FRONTLINE, NOVA and WORLD CHANNEL among “Best of Journalism” finalists

BOSTON – (November 4, 2021) Boston-based public media producer GBH has been honored with five 2022 Alfred I. duPont-Columbia Award nominations for outstanding journalism. FRONTLINE’s American Insurrection, COVID’s Hidden Toll and Waste Land; NOVA’s Human Nature; and WORLD CHANNEL’s Meltdown in Dixie were among 30 finalists recognized for public service reporting.

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 relentless pace of the news cycle leaves little time for audiences to process the complex stories shaping the world around us. Yet GBH filmmakers and journalists continue to create programs that take a deeper dive into the issues, from the rise of far-right extremism to the ethics of gene-editing,” said GBH President and CEO Jon Abbott. “We’re grateful to the duPont-Columbia Awards for acknowledging the timely reporting coming from our teams in Boston and around the world.”

This is the second consecutive year for both NOVA and FRONTLINE to earn back-to-back duPont-Columbia nominations. Also, AMERICAN EXPERIENCE Executive Producer Cameo George was a producer for another nominated film, Crack: Cocaine, Corruption and Conspiracy by Netflix and Firelight Films.

GBH’s 2022 duPont-Columbia Award nominations are:

FRONTLINE’s American Insurrection
In the aftermath of the Jan. 6 assault on the U.S. Capitol, FRONTLINE, ProPublica and Berkeley Journalism’s Investigative Reporting Program teamed up to examine how far-right extremist groups evolved in the wake of the deadly 2017 Charlottesville rally — and the threat they pose today.

FRONTLINE’s COVID’s Hidden Toll
FRONTLINE examined how the COVID crisis has hit vulnerable immigrants and undocumented workers. The documentary follows the coronavirus pandemic’s invisible victims, including crucial farm and meat-packing workers who lack protections and have been getting sick.

FRONTLINE’s Waste Land
It doesn't make sense economically and, heartbreakingly, even environmentally to recycle plastic. But if recycling most plastic is not working now — and if it didn't work 30 years ago when the numbers and arrows first popped up — did it ever work? And why did it take us so long to learn the truth? NPR reporter Laura Sullivan, with the support of PBS's FRONTLINE, set out to find out who is responsible.

NOVA’s Human Nature
With an extraordinary new technology called CRISPR, we can now edit DNA—including human DNA. But how far should we go? Gene-editing promises to eliminate certain genetic disorders like sickle cell disease. But the applications quickly raise ethical questions. Is it wrong to engineer soldiers to feel no pain, or to resurrect an extinct species? This NOVA and The Wonder Collaborative science documentary skillfully explains the CRISPR technology that is allowing scientists to alter DNA, using real-world examples.

WORLD Channel’s Meltdown in Dixie from America ReFramed
In rural Orangeburg, SC, in the wake of the Charleston Massacre, a battle erupts between the Sons of Confederate Veterans and an ice cream shop owner forced to fly the Confederate flag in his parking lot. With unusual access to both sides of the fight, this documentary used the angst of one small town grappling with its Confederate legacy to viscerally evoke the complexity of confronting 400 years of white supremacy.

About GBH
GBH is the leading multiplatform creator for public media in America. As the largest producer of content for PBS and partner to NPR and PRX, GBH delivers compelling experiences, stories and information to audiences wherever they are. GBH produces digital and broadcast programming that engages, illuminates and inspires, through drama and science, history, arts, culture and journalism. It is the creator of such signature programs as MASTERPIECE, ANTIQUES ROADSHOW, FRONTLINE, NOVA, AMERICAN EXPERIENCE, Arthur and Molly of Denali and a catalog of streaming series, podcasts and on-demand video. GBH’s television channels include GBH 2, GBH 44, GBH Kids and national services WORLD and Create. With studios and a newsroom headquartered in Boston, GBH reaches across New England with GBH 89.7, Boston’s Local NPR; CRB Classical 99.5; and CAI, the Cape and Islands NPR station. Dedicated to making media accessible to and inclusive of our diverse culture, GBH is a pioneer in delivering media to those who are deaf, hard of hearing, blind and visually impaired. GBH creates curriculum-based digital content for educators nationwide with PBS LearningMedia and has been recognized with hundreds of the nation’s premier broadcast, digital and journalism awards. Find more information at gbh.org.