Program Descriptions of 2009 duPont-Columbia Award Winners

Gold Baton

WFAA-TV, Dallas, Byron Harris & Brett Shipp: Money for Nothing, A Passing Offense, The Buried and the Dead

For its ongoing commitment to outstanding investigative reporting in public service, WFAA is honored with the Gold Baton—the first local station to win the Gold Baton since it was instituted 20 years ago.

Three outstanding investigative reports in a single year by WFAA’s unit News 8 Investigates exemplify the best in local broadcast coverage. Reporter Byron Harris’ series Money for Nothing uncovered fraudulent loans to support sales by Texas companies to spurious importers in Mexico. Reporter Brett Shipp’s series A Passing Offense exposes how coaches, principals and teachers change grades so that failing student athletes can qualify to compete. Shipp’s series The Buried and the Dead resulted in gas companies being ordered to remove faulty gas couplings in order to prevent more explosions at a cost of tens of millions of dollars.

Silver Batons

ABC News, Tim Hetherington, Sebastian Junger & Brian Ross: Nightline, The Other War: Afghanistan

ABC’s Nightline team embedded with the army’s Second Platoon, 173rd Airborne in the Korengal Valley of eastern Afghanistan over a six-month period in 2007. They captured the daily physical and emotional struggles of the platoon in their terrifying fight with the Taliban and Al Qaeda. In this dramatic and prescient story, reporter Sebastian Junger and photographer Tim Hetherington shared the danger when they were given unprecedented access to the ongoing ground war. At a time when the rise in violence in Afghanistan was seldom covered, viewers follow a major ground operation from the frontlines that resulted in the deaths of three Americans and the wounding of six others. Partnering with ABC News Correspondent Brian Ross and Vanity Fair magazine, this is combat reporting at its best.

Sebastian Junger, reporter; Tim Hetherington, photographer; Brian Ross, correspondent; Steven R. Baker, Madeleine J. Sauer, producers; Anna Schecter, associate producer; Karen Brenner, editor; Rhonda Schwartz, senior investigative producer; David. W. Scott, senior producer; James Goldston, executive producer; Kerry Smith, senior vice president; David Westin, president

California Newsreel, San Francisco & Vital Pictures, Boston: Unnatural Causes: Is Inequality Making Us Sick? on PBS

In this extraordinary series, California Newsreel and Vital Pictures tackle one of the most challenging questions in public health today: Why are the rich so much healthier than the rest of us? Despite spending more on healthcare than all other countries combined, why does the United States rank so low on the lists of health indicators? The producers delve into the sources of health inequalities in our society and reach surprising conclusions. In interviews with experts, through personal stories and with public health data, the series reveals that beyond habits and genetics, where we live and work directly affects our lifespan. The producers committed significant time and resources to this superb production and made a critical and complex issue accessible to all.

Larry Adelman, series creator and executive producer; Llewellyn Smith, co-executive producer; Christine Herbes-Sommers, series senior producer; Kimberlee Bassford, Franziska Blome, Julie Crawford, James M. Fortier, Ellie Lee, Randall MacLowry, Patricia Garcia-Rios, María Teresa Rodríguez, James Rutenbeck, Eric Stange, Tracy Heather Strain, producers

Chicago Public Radio, PRI, NPR, Alex Blumberg & Adam Davidson: This American Life: The Giant Pool of Money

Ahead of many journalists, reporters Alex Blumberg and Adam Davidson gave an outstanding and occasionally irreverent explanation about the current financial crisis in April 2008, months before the global economy began to unravel. Through terrific storytelling and economic insight, the reporters demystify the subprime mortgage meltdown using personal stories to explain terms such as derivatives, tranches, short selling and credit swaps. Blumberg and Davidson found excellent characters to bring the economic forces to life; a shaky mortgage holder, a mortgage bundler, a Wall Street banker, and others. The program was the first collaboration between National Public Radio’s news division and This American Life produced by Chicago Public Radio. The podcast of the story has been downloaded over 500,000 times.

