The Nancy Dickerson Whitehead Awards for Excellence in Reporting on Drug and Alcohol Problems (1999-2008)
			A pioneer broadcast journalist and an inspiration to a new generation of women reporters, Nancy Dickerson Whitehead reported on many critical social concerns, including the nation's problems with drug and alcohol abuse. Her thoughtful analysis increased public understanding of these complex issues and reflected her own deep commitment to finding more effective answers. Nancy was a strong supporter and founding member of the Board of Drug Strategies, and we will always be grateful for her guidance. Drug Strategies created these awards in 1999 to honor Nancy’s memory and to encourage excellence in reporting on drug and alcohol problems. For ten years, the awards were presented annually to print and broadcast journalists who demonstrated the highest standards of reporting on drug issues. Ten thousand dollars were awarded in each category. The awards were the first in the nation to recognize the importance of improving the quality of media coverage of substance abuse. A distinguished Awards Committee provided overall guidance for the project. Members included Nancy’s friends and colleagues: Marie Brenner, Vanity Fair; Joan Ganz Cooney, Children's Television Workshop; Walter Cronkite, Cronkite/Ward & Company; John Dickerson, journalist; Bill Moyers, Public Affairs TV; Peggy Noonan, Wall Street Journal; Diane Sawyer, ABC TV; Lesley Stahl, 60 Minutes; Mark Whitaker, Newsweek; and Katharine Graham, Washington Post, until her death in 2001. The Awards jury that selected each year’s winners included: Jane Ciabattari, Journalist; Jeanmarie Condon, ABC Nightline; John Dickerson, Slate; Mary Anne Dolan, Editor; Marie Dyak, Entertainment Industries Council; David Earls, Tribeca Film Institute; Mathea Falco, Drug Strategies; Dr. David Lewis, Brown University; Dr. Robert B. Millman, Weill Medical College; Orville Schell, former Dean, UC Berkeley Graduate School of Journalism; Richard Wald, Columbia University; and Michele Willens, Playwright.
			We will not be accepting future submissions for The Nancy Dickerson Whitehead Awards.
			2008 Nancy Dickerson Whitehead Awards Winners:
			Cara Hetland and Tom Robertson, Minnesota Public Radio for “Fetal Alcohol Syndrome: The Invisible Disorder.” A comprehensive radio series on the impact of fetal alcohol syndrome on children and adults who struggle with the condition, and on the educational, judicial, foster care, adoption and substance abuse treatment systems. (September 7 – December 20, 2007) minnesota.publicradio.org/standard/display/ Todd Jarrell, Two Six Inc./WCTE-TV for “Crank: Darkness on the Edge of Town.” A documentary film about methamphetamine’s grip on a small town in Upper Cumberland, Tennessee and efforts to fight it. ( November 6, 2007) toddjarrell.net/crank/ Jim Schaefer and Joe Swickard, Detroit Free Press for “Fatal Euphoria.” A 15-article series documenting fentanyl’s introduction to, popularity in and role in overdose deaths in the Detroit Metropolitan area. (June 24, 2007) freep.com/apps/pbcs.dll/article Nick Miroff, The Washington Post for “A Dark Addiction.” An article examining painkiller use, addiction and treatment in Southwestern Virginia, where the prevalence of coal mining and subsequent injuries have led to epidemic painkiller abuse. (January 13, 2008) washingtonpost.com/wp-dyn/content/story/
			2007 Nancy Dickerson Whitehead Awards Winners:
			HBO for “Addiction.” A documentary film series examining the nature of addiction and our response to it from a variety of perspectives. (March 15, 2007) hbo.com/addiction/ National Public Radio for “The Forgotten War on Drugs.” A comprehensive five-part series examining the status of the United States’ war on drugs on numerous fronts. (April 2 – 6, 2007) npr.org/templates/story/story.php?storyId=9213877 Sean Powers, KBIA Radio (Columbia, MO) for “Drinking on the Quad.” A four-part series about drinking on a college campus, produced by a student at the University of Missouri – Columbia. (August 15 – 18, 2006) drugstrategies.com/awards07/seanpowers.mp3 Scott Finn and Tara Tuckwiller, The Charleston Gazette (Charleston, WV) for “The Killer Cure.” A series of ten investigative articles about methadone’s use as a painkiller and methadone overdose deaths among patients whose doctors prescribed it for pain. (June 4 – December 3, 2006) wvgazette.com/section/Series/The+Killer+Cure/ Lou Michel and Susan Schulman, The Buffalo News for “Jailhouse Highs.” A four-part, ten story investigative series about drug use and addiction among inmates in New York state prisons. (September 17 –20, 2006) drugstrategies.com/awards07/jailhousehighs.pdf
