Announcing the 2022 duPont-Columbia Awards Finalists
See our 2022 Finalists page for more information.
Columbia Journalism School announced the 30 finalists of the 2022 Alfred I. duPont-Columbia University Awards today. The duPont finalists featured public service reporting across platforms from the ongoing critical coverage of the coronavirus pandemic, to the January 6th attack on the Capitol, policing in America, and racial inequities, among other topics. It is the second year that the duPont-Columbia Awards have recognized finalists for the silver baton.
“This fearless coverage - embedding in Covid wards; slipping behind borders in war-torn Yemen; taking on local police departments for their civil rights violations - exemplifies the dedication of these finalists, many of whom took great risks to inform the public,” said Lisa R. Cohen, Director of the duPont-Columbia Awards.
The winners will be announced at a virtual ceremony in February 2022. To learn more about this year’s finalists, visit our 2022 Finalists page.
“From a resurgent pandemic to a Capitol insurrection and other stark reminders of the ongoing threats to our health, environment and democracy, this was another year when good journalism mattered more than ever,” said Mark Whitaker, duPont Jury Chair, author and former CNN & Newsweek executive. “These duPont finalists rose to the occasion with work that was powerful, moving and in the finest tradition of reporting in the public interest.”
PBS leads the list with eight finalists, including three for FRONTLINE, two for American Documentary and one for NOVA. CBS Evening News with Norah O’Donnell is a finalist for her team’s ongoing investigation of sexual assault in the military. The New York Times has three entries on the finalist list - two forensic investigations and one podcast from Serial.
A total of seven podcasts are on the finalist list, some of which also aired on the radio. These include a podcast from Apple - their first time being honored by duPont - for a Jigsaw production. Another first time podcast honoree comes from the Center for Public Integrity. Podcast partnerships flourished, from WNYC Studios and The History Channel; Reveal from the CIR, PRX, Missouri Independent, and The St. Louis American; NPR, Planet Money, FRONTLINE on PBS; and Stitcher Media, PRX with 99% Invisible.
Thirteen feature documentaries and docu-series from Amazon, HBO, MTV, Netflix, PBS, WORLD Channel, and Vice News were named finalists. Amazon is a first time duPont honoree.
Seven local television stations are finalists for extensive investigations, four of which focused on police misconduct. The seven stations are ABC 15 Arizona, KARE-11 from Minneapolis and St. Paul; KUSA 9News Denver; KXTV Sacramento; NBC Bay Area (KNTV); Chicago’s WBBM-TV; and WVUE-TV in New Orleans.
Founded in 1942, the duPont-Columbia Awards uphold the highest standards in journalism by honoring winners annually, informing the public about those journalists' contributions and supporting journalism education and innovation.
The members of the 2022 duPont-Columbia jury are: Mark Whitaker (Jury Chair); Nina Alvarez; David Bauder; Andy Bowers; Ann Cooper; Pamela Hogan; Lee Kamlet; Shelagh Leahy and Geraldine Moriba.