Scholar Profile
Francis Poon
Media
Biography
Francis Poon is a Peabody & Emmy Award-nominated producer who creates multimedia content that fosters critical social conversations and shapes culture.
His recent projects include launching a subscription service for the Pulitzer Prize-winning podcast studio Futuro, producing a Netflix documentary with late-night legend David Letterman, and an upcoming natural science series narrated by Phoebe Waller-Bridge for Amazon Prime.
Prior, he produced nine seasons of This Is Life with Lisa Ling on CNN, where he reported on America’s most pressing social issues, including the mental health and homelessness crisis, anti-Asian hate, and the pervasiveness of military sexual assault. With journalist Maria Hinojosa, he covered the 2024 election and produced a documentary about one of the deadliest school shootings in American history for PBS FRONTLINE. He also worked with Oprah on a series about global spirituality that was showcased at the United Nations.
At a time of deep divisions around the world, Francis believes impactful social journalism that highlights the human experience can bring us together.
High school: Glen Wilson High School
Degrees
| College | Year | Degree |
|---|---|---|
New York UniversityNew York, NY |
2013 | B.A. Individualized Major, Concentration in Visual Culture and Education |
News and Highlights
On the Red Carpet. Congratulations to Francis Poon, MS ’09, for winning the 2023 Imagen Award for Best Documentary for his film, Frontline: After Uvalde: Guns, Grief and Texas Politics. The Imagen Foundation was created to support and encourage the inclusion of Latino talent, executives, and voices in all aspects of the creative process in entertainment media, celebrating individuals and entities who elevate the image and status of Latino talent in front of and behind the camera. See the full list of awardees here.
In the spotlight: Francis Poon MS’ 09, celebrated a 6th season premiere of his series This is Life with Lisa Ling, in September 2019. The CNN original documentary television series produced by Part2 Pictures explores different American communities & social issues in America today. You can watch these Sunday nights at 10pm and if you’ve missed any of the 43 episodes, you can download them on Amazon or iTunes. As a true Milken Scholar family member, Francis invited Diana Hong MS ’99 to provide support on translation needed for one of his most recent episodes. Make sure to watch!
Very photogenic. Francis Poon, MS ’09, is currently a Photo Intern at Esquire Magazine’s New York City offices, in addition to all of his work for NYU’s Washington Square News.