reporters of the modern era noted for hard hitting investigative journalism, Will Bunch compiled a stellar record of journalistic awards and recognitions over 40+ years including:
Sigma Delta Chi Award
Received honor for excellence in journalism in 2022 from the Society of Professional Journalists
National Headliner Awards
- 1993 – Investigative Reporting
- 2008 – Attytood blog reporting
Other Awards and Recognitions
- 1992 – Best Columnist of the Year (Philadelphia Press Association)
- 1994 – National Lesbian and Gay Journalists Association Award
- Eight Golden Quill awards (International Society of Weekly Newspaper Editors)
- 2005 and 2006 – The Week’s Best Blogger (For Attytood blog)
In addition to over a dozen prestigious journalistic awards, Bunch received fellowships from organizations such as the Center for Investigative Reporting and Alicia Patterson Foundation to support impactful work.
Universities also recognized his contributions with two honorary doctorates (Doctor of Humane Letters) from:
- Cabrini University in 2021
- Neumann University in 2022
After 14 Pulitzer Prize nominations without a win, many observers feel Bunch remains overdue for Journalism’s highest honor. Nonetheless, his consistent chronicle of critical issues confronting the nation positions him as one of the most accomplished journalists of the last 50 years.
Conclusion
Throughout his expansive career, Will Bunch established a reputation as an intrepid reporter willing to confront controversial topics and demand accountability from institutional powers. Although an unapologetic progressive, he always grounded ideologically driven assertions in factual evidence.
Bunch’s prescient adoption of digital media enabled him to reach wider audiences at critical times. Both through investigative writing and activist oriented opinion journalism, he consistently drove meaningful public discourse toward reform.
The enduring respect of Bunch’s media peers manifests through over a dozen prestigious awards recognizing journalistic excellence. By pioneering new models of reporting and giving voice to underserved communities, Bunch expanded journalism’s capacity to enhance democracy and social justice.
At 66 years of age, Bunch continues prolifically writing books and articles analyzing the current state of politics and culture. Further accolades will likely accumulate. But his greatest testament endures through the positive change he already helped drive through uncompromising reporting and demands for institutional accountability over a transcendent career.
Frequently Asked Questions About Will Bunch
What publications has Will Bunch written for?
Over his 40+ year journalism career, Will Bunch has written for the Philadelphia Daily News, Philadelphia Inquirer, HuffPost, Attytood blog, Daily Beast, Washington Post, Politico, Columbia Journalism Review, and dozens more national and Philadelphia region publications.
What topics does Will Bunch focus on in his writing?
Bunch concentrates his reporting and commentary on issues like political corruption, social justice failures, healthcare inadequacies, economic fairness, environmental sustainability, corporate accountability, civil rights, prison reform, voting rights, media criticism, war policies, gun laws, immigration, financial regulation, election integrity, extremism threats, and labor rights.
What political views does Will Bunch align with?
Without ambiguity, Bunch espouses solidly progressive ideological views favoring social democratic reforms around elements like universal healthcare, public education, environmental regulations, voting access expansion, reduced income inequality, corporate accountability and ending harsh criminal drug war era sentencing policies. However, he grounds left leaning arguments in factual evidence and data instead of solely ideology.
How many books has Will Bunch written?
To date, Will Bunch authored eight non-fiction books tackling critical political issues and four fiction books. Some bestselling works include Tear Down This Myth on the damaging legacy of Reaganomics.
The Backlash examining right wing extremism, and After the Fall reflecting on what America lost post 9/11. His next book Last Call on preventing anti-democratic threats arrives in January 2023 from major publisher The New Press.
What does Will Bunch advocate when analyzing today’s major news stories?
When assessing crises from mass shootings to elections system sabotage threatening American stability today, Bunch argues only through returning to humanitarian policies valuing all groups in society can the nation halt vicious political and cultural polarization trends.
Fair economic distribution, robust voting rights, reasoned discourse, accountable governance, and ending discrimination represent core fixes he champions.