NEW YORK (WTVF) — NewsChannel 5’s on-going “Hate Comes to Main Street” investigation has been honored with a prestigious duPont-Columbia Award, with the duPont jury calling it “a master class in local reporting.”
That effort, led by chief investigative reporter Phil Williams and photojournalist Bryan Staples, exposed the white supremacist ties of Gabrielle Hanson, a mayoral candidate in Franklin, Tennessee, in fall 2023. Following leads stemming from the Hanson stories, the NewsChannel 5 investigation expanded last year into questions about Shawn Taylor, the QAnon-aligned assistant police chief in Millersville, Tennessee.
NewsChannel 5’s work was among 16 winners announced Wednesday night at Columbia University during an awards ceremony, which is often referred to as the “Pulitzers of broadcast.” The duPont Silver Batons were presented by 60 Minutes correspondent Bill Whitaker and NPR Morning Edition host Steve Inskeep.
In announcing the award, Whitaker noted that, as a result of NewsChannel 5's investigation, Williams faced “repeated threats of physical violence by white supremacists and attempts by QAnon extremists to discredit him.”
“From where I stand,” Williams told the attendees, “we cannot allow hate to win – no matter the cost. For the sake of democracy, surrender is simply not an option.”
This is the fifth duPont Award for NewsChannel 5, as well as Williams and Staples. The investigation into Hanson also received a coveted George Foster Peabody Award last year.
“Hate Comes to Main Street” was also the work of photojournalist Bob Stinnett and producer Kevin Wisniewski. Also assisting were photojournalists Don Blommel, Devin Crawford, James Garbee and Catherine Steward.
Digital producer Emily West contributed to the reporting.
The project was overseen by news director Sandy Boonstra and assistant news director Michelle Bonnett.
Lyn Plantinga is the station’s general manager. Richard Eller is station manager.
NewsChannel 5’s colleagues at Scripps News, the national news network owned by Scripps, also won a duPont for their reporting on the limits of Maine gun laws. Scripps News also was a finalist for its investigation into the water crisis in Flint, Michigan.
“The relentless reporting from Scripps journalists across these three investigations is another reminder of the vital role they play as community connectors, keeping the public informed, engaged and accountable – often at great personal cost,” said Dean Littleton, Scripps’ executive vice president of media broadcast operations.
“This award is a testament to the commitment of Scripps’ robust team of local and national investigative journalists to delivering hard-hitting impactful stories that go beyond the headlines and get to the bottom of the story.”
In his opening remarks, Whitaker noted that “this is a fraught time for journalism.”
“With wars in Europe, the Middle East and host spots around the globe, the Committee to Protect Journalists calls this one of the deadliest periods for journalists in recent history,” the 60 Minutes correspondent added.
“Here at home, powerful politicians call us ‘enemies of the people’ and more and more news consumers doubt our trustworthiness. Television news audiences and budgets have shrunk. So journalists, as we used to say way back in the 1970’s, ‘Keep on keeping on.’”
Inskeep noted that “some media broadcast for people who already care, who already buy a narrative. In a divided country, and a competitive environment, we build an audience when we get the story across to people who do not care yet.”
“Many people don’t trust the media. And fellow journalists, respectfully: That’s good! It might be better if more people were skeptical of certain things they’re told,” Inskeep continued.
“But we need to meet that challenge. To prove what we say and to keep returning to the story, day after day, with an open mind.”
Founded in 1942, 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. The duPont Awards have honored, for over 80 years, many of the most important stories of our time from the civil rights era and Vietnam to racial reckoning and local accountability reporting.
Since 1968, the duPont Awards have been administered by Columbia University’s Graduate School of Journalism. A jury made up of industry veterans selected 30 finalists and 16 winners. The pool of entries includes traditional national and local news outlets from across the country, as well as streaming and entertainment outlets.
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