The local TV station winners and finalists of the 2022 Investigative Reporters & Editors (IRE) Awards have been released and include nine stations from around the country.
The local TV station winners and finalists of the 2022 IRE Awards have been released and include nine stations from across the country.
This year’s winners were selected from more than 400 entries. The awards, given since 1979, recognize the most outstanding watchdog journalism of the year. The contest covers 19 categories across media platforms and a range of market sizes.
Some of the judges’ comments which accompany each entry include phrases like, “a moving series of stories”, “The data-gathering was impressive”, “A masterful use of video” and “Superb reporting”.
CLICK HERE to see the complete list of the 2022 IRE Awards.
Video Division II (Top 20 Markets)
Winner
WMAQ, NBC Chicago
Left for Dead: Hit, Run, and Ignored
Judges’ comments: Incredibly, this investigation found that more than 100 hit-and-run auto accidents occur in Chicago every day, and only a few of them are solved, even when police have evidence that could identify the culprits. The reporters effectively blended data, public records, interviews, and video to tell a compelling story. The station devoted enormous resources to this investigation and persevered despite the Chicago Police Department’s absolute refusal to cooperate.
Finalist
WANF, CBS Atlanta
The Sixth
Judges’ comments: This investigation documents difficulties in public defender programs. Too little money and too few attorneys mean that the requirement of providing lawyers for indigent defendants too often goes unfulfilled. As a result, some accused people languish in jail far longer than they should, while others are released when they are possibly guilty of crimes.
Finalist
WBBM, CBS Chicago
DCFS Survivors
Judges’ comments: WBBM found that the Illinois Department of Child and Family Services often turns a blind eye to child abuse in foster homes, including physical and sexual abuse. The station was able to pry data from the department showing that 90 percent of complaints about abuse were deemed “unfounded.”
Video Division III (21-50 Markets)
Winner
WBFF, Fox Baltimore
Disabled & Denied
Judges’ comments: A moving series of stories that demands answers about the quality of education provided by Baltimore City Schools to some students with disabilities. The team exposed multiple examples of outright corruption, with contractors and the school system both stealing money by falsifying reports, all while hurting kids in the process. The stories combined touching personal narratives with dogged reporting and showed the profound impact that can come from sticking with a story.
Finalist
WKRC, CBS Cincinnati
Fallout
Judges’ comments: This was a fine example of persistent work on a highly complicated issue. It’s also a model of local journalism, depending on local sourcing in an undercovered community to expose a problem with international implications.
Finalist
WVUE, Fox, New Orleans
Outside the Office
Judges’ comments: This story has receipts! The data-gathering was impressive but used the power of video to show the implications behind the numbers.
Finalist
WTVF, CBS, Nashville
Revealed
Judges’ comments: A masterful use of video, giving viewers in Tennessee a front-row seat to the abuses of power taking place in their state legislature. A well-told modern civics lesson with real impact!
Video Division II (50 And Below Markets)
Winner
WSAZ, NBC Huntington, West Virginia
53 Days – Chuck’s Story
Judges’ comments: Superb reporting on how the shortcomings of a West Virginia hospital had deadly consequences for an elderly man with dementia. By obtaining crucial video footage on the day the man disappeared, journalists provided a visual and heartbreaking story to audiences that showed what went wrong. The team was also relentless in seeking answers from top state officials.
Longform Journalism in Video
Winner
KXTV, ABC Sacramento
The Price of Care: Taken by the State
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