In 1993 he was named the executive producer of "Dateline NBC", and worked to address the aftermath of a series of dismissals at NBC regarding a fake news story produced by the show. According to his alma mater, "Shapiro oversaw the production of several major breaking-news stories, such as the Oklahoma City bombing, the death of Princess Diana, the Columbine tragedy, the war in Kosovo, and the Clinton impeachment trial when he worked as the executive producer of the Emmy Award winning Dateline. He also served as the executive producer for several hour-long specials, including reports on corporate layoffs in America, migrant farm workers, and welfare reform."