The Peabody Awards announced winners in the radio/podcast and web categories Tuesday, and public media organizations dominated both categories.
In the Dark by American Public Media’s APM Reports was cited as “a tour de force of investigative reporting.” The podcast examines why a cold case in central Minnesota took 27 years to solve and the policy implications of the case.
This American Life won for “Anatomy of Doubt,” a collaboration with the Marshall Project and ProPublica. The story focused on an 18-year-old who said she was attacked at knifepoint and whose allegations of rape were dismissed by police and those closest to her.
“The report is a chilling indictment of doubt, a harrowing picture of the vilification and criminal prosecution the victim suffered, and a heartfelt reminder to trust what victims say,” said a Peabody press release.
NPR won for “Wells Fargo Hurts Whistleblowers,” an examination of the systemic issues and sales culture at Wells Fargo that led to the creation of fake consumer banking accounts. The special report also looked at the blacklisting of employees who attempted to report unethical practices.
“Interviews with former employees detail the pressures of working in a grindhouse atmosphere to meet daily quotas and the damaging repercussions of whistleblowing, which prompted further U.S. Senate inquiry on bank self-regulation,” according to the awards organization.
And ProPublica and the Texas Tribune won in the web category for “Hell and High Water.” Described by the Peabody Awards as “a combination of science journalism, on-the-ground reporting and cutting-edge technology,” the multimedia project looks at the disastrous effects a hurricane or other powerful storm could have on Houston’s environment and America’s economy. The winners had received the only nomination in the category.
There were no nominations for U.S. public media or nonprofit news organizations in the news or public service categories, also announced Tuesday.
The Peabody Awards has announced other winners in recent weeks, including the Independent Television Service for its work transforming the media landscape and public media. Frontline, Independent Lens and POV are among winners in the documentary category.
Winners will be celebrated at a gala May 20 in New York City. The event will be taped to air on both PBS and the Fusion network June 2.