Matthew Bell
Editor
Matthew Bell is an editor at The World.
I’m an editor based in the Boston newsroom — working from home a lot lately, of course. I work closely with our correspondents who cover the Middle East, Southeast Asia, Africa and Latin America.
By way of background, I studied comparative religion and Chinese history at the University of Vermont. That led me to Mandarin language classes and UC Berkeley’s Graduate School of Journalism, and then to KQED Radio in San Francisco. From there, I started freelancing for The World and joined the team full-time here in Boston in late 2001.
In my previous life as a reporter, I was blessed with the opportunity to cover a huge range of stories for The World. But some of the most memorable ones involved taking a trip on a Louisiana shrimping boat in the Gulf of Mexico, covering events in Egypt during the so-called Arab Spring, and meeting North Korean refugees in Seoul, South Korea.
I’m super interested in religion and I tend to think most big news stories have an important, if overlooked, religion angle. I’ve reported a lot on US foreign policy, human rights in China, North Korea’s nuclear activities and life in Israel and the Palestinian territories. Beyond journalism, I’m helping to raise kids and engaged in the lifelong pursuit of learning to play the electric guitar.
The war in Ukraine is also about religion
Russian President Vladimir Putin has given various reasons to justify his decision to order an attack on Ukraine. But one thing he talked about early on was religion.
Israeli researchers try to find COVID 'threshold' with fourth vaccine dose
New testimony, transcripts, paint fuller picture of quid pro quo
'They need to stop killing our kids': Ethiopian Israeli lawmakers tackle police brutality
Anxiety and fear run high as Israel votes
As Israel's voters head to the polls, most expressed anxiety over the outcome of the election.
In Israel’s election, the Arab vote could be pivotal
A few days before a national election in Israel, there wasn’t a campaign poster in sight at a horse show in a rural area just outside of Nazareth.
For many Israelis, this election is all about Bibi
Benjamin Netanyahu has served as Israel's prime minister for a decade. He has plenty of detractors. But even for them, this national election is all about him.
Megachurches, home churches, podcasts: American evangelicals are ‘not a monolith’
As the 2020 presidential campaign heats up, evangelical Christians will be getting more and more attention in the news media. They always do during election season. But people who identify as evangelical or born-again Christians are more than just a voting bloc. Evangelicals make up a huge swath of the US population.
With the Iran deal falling apart, Israel faces new worries
Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu has been a fierce critic of the 2015 Iran nuclear deal. But now that the deal appears to be collapsing, Israel isn’t exactly celebrating.
In Hong Kong, anger and frustration toward China aren't new
Demonstrators in Hong Kong are calling for the repeal of a controversial new extradition bill with China. But that's just the last straw for many Hongkongers, whose resentment toward mainland China has been building for some time.
From 'mein Mädchen' to 'leader of the free world,' Angela Merkel is winding down her political career
Since the election of Donald Trump, Germany's leader Angela Merkel has been seen as an important global voice for Western liberal values. Her legacy is mixed, and it's unclear who will fill her shoes on the global political stage.
When does life begin? It might depend on your faith.
Many abortion opponents find conviction in their religious faith. But what do different faiths say about when life really begins?
Jared Kushner's peace plan that nobody loves
Jared Kushner has been working on a peace plan for Israel and the Palestinians — a "deal of the century" is how President Donald Trump has referred to it. Almost no one is impressed. And it's not clear if the plan will even see the light of day.
The Satanic Temple gets religion
From trolling the religious right to being recognized by the IRS as a real religion, the Satanic Temple is on the rise. And with growth comes a new challenge.