WNBC New York, KING Seattle, KSTP Minneapolis and WFAA Dallas were among the 15 winners of the 2021 Alfred I. duPont-Columbia University Awards, given out for outstanding reporting in the public interest. CNN anchor Anderson Cooper and Washington Post columnist Michele Norris hosted the virtual awards.
WNBC was honored for “The Epicenter of the Coronavirus Pandemic.” KING won for “Bob’s Choice,” about a terminal cancer patient who decided to end his life. KSTP won for George Floyd coverage. WFAA Dallas won for “Verify Road Trip: Climate Truth.”
PBS was honored repeatedly. PBS’s American Experience won for the space race report “Chasing the Moon.” PBS’s Frontline got a trophy for “For Sama,” about makeshift hospitals in Aleppo, Syria. PBS won for “Decoding COVID-19” and Independent Lens won for the documentary Bedlam, about a psychiatric ER.
NBC News Digital was honored for the law enforcement documentary “A Different Kind of Force--Policing Mental Illness.”
Netflix was honored for the film Crip Camp, about a summer camp for disabled teens in the civil rights era.
Showtime docuseries Vice won for India Burning, about Muslims in India.
“Courageously documenting the turbulent events of 2020, journalists performed a critical public service by reporting on the COVID-19 pandemic, social justice, the role of the internet in our politics, and much more,” said Cheryl Gould, duPont jury chair and former NBC News executive. “We are proud to honor these duPont winners and finalists for their outstanding work and their commitment to fact-finding and truth-telling in these unsettled times.”
The Radiotopia podcast Ear Hustle got a duPont-Columbia, as did WNYC Studios for the Radiolab posts The Flag and the Fury and The Other Latif.
The Washington Post won for “Lafayette Reconstruction,” about the clearing of Lafayette Park in Washington before President Trump’s visit.
It represented WNBC’s first duPont-Columbia award. “Covering the evolution of the coronavirus outbreak was one of the toughest challenges our newsroom had ever faced. As our journalists came to work every day, they were personally coping with the effects of the virus on their families as well,” said Amy Morris, WNBC VP of news. “Every member of our news team played a critical role. Our mission was to inform our viewers and along the way were also able to find some moments to share incredible stories of hope.”
