‘I Try to Find the Question That People Cannot Squirm Out Of’: An Interview with Nashville’s Phil Williams

For more than thirty years, Phil Williams has been the steadying voice of investigative reporting at NewsChannel 5, in Nashville. His deep dives into toxic wastewater and lobbyist access to state politicians have earned him a slew of major journalism awards, including five Peabodys and five duPont-Columbia Awards.

But in recent years, his most viral moments have been his unflappable encounters with extremists and neo-Nazis, who have popped up brazenly in communities around Nashville—that is, until Williams shows up with receipts.

Read and watch more of Williams’s reporting:

*Confronting Hate – NewsChannel 5’s 2024 investigation into local extremist groups.

*Hate Comes to Main Street – An investigation into a local politician’s association with hate groups.

*Revealed – Williams’s deep dive into the special access lobbyists have to Tennessee politicians.