Dart Society

Barton wins IRE Award; Kelly Lowenstein named a finalist

IRE

Two Dart Center Ochberg Fellows were on the list of IRE's annual awardees representing the best in investigative journalism. 

Gina Barton ('00) and her colleagues at the Milwaukee Journal Sentinel won IRE's top prize in all media for breaking news investigations. The winning work explored the Wisconsin criminal justice system's mishandling of DNA evidence that could've led to an earlier conviction of a serial killer. One of the stories is here.

Jeff Kelly Lowenstein ('08) was a finalist in IRE's magazine/specialty publication category for the work he and his Chicago Reporter colleagues did investigating the hardships faced by black seniors obtaining quality care in Illinois nursing homes.

Dart Center Ochberg Fellows receive Oakes Award distinctions

Columbia University Graduate School of Journalism

Dart Center Ochberg Fellows Kristen Lombardi ('03) and Kelly Kennedy ('08) each received certificates of merit by judges of The John B. Oakes Award, which recognizes excellence in environmental journalism. The 2009 award, administered through the Columbia University Graduate School of Journalism, was given to USA Today for its coverage of the effects of smokestack pollution around America's schools.

Lombardi, a writer for the Center for Public Integrity, was recognized for “The Hidden Cost of ‘Clean Coal,” which detailed how longwall mining, which yielded 176 million tons of coal in 2007, can have brutal social and environmental consequences. Kennedy, of Military Times, was recognized for courage in breaking news and for following up with a compelling series of more than two dozen stories about the health threats to troops who are exposed to war-zone burn pits.

Cullen's 'Columbine' Nominated for Edgar Award

The Edgars

2002 Dart Center Ochberg Fellow Dave Cullen's 'Columbine' has been nominated for an Edgar, the top literary prize for mystery and crime. This is the latest in a slew of awards for the work, including Best Education Book of 2009 by the American School Board Journal and the Goodreads Choice Award for Best Nonfiction Book of 2009. "Columbine" landed on 25 Best of 2009 lists, including those of the New York Times, Publisher's Weekly, the American Library Association, the Los Angeles Times, Entertainment Weekly, Salon, and Audible.com. It was No. 1 on iTunes. 

Dart Society featured in Nieman Reports

Nieman Reports

Last February many in the Dart community gathered at Harvard to participate in the Nieman Aftermath conference. Discussions from the excellent program are featured in the new Nieman Reports, as is an essay by 2005 fellow Mike Walter on reaction to his documentary, "Breaking News, Breaking Down," and insight from 2004 fellow Gary Tippet on navigating the emotional landscape of trauma reporting. The new issue, released today, features commentary from fellows Miles Moffeit, Arnessa Garrett, Paul McEnroe, Donna DeCesare, Seamus Kelters, Loi Grinker, Ruth Teichroeb, Julia Lieblich, Moni Basu, and Scott North; Dart Center Executive Director Bruce Shapiro; Dart Award winner Rachel Dissell; psychologists Elana Newman and Jack Saul; and psychiatrist and author Jonathan Shay.

Joe Rodriguez: "Photography saved my life"

BBC News

2003 Fellow Joe Rodriguez uses his own prison experiences to document ex-inmates trying to readjust to life outside prison. His new body of work, "Reentry in Los Angeles," can be viewed on his website, www.josephrodriguezphotography.com or by clicking here.

Kristen Lombardi investigates handling of rape on college campuses

Center for Public Integrity

Kristen Lombardi, a 2003 Ochberg fellow with the Center for Public Integrity, spent nine months investigating campus sex-assault adjudications. This is a project funded with a significant contribution from the Dart Society through a Media Innovations grant, but it also involved a lot of meaningful input and exchange with Kristen from people in the Dart community.

DeCesare helps aspiring Chinese photojournalists

Cheung Kong School of Journalism & Communication

Donna DeCesare, a 2003 fellow who teaches photography and photojournalism at the University of Texas at Austin, traveled to the Sichuan Province this summer to conduct a workshop in the aftermath of the 8.0-magnitude Wenchuan earthquake in May 2008. Her advice: "Be responsible, skillfull, and work fast." Google China sponsored equipment for the AfterQuake workshop, which was presented by the Cheung Kong School of Journalism & Communication.

NYT's Lens blog profiles Joe Rodriguez

The New York Times Lens Blog

2003 Dart Center Ochberg Fellow Joe Rodriguez talks about his work documenting life in poor communities as an insider focusing on what he describes as "the quiet violence of letting families fall apart, the violence of segregation and isolation."

2008 Fellow Christina Lamb wins war correspondents' prize

Prix Bayeux-Calvados

Christina Lamb of The Sunday Times has won the Prix Bayeux-Calvados for her work covering Afghanistan. The British war reporter, now the Times' correspondent in Washington, D.C., is the author of several books, most recently, "Small Wars Permitting: Dispatches From Foreign Lands." The prestigious European award, given in four categories, "is a tribute to journalists working out in the field, those who take risks to act as our witnesses and improve our understanding." Lamb has reported from Afghanistan for 20 years.

2008 Fellow John Moore heads to Eddie Adams Workshop

Eddie Adams Workshop

Getty Images senior staff photographer John Moore is a team leader at the 2009 Eddie Adams Barnstorm XXII Workshop Oct. 9-12 in Jeffersonville, N.Y. The Robert Capa Gold Medal-winning photographer will shoot alongside students and offer advice and feedback during the tuition-free workshop founded by Adams 22 years ago.

John recently was on the faculty at the Photography at the Summit workshop in Jackson Hole, Wyo.