Scripps News Grabs First News Emmy
Episode of ‘In Real Life’ wins for reporting on microplastics’ effects on public health
Scripps News got its first national News Emmy for its docuseries In Real Life. Scripps News won in the outstanding science, technology or environmental coverage category for the episode “Plastic Time Bomb.” Other nominees in that category included CNN, National Geographic and Vice.
“This award, and our second nomination, are fantastic recognitions of Scripps News’ commitment to going beyond the headlines to bring viewers deeper, context-driven reporting,” said Scripps News President Kate O’Brian. “With each visually stunning episode, the In Real Life team takes viewers to the heart of important, but sometimes overlooked, stories playing out across the world and their impact on our communities – locally and globally. ‘Plastic Time Bomb’ did exactly that, sharing perspectives from multiple corners of the globe and bringing viewers a nuanced look at an issue that is often polarizing.”
Scripps News is the rebrand of Newsy, which took place in January.
The winning episode presented an exploration of the impact of microplastics on the planet and on people’s health — and what scientists are doing to help fix the problem. The reporting team traveled to Malaysia to show the impact of the world’s unrecycled waste and explored gaps in the global recycling system, while interviewing local residents and non-profit leaders and scientists from around the globe.
The Scripps News team that got the award included Nelufar Hedayat, correspondent; Kevin Clancy, producer, editor and director of photography; Grier Dill, animator; and Zach Toombs, executive producer.
Scripps News will show the winning episode on Sunday, October 1, at 8 p.m. ET.
A second episode from the 2022 In Real Life season, “The New Death,” was also nominated in the long-form category.
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Season five of In Real Life starts on Scripps News October 8.
News Emmys were given out on September 27 and documentary Emmys will be awarded September 28.
Michael Malone is content director at B+C and Multichannel News. He joined B+C in 2005 and has covered network programming, including entertainment, news and sports on broadcast, cable and streaming; and local broadcast television, including writing the "Local News Close-Up" market profiles. He also hosted the podcasts "Busted Pilot" and "Series Business." His journalism has also appeared in The New York Times, The L.A. Times, The Boston Globe and New York magazine.