UW News

February 23, 2005

New journalism awards to honor broadcast reporting on victims of violence

The first major awards for excellence in radio and television reporting on victims of violence will be launched in 2006 and 2007, the Dart Center for Journalism and Trauma announced today.

The center will present the first Dart Award for Radio News in 2006. The $10,000 prize will honor the best single or series feature, report or documentary broadcast in 2005.

The first $10,000 Dart Award for Television News will be given in 2007 to a single or series feature, report or documentary broadcast or cablecast in 2006.

The awards are open to U.S. radio and TV networks, stations and cable services.

“These radio and TV news awards continue a 12-year tradition of honoring newspapers for excellence in reporting on victims of violence,” said Roger Simpson, executive director of the Dart Center and a University of Washington associate professor of communication.

Judges of the Dart Awards look for entries that go beyond the ordinary to portray victims and survivors with accuracy, insight and sensitivity, Simpson said, and to inform the public about ways individuals react to and cope with emotional trauma.

Entries for the Dart Award for Radio News will be accepted in January. Details will be posted on the center’s Web site (www.dartcenter.org) in May.

This year’s Dart Award for Excellence in Newspaper Reporting on Victims of Violence will be announced in early March and awarded on April 15 at the UW, following a conference on “Tsunami Aftermath: Consequences for Journalism and Reporting from the Region.”

The 2004 Dart Award was presented to The Providence Journal for “Rape in a Small Town,” a story on the effects of the rape of a teenager on a small Rhode Island community.

The Dart Center for Journalism and Trauma is a global network of journalists, educators and health professionals dedicated to improving media coverage of trauma, conflict and tragedy.

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For more information, contact Dart Center administrator Meg Spratt at (206) 616-3223 or mspratt@u.washington.edu. The Web address is www.dartcenter.org