Alex Blumberg, Adam Davidson, reporters and producers; Les Cook, editor; Ira Glass, Ellen Weiss, executive producers

CNN & Christiane Amanpour: God’s Warriors

This sweeping series reported by Christiane Amanpour reveals the ways in which religious fundamentalists use politics, and sometimes violence, to influence national and world events. Amanpour and the CNN team document the rise of fundamentalism in Judaism, Christianity and Islam in three two-hour programs with reporting that spans seven countries and advances a common theme: religious extremists alienated by modern society are working to impose their beliefs on the rest of the world. In dozens of interviews with key political and religious leaders and ordinary citizens, Amanpour engages the faithful and challenges those who defend violence as a means to their ends.

Christiane Amanpour, correspondent; Jen Christensen, Julie O’Neill, James Polk, Nidal Rafa, Brian Rokus, Mike Schwartz, Andrew Tkach, producers; Cliff Hackel, Dave Timko, director/editor/producers; Kathy Slobogin, managing editor; Mike Mocklar, Andy Segal, Ken Shiffman, senior producers; Jody Gottlieb, executive director, CNN Productions; Mark Nelson, vice president and senior executive producer, Jonathan Klein, president, CNN/US

Current TV & Christof Putzel: From Russia with Hate

When reporter and producer Christof Putzel noticed a spike in violent videos by Russian neo-Nazis circulating on the web, he decided to trace them back to their source in this riveting and enterprising report. In Moscow, he made contact with secretive but outspoken ultranationalists who film acts of violence on ethnic minorities to distribute online. The videos are designed to encourage others to commit similar attacks. Putzel was invited to film a training camp for young recruits and interviewed the group’s so-called propagandist who claims to be responsible for the videos. Through his dogged efforts, he penetrated a cult known for ruthless violence. With few resources, Putzel brings this important story to light through the recently launched web and cable news service, Current TV.

Christof Putzel, correspondent and producer; Lauren Cerre, co-producer; Mike Shen, editor; Laura Ling, supervising producer; David Neuman, president of programming

HBO, Thomas Lennon & Ruby Yang: Cinemax's Reel Life: The Blood of Yingzhou District

Filmmakers Thomas Lennon and Ruby Yang take an unflinching look at the discrimination against children orphaned by AIDS in the remote villages of China's Yingzhou District, part of Anhui Province. Many adults in these rural villages contracted the virus from selling their blood for money and food and died. The filmmakers follow children orphaned by AIDS for a year, revealing how they are shunned by neighbors, shuffled between families or abandoned. The film illuminates the personal struggles of these children, who are among the estimated 75,000 children in China orphaned by AIDS.

Thomas Lennon, producer; Ruby Yang, director, Qu Jiang Tao, director of photography; Ruby Yang, Ma Man Chung, editors; Brian Keane, composer; Sara Bernstein, supervising producer; Sheila Nevins, executive producer

NPR, All Things Considered, Melissa Block & Robert Siegel: Coverage of the Chengdu Earthquake

When a devastating earthquake hit central China in May 12, 2008, NPR’s Melissa Block, Robert Siegel and their team were the only foreign reporters on the scene. They gave the world its first impressions of the catastrophe, and their ensuing reports contained vivid stories of grief, hope and survival. The team was nimble and hard working, producing excellent pieces, often live, under difficult conditions. Block and Producer Andrea Hsu were conducting an interview at the moment the earthquake struck. They continued reporting as the earth shook beneath them. The team worked their way to the epicenter to report about blocked roads, mountain slides and collapsed schools. Hundreds of radio and television stations in the U.S. and around the world relied on NPR’s exclusive coverage of the breaking story for the earliest coverage of the tragedy.

Melissa Block, Robert Siegel, hosts; Brendan Banaszak, Andrea Hsu, Art Silverman, producers; Louisa Lim, Anthony Kuhn, correspondents; Stacey Abbott, engineer; Ma Dongxiao, editorial assistant; Christopher Turpin, executive producer; Ellen Weiss, vice president, news

NPR & Laura Sullivan: All Things Considered: Sexual Abuse of Native American Women

This series about the rampant sexual abuse of Native American women and the faulty policing and prosecution of these crimes explore a shocking statistic from the Justice Department: One out of three Native American women will be raped in her lifetime. Sullivan’s three-month investigation involved dozens of interviews with law enforcement officials, victims and tribal leaders on reservations in South Dakota and Oklahoma. A devastating case of sexual assault that led to a woman’s death was reopened in North Dakota in response to the series’ findings. The series also resulted in Congressional hearings, and the Justice Department deputized Indian police officers to arrest non-Indians for the first time.

