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.

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The Torch
9:39 am
Thu August 2, 2012

Wiggin' Out: Bradley Wiggins Drinks To His Gold Medal, And The Mods Applaud

Credit Alex Livesey / Getty Images
The Mods' New King? Cyclist Bradley Wiggins sits on a chair that looks an awful lot like a throne, after winning an Olympic gold medal Wednesday. Hailed in Britain for his mod tastes and funny tweets, Wiggins celebrated his win by getting "blind drunk," he said.

Originally published on Thu August 2, 2012 3:54 pm

Fresh off becoming Britain's most-decorated Olympian, cyclist Bradley Wiggins is back in the news, as he updated his Twitter followers Wednesday night with details of how his celebration was going.

"Well what a day, blind drunk at the minute and overwhelmed with all the messages," Wiggins tweeted to his more than 400,000 followers. "Thank You everyone it's been emotional X."

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The Torch
8:50 am
Thu August 2, 2012

Kayla Harrison Completes Her Comeback With Historic Gold Medal In Judo

Credit Franck Fife / AFP/Getty Images
U.S. judoka Kayla Harrison reacts after winning the women's 78kg gold medal at London's ExCel arena.

Originally published on Thu August 2, 2012 3:39 pm

Kayla Harrison has defeated Britain's Gemma Gibbons in the women's 78kg judo final. It is the first gold medal for Harrison, 22, a native of Middletown, Ohio — and the first Olympic gold medal for an American in the event.

Harrison sprang out to an early lead in the match and then sealed it with another late score. She holds multiple world champion titles, despite her young age.

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The Torch
6:33 am
Thu August 2, 2012

Coming Up Thursday: Women's Gymnastics, Swimming Showdowns

Credit Alex Livesey / Getty Images
Jose Manuel Martin Dockx of Spain rides Grandioso in the Dressage Grand Prix on Day 6 of the London 2012 Olympic Games at Greenwich Park Thursday.

It's Day 6 of the London Games, and two big events await: first, the women's gymnastics individual all-around medal will be decided. Americans Gabby Douglas and Aly Raisman are in the final round, which begins at 11:30 a.m. ET. Then, swimmers Michael Phelps, Ryan Lochte, and Missy Franklin try to add to their medal totals.

Phelps and Lochte face off in the men's 200m individual medley, while Franklin will race in what should be a very competitive women's 100m freestyle. All eight swimmers in her race qualified with times between 53.05 and 53.86 seconds.

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The Torch
6:02 am
Thu August 2, 2012

Let's Catch Up: U.S. Women Rowers Prevail, And NBC's Water Polo Coverage

Credit Eric Feferberg / AFP/Getty Images
The U.S. team races to their second straight gold medal in the women's eight rowing event at the London 2012 Olympic Games, at Eton Dorney Rowing Centre in Eton, west of London.

Good morning. Here's a rundown of the news that's catching our eye this morning, from the London Olympics:

-- The women's eight rowing competition was won by the U.S. team, in an encore of their gold-medal performance in Beijing 2008. The team, which led from the start and stayed ahead of silver medalists Canada at the end, consists of Mary Whipple (coxswain), Caryn Davies, Caroline Lind, Eleanor Logan, Meghan Musnicki, Taylor Ritzel, Esther Lofgren, Susan Francia and Erin Cafaro.

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The Torch
1:39 pm
Wed August 1, 2012

U.S. Marine Boxer: 'I'm Proud Of How Far I've Come,' Despite Olympics Loss

Credit Jack Guez / AFP/Getty Images
Jamel Herring of the U.S. departs the ring after his loss to Daniyar Yeleussinov in their boxing match at the London Olympics. Herring, an active-duty Marine, is the U.S. team captain.

U.S. Olympic boxing team captain Jamel Herring lost his light welterweight bout yesterday, but it's not the first setback he's faced — and he says he won't let his team lose its momentum in the London Olympics because of his defeat.

