2 Investigators

NEW YORK (CBS) ― The phone call came about two months ago. We had won an award – an award that I was not convinced was within our grasp. After all, this award usually went to the network news magazine shows or documentary makers whose projects for cable took years and months to produce. The DuPont is to broadcast news what the Pulitzer is to print journalism. And CBS 2 Chicago had won.

The news was enormously gratifying and humbling -- one of those rare moments when your peers give you a 'high five.' The Alfred I. DuPont award was established in 1942 by DuPont's widow, Jessie, as a way to memorialize her husband. Most people associate the DuPont name with the famous chemical company, but a little known fact is that he owned several small newspapers in Delaware. I guess he was a bit of a maverick – with a liberal streak – who wrote many of the papers' editorials. Jessie knew her late husband would approve creating a tribute to radio journalism – later changed to include television – even though, and perhaps because, he lived his final years unable to hear a word.

So this was instantly one of those champagne moments. We opened a bottle (actually two) in the small, windowless office on McClurg Court that is the home of the "2 Investigators." Reporter Dave Savini shared his gratitude to the unflagging support of his closest comrade, investigative producer Michele Youngerman. Michele and her husband are expecting their first child, so she passed on the champagne, but celebrated the moment, as colleague Pam Zekman shared her own DuPont experience, having won two herself. She passed around her own 'silver baton' which is an unlikely trophy. Like most prestigious awards, it is heavier than it looks. Everyone's excitement grew as Pam described the awards ceremony, which was scheduled for January 16th on the campus of Columbia University, which has made the awards into what they are today.

I didn't find out who else had won until the list of winners was announced in December. Then last evening in New York City, we traveled from all corners of the country to share an evening with the likes of Ted Koppel (now Discovery Channel) and Deborah Amos (NPR).

The Big Night

The night had the feel of a festive wedding. Dave was joined by his wife, Deborah, and their two adorable children, along with his mom and Deborah's parents. Executive producer Marda Le Beau invited her niece, Sarah Cline. Dave also invited Doug Longhini, a veteran investigative producer with CBS' 48 hours, who Dave acknowledged in his brief time on stage as both mentor and friend.

President and general manager Joe Ahern shared conversation with Koppel. Our CBS corporate friend, Angie Kucharski, recently relocated to New York, made it a priority to attend, even though she had been up most of the previous night moving out of her home in Boston. Michele stayed behind in Chicago because of the late stage of her pregnancy. So we all raised a glass at dinner, joined by our big NY boss, Tom Kane, and remembered Michele in the celebration of a job well done. This must be what it is like for Hollywood on Oscars night.

Only –for this celebration - business attire ruled.

The venue was the atrium of the Low Library at Columbia – beautifully understated. And the chairs were comfortable! Aside from a couple of very efficient looking producers who were running here and there with headsets during the program – the mood was dignified and the applause, subdued and polite. Two large video screens showed excerpts from the 13 winning entries –13 out of about 500 submitted for consideration. (We learned that the judging panel is a bit like a fraternity. Once you win a DuPont, down the road you may be asked to help weed out the entries. From my own 29 years in broadcast news, I recognized many of the screeners' names. It is times like this that serve as a reminder that this is a small business).

The Baton Goes To ...

'Silver batons' went to WETA-TV in Washington, DC, for a insightful documentary on what it is like to be deaf ("Through Deaf Eyes"); to Dateline on NBC, for a compelling piece on a young woman who learned the ropes of teaching in an inner city classroom ("The Education of Ms. Groves"); and to KMOV-TV in St. Louis, for a story about problems in a local school district ("Left Behind: The Failure of East St. Louis Schools"). What was most impressive about the KMOV honor is that a general assignment reporter had researched, shot and edited the piece when he could grab the time, proving that you don't always have to devote large resources to turning stories with impact.

Other winners included Chicago Public Radio and reporter Alix Spiegel for story about what it is like to be Muslim in America ("This American Life: Which One of These Is Not Like the Others?"); and independent filmmakers Ricki Stern and Annie Sundberg and broadcast partner HBO, for documenting the struggle of an innocent man accused of murder and rape ("The Trials of Darryl Hunt"). Hunt came on stage and got the single standing ovation of the evening.

Hurricane Katrina continues to haunt our nation, and KNOE-TV in Monroe, Louisiana, earned a DuPont for documenting thefts and other abuses by some members of the Louisiana National Guard in the days following the disaster ("Names, Ranks and Serial Plunder: The National Guard and Katrina). The news director of that small station, Taylor Henry, had reported the story himself, which caused me to pause and wonder if I could possibly take something like that on. I know even though WBBM-TV is in a much bigger city – I would bet he is equally time-starved. The story was depressing, and the results impressive.

Larger stations, like WFAA-TV in Dallas and KHOU-TV in Houston, tackled subjects that most newsrooms would not attempt. KHOU-TV exposed an odd aspect of the Texas criminal system that allows prosecutors in some counties to withhold evidence that could prove the suspect innocent ("Rules of the Game"), and WFAA-TV, an ABC affiliate, reported on the hypocrisy of an NBC television program that leaves the (wrong) impression that internet sex predators are being busted and prosecuted ("Television Justice").

Four stories dealt with the Iraqi war – the final award of the night representing perhaps the most powerful example investigative reporting many of us have seen in a long time: "The Mother of All Heists," produced by 60 Minutes, exposed the theft of hundreds of millions of dollars earmarked for the purchase of modern military equipment in Iraq. Correspondent Steve Kroft, in accepting the award, generously gave credit to the story's two producers, who stood at his side on stage. What a story – like them all, to various degrees – but in this case, even the American government fought making the information public.

We took many pictures afterwards, which I hope to upload onto the website as soon as Dave Savini gets back to Chicago. He stayed for awhile longer to attend a discussion the next morning on three of the projects. Dave gets most credit for "Fly At Your Own Risk" – he sifted through garbage retrieved from dumpsters to collect some of the information we reported on missing O'Hare airport badges. In fact, he joked about it in accepting our award, thanking his wife for putting up with storing the garbage at their home. One tip from a flight attendant led to so many angles, and Dave and Michele kept walking through the doors as they opened, one after another. Congrats to the both of them, along with photographer/editors Mike Klingele, Bond Li and Jerry Pedroza. After this week, we are truly in great company.
--Carol Fowler, Vice President/News Director

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