Laura Sullivan, correspondent; Amy Walters, producer; Steven Drummond, editor; Maria Godoy, digital media producer; Ellen Weiss, vice president, news

Oregon Public Broadcasting: The Silent Invasion

This eye-opening investigation reveals the threats posed by invasive species and tackles the issue in a clear, dramatic style. With beautifully shot and edited stories, the producers explain how intrusive plants and insects are introduced to ecosystems that have no natural predators and then take over, doing irrevocable harm to lakes and fields. The film shows how the problem affects farmers, ranchers and other residents of Oregon. After it was broadcast, a hotline was created to report new infestations and despite state budget cuts, legislation is being reinitiated this year seeking checkpoints at Oregon’s borders to inspect boats and vehicles.

Ed Jahn, producer and writer; Bruce Barrow, editor; Jack McGowan, narrator;
Cal Scott, composer; Michael Bendixen, Greg Bond, Nick Fisher, Todd Sonflieth, videographers; Sarah Fox, associate producer; Steven M. Bass, CEO; Jeff Douglas, executive producer and station manager.

Safari Media, ITVS, Chris Sheridan & Patty Kim: Independent Lens, Abduction: The Megumi Yokota Story on PBS

Independent filmmakers Chris Sheridan and Patty Kim begin this emotional and suspenseful film on the night many years ago when a 13-year-old Japanese girl, Megumi Yokota, was abducted by North Korean spies near her home. With great attention to detail, this documentary captures the family’s suffering as they struggle to find her. They discover that at least a dozen other young Japanese men and women were also abducted from beaches and seaside towns facing the Korean peninsula, apparently for espionage purposes. This is a revealing story about Japanese family life, society and politics and the deep bond between parent and child.

Patty Kim and Chris Sheridan, writers, producers and directors; Yuko Kawabe, associate producer; Laurie McClellan, story consultant; Yuko Kawabe and Fumiko Nagata, researchers; Chris Sheridan, editor and cameraman; Jane Campion, executive producer

WJLA-TV, Washington, DC & Roberta Baskin: Drilling for Dollars: Children’s Dentistry Investigation

In this exemplary investigative series, Baskin and her team gained extraordinary access to a corrupt chain of dental clinics that targeted small children on Medicaid. Without hidden cameras, Baskin methodically shows how children were physically harmed by the extreme practices of the clinic. They tracked down former employees to report on the bonus system that rewarded employees for doing the most dental work, even if it was unnecessary. Baskin followed up on the report to show similar problems at Small Smiles clinics across the country. The reports sparked a criminal investigation and a federal investigation. As a result of Baskin’s tenacity, six different insurance companies suspended their contracts with Small Smiles clinics in Maryland.

Roberta Baskin, correspondent; Kelly Lanzara, associate producer; Richard Martin, editor; Peter Hakel, photographer; Sandy Bergo, producer; Bill Lord, vice president, news

WTVT-TV, Tampa, & Doug Smith: Small Town Justice

Reporter Doug Smith and the investigative team at WTVT spent two and a half years uncovering new evidence in this series. As a result, a judge threw out a truck driver’s vehicular homicide conviction and released him from a Florida prison. Smith’s investigation focused on an accident in May 2001 when a semi-truck lost control and hit a van, killing two people. The driver of the semi told investigators that he swerved to avoid a car that cut him off causing him hit the van. The lead investigator, who knew one of the victims, pursued a theory that the accused driver had been asleep at the wheel, resulting in a 15- year conviction for vehicular homicide. The series raises serious questions about the criminal justice system in a small town.

Doug Smith, investigative reporter; Lisa Blegen, investigative producer; Craig Davisson, photographer; Mike McClain, Philip Metlin, news directors