			2006 Nancy Dickerson Whitehead Awards Winners:
			Carl Byker and Mitch Williams, Frontline for “The Meth Epidemic.” A documentary film that provides a uniquely comprehensive look at the history of methamphetamine in the U.S. and the federal government’s response. (February 14, 2006) pbs.org/wgbh/pages/frontline/meth/view/ Francesca Rheannon, WFCR (Amherst, MA) for “Voices of HIV.” A radio series examining the underlying causes, including injection drug use, of the spread of HIV/AIDS in the Latino community in Western Massachusetts. (January 9 – 13, 2006) publicbroadcasting.net/wfcr/news.newsmain?action=section&SECTION_ID=694 Kevin Caufield, News Tribune (LaSalle, IL), “Requiem for Heroin's Victims.” A six-part series of in-depth profiles of six heroin overdose victims in Illinois Valley, where heroin use and addiction is rampant. (August 15 – 20, 2005) newstrib.com/featuredseries/ Angela Garcia, High Country News (Paonia, CO), “Land of Disenchantment.” An immensely personal article examining the roles of poverty and disenfranchisement in creating entrenched heroin addiction among Latinos in the Española Valley in New Mexico. (April 3, 2006) hcn.org/servlets/hcn.Article?article_id=16202
			2005 Nancy Dickerson Whitehead Awards Winners:
			A Steven Okazaki, HBO/Cinemax Documentary Films and Farallon Films for “Rehab” An eye-opening documentary about five young addicts going through rehab at a residential treatment center and their experiences trying to stay clean post-treatment. (April 18, 2005) hbo.com/docs/programs/rehab/index.html Lucinda Dillon Kinkead and Dennis Romboy, Deseret Morning News (Salt Lake City, UT) for “Generation Meth” A comprehensive six-part series examining methamphetamine use among single mothers in Utah and the ramifications on their families and the judicial, child welfare and drug treatment systems. (November 14 - 21, 2004) deseretnews.com/dn/view/0,1249,595104726,00.html Megan Lynch, KMOX Radio (St. Louis, MO) for “Falling Down on Drunk Driving” An in-depth ten-part report on Missouri’s inadequate response to drunk driving and the impact it has had across the state. (September 2004) kmox.com/special/specialarticle.php?id=15142 The Sentinel and Enterprise (Fitchburg, MA) for “Decades of Addiction – Drugs in North Central Massachusetts” A year-long ten-part series on the growing drug problem in the town of Fitchburg, Massachusetts and the intersection between economic downturn, drug addiction and the drug trade and crime. (March 20 - 29, 2005) sentinelandenterprise.com
			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) pjproductions.tv 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) poststar.com 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) sun-sentinel.com 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. people.aol.com
			2003 Nancy Dickerson Whitehead Awards Winners:
			The Sun (Bremerton, WA) for "The Meth Toll" A comprehensive series of articles on the impact of methamphetamine addiction on every aspect of the community in Kitsap County, Washington. (June 2002 - January 2003) meth.thesunlink.com Honorable Mention - Nancy McVicar and Fred Schulte, South Florida Sun-Sentinel (Fort Lauderdale, FL) for "Rx for Death" A series of articles on narcotic prescription drug abuse in south Florida. The series focuses in particular on OxyContin and includes investigations into local doctors who overprescribe and illegally prescribe the drug. (May 12 - 15, 2002) sun-sentinel.com KNXV-TV, ABC 15 Investigators (Phoenix, AZ) for "Costly High" and "Over the Counter High" Two news stories on how teenagers use commonplace household products to get high - whipped cream chargers (Whip-Its) and over-the-counter cold medications containing Dextromethorphan - and the devastating impact of this activity. (May 21, 2003 and July 23, 2002) abc15.com Special Mention - BET.COM for "Crack: Up in Smoke" A multi-part series that provides an in-depth look at crack cocaine in the African American community. The series covers the introduction of crack into the African American community, the impact on the criminal justice system and the impact on Black popular culture. (November 25, 2002) bet.com
			2002 Nancy Dickerson Whitehead Awards Winners:
