It was wonderful to learn yesterday that two of our freelance friends won Peabody Awards for their radio documentaries. Deborah George, who will edit the Hunger Chronicles series, was editor for “The Great Textbook War,” independent producer Trey Kay’s hour-long program about a 1974 battle over textbook content in West Virginia. The Peabody committee called the documentary “thoughtful, balanced and gripping.”
Nancy Solomon’s hour-long documentary “Mind the Gap: Why Good Schools Are Failing Black Students” also won a Peabody this year. The committee said Nancy, an independent producer with a long public radio pedigree, “exhibited great empathy for the students and teachers at the suburban New Jersey high school she studied, meanwhile asking tough, necessary questions.” That was our impression, too.
The Peabody Awards “recognize distinguished achievement and meritorious public service by TV and radio stations, networks, producing organizations, individuals and the World Wide Web. The awards program… is the oldest, most prestigious honor in electronic media.” Other public radio winners were NPR.org, Oregon Public Broadcasting, NPR reporter Soraya Sarhaddi Nelson and talk show host Diane Rehm. Congratulations to all!