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2005 duPont-Columbia University Awards Announced

Dec 1, 2004  •  Post A Comment

ABC News, public broadcasting’s “Frontline” and WGBH-TV, and Belo TV station newsrooms will be doubly honored when the 2005 Alfred L. duPont-Columbia University Awards for broadcast journalism are handed out Jan. 13.

In all, 13 silver batons will be awarded at the ceremony, recognizing the best of 588 entries from network, cable and local TV as well as radio and independently produced programs that aired in the United States between July 1, 2003 and June 30, 2004.

The winning entries are:

  • ABC News and PJ Productions’ “Jesus and Paul: The Word and the Witness,” a three-hour prime-time documentary in which Peter Jennings explored the origins of Christianity.

  • ABC News’ “Primetime Thursday” for the “Nuclear Smuggling Project,” about uranium shipped into the country to test port security.

  • David Appleby and the University of Memphis for “Hoxie: The First Stand” a PBS program about Hoxie, Ark.’s early efforts to integrate schools.

  • “Frontline and WGBH-TV for “Ghosts of Rwanda,” an examination, in collaboration with the BBC and Silverbridge Productions, of international ramifications of genocide in Rwanda.

  • “Frontline” and WGBH for “Truth, War and Consequences,” a report on the planning and execution of the war in Iraq.

  • HBO/Cinemax’s “Reel Life” and producer-directors Victoria Bruce and Karin Hayes for “The Kidnapping of Ingrid Betancourt,” a documentary about a Colombian presidential candidate campaigning against violence and corruption.

  • Louisiana Public Broadcasting for “Louisiana: Currents of Change,” an hour about the state’s history and relationship with the Mississippi River.

  • MSNBC and “National Geographic Ultimate Explorer” for “Liberia: American Dream?” an eyewitness report on civil war in Liberia and the overthrow of President Charles Taylor.

  • NBC NEWS and “Dateline NBC” for “A Pattern of Suspicion,” an extensive investigative report on racial profiling by policemen in Cincinnati and other cities.

  • NPR and “Radio Diaries” for “Mandela: An Audio History.”

  • WBAP-AM in Dallas for “JFK 40,” a series of live reports and reflections on the assassination.

  • WCNC-TV, the Belo-owned NBC affiliate in Charlotte, N.C., for “Medicaid Dental Centers Investigation,” a series about a chain of dentists who exploited the Medicaid system.

  • WFAA-TV, DALLAS for “State of Denial,” an eight-month 13-part investigation of how insurance companies denied medical claims for work-related injuries.

    In addition, the jury judging the entries selected four finalists for an additional award for exemplary broadcast journalism: The Independent Television Service and Tracy Droz Tragos for “Be Good, Smile Pretty” on PBS; “MarketPlace and American Public Media for Spoils of War on public radio stations; “Nova,” WGBH and Canadian Broadcasting Corp. for “Crash of Flight 111”; and WISH-TV, the CBS affiliate in Indianapolis, for “Will Your Vote Count?”

    The ceremony at Columbia University will be co-hosted by Gwen Ifill, senior correspondent for “The NewsHour With Jim Lehrer” on PBS, and “60 Minutes” correspondent Lesley Stahl. A one-hour documentary about the winners, “Without Fear or Favor: The Best in Broadcast Journalism,” will be broadcast on PBS stations beginning Monday, Jan. 24., and hosted by Columbia graduate and teacher George Stephanopoulos, who was a visiting professor at Columbia for three semesters in 1997 and 1998 after leaving the Clinton White House.