WRAL Documentary “The Journey Alone” recognized for excellence in journalism
Columbia University’s Graduate School of Journalism has honored WRAL News with the Alfred I. duPont-Columbia Award for the documentary “The Journey Alone” about the surge in illegal immigration of unaccompanied minors from Mexico.
Columbia University’s Graduate School of Journalism has honored WRAL News with one of the most prestigious prizes in journalism: The Alfred I. duPont-Columbia Award. WRAL received the honor for the documentary “The Journey Alone” about the surge in illegal immigration of unaccompanied minors from Mexico.
For the documentary, WRAL News reporter Leyla Santiago and photojournalist Zac Gooch traveled to the Rio Grande Valley where more than 52,000 children crossed the border alone. The journalists traced the path of the children and investigated how the crisis impacted North Carolina.
According to the award announcement, “The program is well-shot and well-paced, and expertly tackled a humanitarian and political issue of both national and local importance.”
“We knew this was a building, national story that had significant implications for North Carolina,” said WRAL News Director Rick Gall. “Leyla and Zac did an amazing job in Texas and back here, capturing the many layers and perspectives surrounding children crossing alone into the U.S.”
WRAL-TV’s Leyla Santiago reporting from the Texas-Mexico border for ‘The Journey Inside’.
“The Journey Alone” is one example of the WRAL News commitment to telling stories that are important to viewers while maintaining the highest journalistic standards in broadcast, documentary and digital.
“At the core of what we do is to inform, enlighten and educate our viewers,” said WRAL-TV Vice President and General Manager Steven D. Hammel. “I am pleased the judges recognized the excellent journalism of our Team. Our viewers expect this quality and we strive to deliver it daily.”
See the robust online presentation of the story, including the full “The Journey Alone” documentary: http://www.wral.com/13857882/
Follow on Twitter: @WRAL @WRALdoc @leylasantiago #duPont2016
The duPont Awards ceremony will be January 19, 2016 at Columbia University’s Low Memorial Library in New York, NY.
Thanks to WRAL-TV’s Debbie Tullos for this capcom story & to WRAL.com for these capcom photos.
