KHOU’s Police Investigation Wins duPont Award

KHOU, Tegna’s Houston CBS affiliate, was awarded an Alfred I. duPont-Columbia University Award for its investigation, Transparency, that examined a lack of accountability and improper use of police body cameras in the city of Houston.

Transparency, the result of a four-month investigation, revealed the Houston Police Department failed to release timely footage for criminal cases and declined to conduct promised video audits.

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In response to the documentary, the Houston police chief immediately addressed the camera technology issues and pledged to discipline any officers who fail to activate cameras when required.

“We are committed to continuing to invest in our local stations to ensure they have the journalistic freedom to pursue investigations that make communities stronger without bias or agenda,” said Dave Lougee, Tegna president.

Click here to see the entire investigation on KHOU’s website.

The duPont-Columbia Awards uphold the highest standards in journalism by honoring winners annually, informing the public about those journalists’ contributions and supporting journalism education and innovation, thereby cultivating a collective spirit for the profession.

Every year about a dozen news stories and films are honored by the duPont­-Columbia University Awards for the strength of their reporting, storytelling and impact in the public interest. The winning pieces are selected by the duPont jury from hundreds of entries vetted by a board of screeners. The awards are presented at Columbia University’s Low Library in a ceremony hosted by some of the country’s leading broadcast journalists.

Click here to see all the 2018 winners.