As the AP reports:

"After surviving two tours in Iraq and returning to boxing after the sudden death of his infant daughter in her crib three years ago, Herring knows a bit about composure and focus."

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The Torch
1:05 pm
Wed August 1, 2012

Nathan Adrian Takes Gold In 100m Freestyle, Defeating France's Agnel

Credit Gabriel Bouys / AFP/Getty Images
Yo Adrian! Swimmer Nathan Adrian (right) celebrates with Canada's Brent Hayden (left) after winning the men's 100m freestyle at the London 2012 Olympic Games.

American swimmer Nathan Adrian's name hasn't been on everyone's mind, the way that Michael Phelps' or Ryan Lochte's has. But he did something that even Lochte couldn't do this week: beat Yannick Agnel in a head-to-head race.

Adrian's time of 47.52 seconds in the men's 100-meter freestyle gave him his first individual gold medal, as he also beat James Magnussen of Australia, who came in second, and Brent Hayden of Canada.

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The Torch
12:32 pm
Wed August 1, 2012

U.S. Flag-Bearer Zagunis Fails To Medal In Sabre

Credit Alberto Pizzoli / AFP/Getty Images
American fencer Mariel Zagunis (left), the two-time gold medal winner in sabre, shakes hands after losing to Ukraine's Olga Kharlan in their bronze medal match at London's ExCel Center.

Decorated fencer Mariel Zagunis, who carried the U.S. flag into Olympic Stadium as part of the London 2012 opening ceremony, lost in the bronze medal match in the sabre Wednesday afternoon, falling to Olga Kharlan of Ukraine, 15-10.

The loss means that Zagunis, 27, will leave London without a medal — there is no team sabre medal at this year's Olympics (we'll post more about that situation soon).

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The Torch
10:26 am
Wed August 1, 2012

What's A Gold Medal Really Worth?

Credit Laurence Griffiths / Getty Images
Plenty To Smile About: Weightlifter Maiya Maneza of Kazakhstan celebrates on the podium with her new 400-gram gold medal, matching the feat of her compatriot Zulfiya Chinshanlo. The Kazakh Olympians will each receive a $250,000 bonus.

Weighing 400 grams, the Olympic gold medals that are being doled out at the London 2012 Summer Games are the heaviest ever, according to reports. But that doesn't mean they're the most valuable: at an estimated $620.82, they're nearly $590 short of the $1,207.86 value held by a gold medal from the Stockholm Games of 1912.

The discrepancy stems from the fact that the 2012 gold medals contain only 6 grams of gold; the rest is silver and copper. In fact, the London bling contains more copper than gold, which is only used to coat the medals with a plating layer.

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The Torch
8:41 am
Wed August 1, 2012

Cyclist Bradley Wiggins Wins Seventh Olympic Medal, A British Record

Credit Odd Andersen / AFP/Getty Images
Britain's Bradley Wiggins celebrates after winning the gold medal at the end of the London 2012 Olympic Games men's individual time trial road cycling event in London.

British cyclist Bradley Wiggins has won the gold medal in the men's individual time trial event, beating Germany's Tony Martin by 42 seconds. He took 50 minutes and 39 seconds to cover the course of 49 kilometers (just under 30.5 miles).

Martin took silver, and the bronze went to Britain's Chris Froome, who played a vital support role as Wiggins' teammate in his Tour de France victory last month.

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The Torch
8:19 am
Wed August 1, 2012

Let's Catch Up: U.S. Rowers End Drought, Phelps And Lochte Reload

Credit Harry How / Getty Images
Adrienne Martelli, Megan Kalmoe, Kara Kohler and Natalie Dell of the United States celebrate on the podium after winning bronze in the women's quadruple sculls at Eton Dorney in Windsor, England.

Good morning. Things are hopping at the London Games, with 20 medal events today. And conversations are still buzzing about the scandal in Olympic badminton, over players intentionally throwing matches. Here are some highlights from this morning's news:

- The U.S. women's quadruple sculls team has won a bronze medal, ending a 28-year American medal drought in the sport. It's also only the second U.S. medal.

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