Bill Einreinhofer is an American television producer, director, writer and educator. Early in his career, he was an executive producer at WNET in New York and for the PBS series Innovation. In his later career, he has focused on documentary work in and about China.
He is Chair Emeritus of the Broadcast Journalism department at the New York Film Academy. He has also taught and co-taught media and journalism seminars in Asia. He is a member of the Directors Guild of America.
Early life and education Einreinhofer was born and raised in Rutherford, New Jersey.
Einreinhofer attended Saint Peter's University, where he worked as a DJ and producer at the campus radio station. He graduated in 1974 with a degree in history. He holds a master's degree in communication from the University of Wisconsin–Madison, where he began making documentaries in the 1970s.
Career Einreinhofer began his career in the late 1970s. From 1978 to 1982, he produced multiple mini documentaries for the New Jersey Nightly News (WNET and New Jersey Public Television). In 1982, he was a producer-writer for Dateline: New Jersey and was producer-host for the syndicated series Jazz Evolution. That year, he was named executive producer for WNET's New Jersey programing.
He conceived and was executive producer of Innovation, the long running PBS science, health and technology news series.Corry, John (October 25, 1984) "Innovation Series". The New York Times. Retrieved July 15, 2013. This included supervising production of the Innovation mini-series People in Motion. Hosted by Itzhak Perlman and Marlee Matlin, People in Motion was praised for its focus on technology as a means of empowerment for people with disabilities.
By 1993, he was the executive producer of scientific programing for WNET.
He was executive producer of the independent feature film Invisible Love (2020), the story of a young, idealistic woman repeatedly betrayed by the men in her life. A China/Vietnam/US co-production, the film is set during the 1930s in what was then known as French Indochina. The film was selected Best International Feature at the 2021 Paris International Film Festival."Paris International Film Festival 2021 Official Winners" retrieved March 14, 2021.
Bill Einreinhofer is also responsible for numerous corporate video productions. He is a member of the Directors Guild of America.Bill Einreinhofer, Directors Guild of America member profile. Directors Guild of America. Retrieved August 22, 2013.
His op-ed essays have appeared online and in numerous publications including The New York Times.Einreinhofer, William Jr. (January 16, 1977) "The Ever-Widening Oil Slick". The New York Times. Retrieved August 14, 2013.Einreinhofer, William Jr. (May 15, 1977) " 'Success' as a Narcotics King". The New York Times. Retrieved August 14, 2013.Einreinhofer, William Jr. (January 8, 1978) "Newark, The Lively Melting Pot". The New York Times. Retrieved August 14, 2013.
Coverage of China Einreinhofer first visited China in 1989, while working on Innovation. He has produced an extensive body of work in and about China. His first program was the public television documentary China Now: To Get Rich Is Glorious, which explored what China's leaders dubbed "socialism with Chinese characteristics." Shooting People Retrieved June 28, 2013.
He was series producer of Beyond Beijing, a four-part documentary series which seen by television viewers in 43 countries, as well as a 120-minute educational and home video version."Beyond Beijing: Exploring China's Cities" Choices Documentary & Educational Media Distributor Retrieved September 3, 2013. Tied to the 2008 Summer Olympics, the series explored the six Chinese cities in addition to Beijing that hosted Olympic events."Beyond Beijing: Shanghai" Retrieved July 11, 2013."Beyond Beijing: Tianjin" Retrieved July 11, 2013."Beyond Beijing: Qingdao & Qinhuangdao" Retrieved July 11, 2013."Beyond Beijing: Shenyang & Hong Kong" Retrieved July 11, 2013.
Einreinhofer was the presenter and script consultant for seasons one and two of the international version of Century Masters, a documentary series on figures in 20th-century Chinese history. The se
Teaching He is Chair Emeritus of the Broadcast Journalism department at the New York Film Academy, having joined the faculty of the school in 2013. In 2020, he conceived, and co-taught, a three-week Moscow Journalism Summer School, which attracted early career journalists from across Russia. Later in the year he co-taught a seminar on "Production 'Best Practices' in the Era of COVID-19" at Astana Media Week, an online gathering of 1,000+ media executives from throughout Central Asia.'Astana Media Week 2020' Retrieved December 18, 2020 Both projects were supported by the U.S. State Department."NYFA Journalism Summer School" Retrieved December 18, 2020
He was previously an adjunct professor"Our Felician" Retrieved July 10, 2013. in the Communications program at Felician College on their Rutherford, New Jersey campus. From 2012 through 2018 he was the producer/writer of an ongoing pro bono series of local oral history videos, Rutherford Historic Narratives, created for the Rutherford Civil Rights Commission.
Filmography +DocumentariesYearTitleSubjectDistributorNotesRefChina Now: To Get Rich Is GloriousSocialism with Chinese characteristics2005So Very Far From HomeAmerican children in Japanese-occupied China during World War IIAmerican-Chinese co-productionChiu, Wendy (April 26, 2013) “Wartime China Documentary Presented at Film Festival” World Journal Retrieved July 18, 2013.The Hidden ChinaAmerican investors visiting ChinaSichuan StoriesWork of Save The Children in China2012Every Day Is A HolidayA Chinese-American woman and her Chinese immigrant father"Every Day Is A Holiday: About the Movie" Retrieved June 28, 2013"Here & Now with Robin Young and Jeremy Hobson" WBUR-FM Retrieved June 28, 2013."Every Day Is A Holiday" Retrieved June 28, 2013.2018Shanghai 1937: Where World War II Began1937 Battle of ShanghaiAmerican Public Television (APT) in the U.S.; ZDF in Germany"Shanghai 1937" retrieved December 18, 20202022Unsettled History: America, China and the Doolittle Tokyo Raid 1942 Doolittle Raid of TokyoAmerican Public Television (APT)2023China: Frame by FrameEinreinhofer's experiences covering ChinaNational Educational Telecommunications Association (NETA)“China: Frame by Frame” retrieved August 9, 2023.2024Valor and MemoryFlying Tigers2025Your Serve or MineHistory of "ping pong diplomacy" between the U.S. and China
Awards +YearAwardCategoryWorkResultRef1982-1983New York Emmy AwardsOutstanding Magazine Format ProgrammingInnovation1983-1984New York Emmy AwardsOutstanding Special Interest ProgrammingInnovation1987-1988New York Emmy AwardsOutstanding Writer (Non-News)"Not Just Pets" (Innovation)
Archives The University of Southern California is home to the Bill Einreinhofer China Archive."Einreinhofer (Bill) China Archive" Retrieved August 9, 2023 Hosted by USC’s East Asian Library, the collection has over 1,500 digital video, image, audio, and text files, available to scholars, researchers, students and the general public. A portion of the material can be viewed online.
In fall 2023, Einreinhofer donated materials to the O'Toole Library at Saint Peter's University.
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