Six TV Stations Nab duPont Prizes

NEW YORK (AP) — A newspaper that put together a multimedia project on gambling addiction is among the winners of the Alfred I. duPont-Columbia University Awards for broadcast journalism, the first time a multimedia project from a print-based organization has won one of the prestigious awards.

Other winners for the 2011 prizes announced Wednesday by Columbia University include radio and television powerhouses including ABC News, CBS News and National Public Radio. A number of the winners were cited for investigative work.

“Despite the economic challenges and rapid changes facing the news industry, this year’s powerful and innovative winners show that broadcast news continues to have an important and vital place in people’s lives and in society at large,” said Ann Cooper, outgoing chairwoman of the awards jury and director of the broadcast program at Columbia’s Graduate School of Journalism.

“Bottoming Out: Gambling Addiction in Las Vegas” from the Las Vegas Sun was “a compelling and informative look at the human toll of compulsive gambling as well as the brain behavior and science of the gambling industry,” jurors said.

The project included a video diary, a live internet chat about gambling addiction, and an interactive component about slot machines along with text stories.

It was one of 13 winners in the annual prizes, which recognize overall excellence in broadcast journalism and were established in 1942 by the late Jessie Ball duPont in memory of her husband, and are administered by Columbia. The school also administers the Pulitzer Prizes. The awards cover the period from July 1, 2009 to June 30, 2010.

Some big names of broadcast were represented among the other winners. ABC News’ “20/20” won for a Brian Ross investigation into sexual misconduct among swim coaches and the problems with the response of the government meant to protect young swimmers.

CBS News’ “60 Minutes” won for a two-part investigative report looking into the explosion of the Deepwater Horizon and what went wrong. NPR and correspondent Laura Sullivan won for a three-part series that looked into the flaws of the bail bonding system.

The other winners:

— BBC America for a report on “BBC World News America” that covered the earthquake in Haiti and its aftermath.

— KCET in Los Angeles for three stories that looked at how local, state and federal officials were not doing their jobs.

— KING-TV in Seattle and reporter Susannah Frame, for an investigation into waste and misused money in the Seattle ferry system.

— 9News/KUSA-TV in Denver for a six-month investigation into frauds that affected people facing foreclosure as well as people looking to rent.

— POV and director/producer Geoffrey Smith for a documentary on a British surgeon and his Ukrainian protege that explored issues of health care access and resources.

— West Virginia Public Broadcasting and reporter/producerTrey Kay, for a radio documentary that looked at a 1974 debate over multiculturalism and textbooks which has repercussions in today’s politics.

— WGBH, “Frontline” and reporter/videographer Najibullah Quraishi for reporting about Taliban fighters in Afghanistan.

— WKOW-TV in Madison, Wis., and reporter/producer Dan Cassuto for an 8-month investigation into the state’s Bureau of Consumer Protection.

— WTHR-TV of Indianopolis and reporter/producer Bob Segall for a report on state officials inflating job statistics.

The duPont awards ceremony is scheduled for Jan. 20 at Columbia’s Low Memorial Library.