			Laurence Hammack, The Roanoke Times (Virginia) for "Oxycontin: When a Painkiller Kills" A three-part series that examines how Oxycontin has both helped and harmed people in the largely rural state of Virginia and the response of the drug's manufacturer and the legislature to the illegal spread of Oxycontin (June 2001 - March 2002) roanoke.com Times Union (Albany, New York) for "Last Call: The Underage Drinking Life" A multi-part series on alcohol abuse and underage drinking, with a special supplement on drinking responsibly for college students (August 2001- December 2001) timesunion.com First Place - NPR's Justice Talking and the Annenberg Public Policy Center at the University of Pennsylvania for "Directing America's Drug War: Which Way to a Safer Society?" A report on the "drug wars," followed by a debate between DEA chief Asa Hutchinson and New Mexico Governor Gary Johnson about the future direction of America's war on drugs (November 12, 2001) justicetalking.org Second Place - One Voice: Media United Against Drugs (KMTR-TV, KVAL-TV, KLSR-TV, KEVU-TV in Springfield, Oregon) for "Connecting With Kids: What You Need To Know" A locally-produced, collaborative program on teens and drugs and alcohol use that includes family profiles, experts and tips for helping parents deal with talking to their kids about drugs and alcohol (January 20, 2002) mediaunited.org
			2001 Nancy Dickerson Whitehead Awards Winners:
			The Sacramento Bee, The Fresno Bee and The Modesto Bee of The McClatchy Company for "A Madness Called Meth" A comprehensive, multi-part series that explores the epidemic of methamphetamine production, distribution and use in California and law enforcement efforts to stop distribution (October 8, 2000) valleymeth.com The Spokesman-Review (Spokane, WA) for "Amber Struggles to Shake Drug's Hold" (June 4, 2000) and "An Infinite Love" (June 11, 2000) Two articles that report on the human toll exacted by substance abuse. The first article chronicles a woman's addiction to methamphetamine, its physical and psychological impact on her and the ways that the drug has shaped her life. The second tells the story of a family struggling to cope with caring for an adoptive son born with fetal alcohol syndrome. spokesmanreview.com Martin Smith, Series Producer and Lowell Bergman, Series Reporter, WGBH-Frontline, Cambay Productions, Rain Media for "Drug Wars" A two-part series that provides the most comprehensive television history to date of the United States' 30-year war on drugs (October 9 - 10, 2000) pbs.org
			2001 Honorable Mention:
			Lai Ling Jew, Dateline NBC for "All the Rave?" An expose of the use of all-night parties known as "raves" to distribute the drug Ecstasy (May 2, 2000) nbc.com
			2000 Nancy Dickerson Whitehead Awards Winners:
			Barbara Ferry and Abel Uribe, The Santa Fe New Mexican for "Heroin: The Damage Done" A multi-part series that exposes the epidemic of heroin use in the poor rural area of Northern New Mexico (June 13, 1999) santafenewmexican.com Eric Newhouse, The Great Falls Tribune (Montana) for "Alcohol: Cradle to the Grave" A year-long series that lays bare the devastating impact of alcoholism on families and communities in Montana (January to December 1999) gannett.com Ted Koppel and producers Jay LaMonica, Mark Nelson and Gill Parker, ABC News Nightline for "Crime and Punishment: Women In Prison Series" A six-part series that explores women's life behind bars, the widespread drug problems facing these inmates, and the system's failure to provide adequate drug treatment (October to November, 1999) abcnews.go.com
			1999 Nancy Dickerson Whitehead Awards Winners:
			Timothy Egan, New York Times for "Crack's Legacy" A two-part series that explores the crack epidemic's lingering impact on communities, prisons and families, and that assesses the nation's drug laws in the wake of this epidemic (February 28 and 29, 1999) nytimes.com Matthew Schofield, Kansas City Star for "A Meth Diary" A multi-part series that uses one woman's descent into an addiction to methamphetamines as a lens on the drug's grave impact on the entire Kansas City community kcstar.com Carol Marin, Don Moseley, Susan Evans, WBBM-TV (CBS Chicago) for "Hooked On Heroin" A two-part series that explores the dimensions of the growing problem of heroin use among teenagers in the Chicago suburbs and that identifies promising community solutions to address this emerging crisis (November 1998) cbs2chicago.com Allison Zigich, Jefferson Public Radio (Ashland, Oregon) for "Victim's Impact" A piece that uses the voices and stories of survivors of drunk driving accidents to educate listeners about the devastating effects of driving under the influence (December 29, 1997) jeffnet.org
			1999 Honorable Mentions:
			Tim Golden, New York Times for "Mexican Drug Corruption" (June - December, 1998) nytimes.com Polly Saltonstall, New Bedford Times (Massachusetts) for "Rush to Nowhere: Heroin, Cocaine and Community" s-t.com