Richard Engel - Broadcasting Career

Broadcasting Career

After graduating from Stanford, Engel left for Cairo, Egypt, because he felt that the region was where the next big story would be. He attributed his attraction to journalism to “the prospect of learning about new subjects and having the privilege of riding the train of history rather than watching it pass.” He first lived in a ramshackle seven-story walk-up, learned Egyptian Arabic and worked as a freelance reporter in Cairo for four years.

Engel worked as the Middle East correspondent for "The World," a joint production of BBC World Service, Public Radio International (PRI) and WGBH-Boston radio from 2001-2003. He has also reported for USA Today, Reuters, AFP and Jane's Defense Weekly.

Engel worked for ABC News as a freelance journalist during the initial invasion of Iraq by U.S. forces. Engel continued his coverage of the Iraq war in Baghdad as NBC's primary Iraq correspondent.

In May 2006, he assumed his role as Senior Middle East Correspondent and Beirut Bureau Chief. During this time he covered the war between Israel and Hezbollah in Lebanon. He filed a number of reports from Lebanon during the 2006 Israeli-Hezbollah conflict.

In April 2008, he became Chief Foreign Correspondent of NBC News. In May 2008, Engel interviewed U.S. President George W. Bush, largely about his speech to the Israeli Knesset. The interview also focused on Iran’s empowerment as a result of the war in Iraq and how to counteract Iran’s influence in the region.

In 2009, Engel was stationed in Kabul, Afghanistan covering the country's August presidential election.

In 2011, Engel reported, at times through tear gas, on the Egyptian revolution. He also covered the Libyan civil war, where he was nearly shot in Benghazi. The same year he toured and reported on the city of Mogadishu, Somalia, for a segment titled “The World's Most Dangerous City,” which he received a News and Documentary Emmy Award nomination.

More recently, Engel’s coverage included the Israel-Gaza conflict of 2012, the continued violence stemming from the revolution in Syria and its consequent civil war, and the political transition of Egypt following the election of President Mohamed Morsi in June 2012.