Dart Society

Kristen Lombardi wins Society of Environmental Journalists' prize

Society of Environmental Journalists

Kristen Lombardi, a 2003 Dart Center Ochberg fellow, has won the Society of Environmental Journalists 8th Annual Award for outstanding online reporting. The project, published by the Center for Public Integrity, "explored the broader implications of coal ash befouling water and habitat around the nation. Lombardi looked at the failure of government to crack down on this pollution and at how the industry has been much more effective in working the levers of government than reworking its own practices to protect its neighbors and neighboring landscape. In an age of increasingly shallow reports dominating the Internet, it’s refreshing—and vital—to see a package so richly reported and explained in such an engaging and detailed way. The interactive document library, podcast, map and video add richness to the presentation in ways that demonstrate the power of the online medium."

2008 Fellow Moni Basu gets top honor from Religion Newswriters Association

Religion Newswriters Association

Moni Basu, a former Atlanta Journal-Constitution reporter who is now a news editor at CNN, has been named the Religion Reporter of the Year by the Religion Newswriters Association for her series, "Chaplain Turner's War."

Basu's series chronicles a military chaplain's service to his country from Baghdad to Walter Reed Army Hospital in Washington. RNA judges said the series "…had credibility and authenticity because the writer, in the best tradition of unblinking reporting, told her readers what she witnessed firsthand."

Dart Society President Scott North wins Pacific Northwest journalism prize

The Herald

Dart Society President Scott North of the Everett Herald has won first-place features writing honors in the 2009 C.B. Blethen Memorial Awards for distinguished newspaper reporting. The prize was given for his series, "A Truth Beyond," which reported the 2002 death of Mylo Harvey after a struggle with Everett, Wash., police and what that tragedy can teach about family, loss and the ability to endure.

North and his colleague, education reporter Eric Stevick, won second-place honors in investigative reporting for their work that revealed the costs and other details of Everett School District's investigation of a teacher that involved the use of secretly videotaping her classroom. North and the entire Herald staff also won a second-place Blethen award for breaking news coverage of last autumn's floods. 

David Handschuh talks trauma at photography fest

Poynter.org

It doesn't take a catastrophe like the 2001 terrorist attacks to trigger a crisis, (1999 Ochberg fellow) David Handschuh said a photojournalism conference in St. Petersburg, Fla., this fall. Even journalists covering breaking news like fires, shootings and traffic crashes can undergo emotional turmoil.

"You guys out there in the trenches have a really high potential to be exposed to a cumulative effect of seeing really bad things," Handschuh said, addressing an annual conference of photographers called GeekFest.

"Breaking News, Breaking Down" wins Indie Fest award

The Indie Fest

Mike Walter, a 2005 Dart Center Ochberg Fellow and vice-president of The Dart Society, has won an Award of Merit from The Indie Fest. The award was given for Walter’s landmark documentary, "Breaking News, Breaking Down," which has caught the eye of audiences worldwide with its exceptional tale of how journalists can be emotionally impacted by their work.

"This is an amazing accomplishment, and it really shows what a difference this film is making in relating how journalists can be impacted by the stories they tell," said Walter, who wrote and directed the film. "This is a tremendous honor given the level of competition for this award."

The Indie Fest recognizes film professionals who demonstrate exceptional achievement in craft and creativity, and those who produce standout entertainment or contribute to profound social change. Information about the Indie Fest and a list of recent winners can be found at the Indie Fest website.

Moni Basu wins award for "Chaplain Turner's War"

Asian American Journalists Association

Former Atlanta Journal-Constitution reporter Moni Basu, a member of the 2008 Ochberg Fellowship, is a winner of the Asian American Journalists Association awards for her story, "Chaplain Turner's War." The awards will be presented in Boston Aug. 15 and demonstrate the ability of journalists to cover the news with authority, sensitivity, insight and an eye toward diversity. Moni was born in Kolkata, India, and is currently an editor at CNN.

Ron Haviv's images of Haiti and Congo part of humanitarian campaign

ICRC/VII Photo

On 8 May, the International Red Cross and Red Crescent Movement (ICRC) together with the VII Photo agency launched a worldwide campaign to raise awareness of today’s most pressing humanitarian challenges. As part of the campaign, which marks the 150th anniversary of the Red Cross, the ICRC sent 2004 Ochberg fellow Ron Haviv and four other award-winning photographers from VII to eight conflict-affected countries to examine up-close the suffering caused by war and violence.

Jim MacMillan describes occupational hazards of covering trauma

Sunday Star Times of New Zealand

Jim MacMillan, a Philly-based 2007 Ochberg Fellow, is currently in New Zealand giving lectures about Journalism and Trauma, thanks to a grant from the Dart Foundation through the Media Innovations fund administered by Frank Ochberg, M.D., and the Dart Society. He is the guest of 2008 fellow Jon Stephenson. This article was published in New Zealand's leading national newspaper, The Sunday Star Times.

Moni Basu takes buyout from AJC with a heavy heart

Like The Dew

Moni Basu, an Ochberg Fellow and a combat journalist from India, took a buyout from the AJC after nearly 19 years there. Anna Dolianitis profiles her in the journal of Southern culture and politics.

Scott North's investigation shows importance of oversight

The Herald

The story about a high-profile nonprofit in Washington describes blurred boundaries between the founders' personal lives and operations of the nonprofit corporation they helped establish. It's about strained relationships that the charity has with a number of officials in the region who enforce animal protection laws. And it's about fundraising efforts that in 2007 alone brought in more than $2 million.