2004 Nancy Dickerson Whitehead Awards Presenters and Speakers:

Joan Ganz Cooney, Children’s Television Workshop
John Dickerson, Slate
Dan Rather, CBS Evening News

2004 Nancy Dickerson Whitehead Awards Winners:

ABC News & PJ Productions for Peter Jennings Reporting: “Ecstasy Rising,” a documentary on the creation and rising popularity of the drug called Ecstasy and the U.S. Government’s ill-conceived efforts to prevent Ecstasy use by using flawed research and overstating the risks associated with taking the drug. 
(April 1, 2004)

The Post-Star (Glens Falls, NY) for “The Cost of Fun: Stories of Teen Drinking”
A series of articles on the epidemic of underage drinking in the rural community of Washington County, New York, including the impact of alcohol on adolescent development and the underlying reasons for teen drinking. (May 2004)

Fred Schulte, South Florida Sun-Sentinel (Fort Lauderdale, FL) for “Drugging the Poor”
A comprehensive investigative report that uncovered and chronicled the pivotal role of doctors and pharmacists in feeding the growing black market of narcotic prescription drugs in South Florida. (November 30–December 1, 2003)

Special Mention: People Magazine for ongoing coverage of drug and alcohol abuse
A series of articles on substance abuse in the U.S., including: steroid use and abuse among teenage boys; abuse of over-the-counter cold medicine by teenagers; accidents and deaths caused by combining alcohol with recreational boating; and the spread of methamphetamine labs throughout middle America.