Large Newspaper: Circulation of 100,000 or more

Carl Zimmer, freelance writer

Published in The New York Times

"Evolution Right Under Our Noses" 26 July 2011

"A Sharp Rise in Retractions Prompts a Call for Reform" 17 April 2012

"Tending the Body's Microbial Garden" 19 June 2012

Carl Zimmer

The judges praised ZimmerÕs entry as an example of sustained excellence in reporting on a range of science topics. His story about evolution at work on organisms living in and around New York CityÑfrom white-footed mice in an urban park to native ants to fish in the Hudson RiverÑwas a "surprising, intriguing, and amusing look at science in unexpected places," said contest judge Laura Helmuth, science editor for the online magazine Slate. Robert Lee Hotz, a science writer for The Wall Street Journal, said ZimmerÕs reporting on urban evolution and on the microbes that exist on and in the human body "makes us see the world with new eyes." At the same time, Hotz added, Zimmer "does not shy from exposing the shortcomings and frauds of science, as retractions and examples of misconduct become more numerous."

 

Small newspaper: Circulation less than 100,000

The judges declined to give an award in the small newspaper category this year.

 

Magazine

Michelle Nijhuis, freelance writer

Published in Smithsonian magazine

"Crisis in the Caves"

July/August 2011

Michelle Nijhuis

Nijhuis donned a protective suit and went underground to observe both bats and biologists as she reported on white-nose syndrome, a fast-moving fungal disease that has killed more than a million cave-dwelling bats in the northeastern United States and is threatening to spread across the continent. The judges noted the scope of the Nijhuis story, which provided an in-depth look at an issue that has been emerging since 2007 when the disease was first discovered in bats behaving oddly in upstate New York. Andrew Revkin, a senior fellow at Pace University and Dot Earth blogger for The New York Times, called the story a "deep, detailed, and disturbing dive into the mysterious outbreak devastating bats in North America." Nancy Shute, a freelance science writer and immediate past president of the National Association of Science Writers, said the piece showed "terrific field reporting, lyrical writing, and compassion for the struggles of scientists in the face of the unknown." Nijhuis, a previous winner in 2006 in the small newspaper category, noted that bats are "about as far from Ôcharismatic megafaunaÕ as you can get." The challenge of the story, she said, was to demystify the creatures and make their "very real plight interesting and appealing" to a general audience. "The scientists in the story, who were passionate about bats and about solving the problems at hand, helped me to do that," she said. Note: Revkin recused himself in the judging for the Zimmer entry.

Spot News/Feature Reporting (20 minutes or less)

Sheraz Sadiq

KQED QUEST (San Francisco)

"Hetch Hetchy Aqueduct: Big Fixes for Big Quakes"

9 November 2011

Sheraz Sadiq

Much of the Hetch Hetchy water delivery system for the San Francisco Bay Area was built in the 1920s and 1930s with riveted steel pipes that donÕt perform well during earthquakes. At a cost of $4.6 billion, the San Francisco Public Utilities Commission has been installing new pipes and employing state-of-the-art engineering elements. In a solid mix of historical footage and on-the-scene reporting, with an appreciation for the challenges involved, KQEDÕs Sheraz Sadiq explained the engineering steps being undertaken to protect the Bay AreaÕs water supply. Guy Gugliotta, a freelance science writer who helped judge the contest, called the KQED broadcast "a comprehensive look at the vulnerability of the water supply in the San Francisco Bay Area Ñ something that should concern every resident." He praised the "fascinating use of historical footage, outstanding engineering footage, and graphics" to tell the tale. "My editors and I knew from the outset that this would be a difficult story to tell," Sadiq said. "It would need to cover the controversial history of Hetch Hetchy, explain how the current water system works and the complex, innovative work underway to keep the water flowing in the event of a major earthquake in the Bay Area."

In-Depth Reporting (more than 20 minutes)

Sarah Holt and Laurie Donnelly

WGBH/NOVA

"Cracking Your Genetic Code" 28 March 2012

Sarah Holt and Laurie Donnelly

"Cracking Your Genetic Code" told about the emerging field of personalized medicine through the eyes of real people, including a cancer patient who appears to have cheated death and a cystic fibrosis sufferer breathing easily because scientists have been able to pinpoint and neutralize genetic abnormalities. But the program noted that in a new field, success and failure often intermix. It told of the frustrating and so-far unsuccessful hunt for genetic clues to an illness that has caused a bubbly 5-year-old to suffer multiple strokes. The program also discussed the moral dilemmas raised by the new era of genetic self-knowledge: Will it help or hurt us to know the diseases that may lie in our future, particularly if no treatments are now available? And what happens if such information falls into the hands of insurance companies, employers or prospective mates? Janet Raloff, senior editor at Science News, said the NOVA program is "an example of probing, first-rate journalism. Compelling story lines kept you engaged from beginning to end." Steve Burns, an independent TV producer with long experience in science programming, said the broadcast is "full of great journalistic storytelling on a topic important and relevant to each of us." Holt, like Zimmer in the print category, also becomes a three-time winner. She previously won awards for TV in 2002 and 2010. "Personalized medicine will soon be coming to a doctorÕs office near you," Donnelly said, "and we will all need to be able to critically assess the ethical issues it raises, along with its potential benefits." The winning program was produced in association with The Hastings Center, a nonprofit bioethics research institute.

Large Newspaper—Circulation of 100,000 or more

Mark Johnson and Kathleen Gallagher

Mark Johnson and Kathleen Gallagher

Milwaukee Journal Sentinel

“One in a Billion: A Boy’s Life, A Medical Mystery” (series)

19, 22, 26 December 2010

Johnson and Gallagher told about the use of DNA gene sequencing methods to reveal the entire genetic script of a sick child in hopes of finding clues to the cause of his debilitating disease. A small team of scientists sifted through more than 16,000 variations in the boy’s genetic script to find a single mutation on his X chromosome that proved to be the cause of the baffling illness in his gut. The reporters described both the promise and the limitations of genetic technology. The boy received a cord blood transplant to treat a rare immune system disorder from which he also suffers, but it is unclear what the transplant will mean for the illness that ravaged his intestine. Hotz of The Wall Street Journal said the winners “have set the standard for 21st century science writing” with their complex and nuanced story.

Small Newspaper—Circulation less than 100,000

Christine Peterson, Kerry Huller and Wes Watson

Christine Peterson, Kerry Huller, Wes Watson

Casper Star-Tribune (Wyoming)

“On Thinning Ice: A look at Wind River Range’s shrinking glaciers” (series)

23-25 January 2011

Peterson and her colleagues looked at the work of local Wyoming scientists who have been studying the glacier ecosystem of the Wind River Range, including how microbes have been adapting to climate changes in the high-altitude environment, the concerns of ranchers who worry that receding glaciers will decrease late-season water flow in the streams they use to irrigate, and the possible impact of glacier melt and altered ecosystems on the region’s blue-ribbon fisheries and game herds. Peterson, who said she was honored to receive the award, noted that “very little is known about the Wind River glaciers compared to many other glacial complexes, mostly because of their remote location.” She and photographer Kerry Huller joined two Wyoming scientists who have trudged up the mountains for decades to keep an eye on the glaciers and study the likely impact on their retreat.

Magazine

Adam Rogers

Adam Rogers

Wired

“The Angels’ Share”

June 2011

Why is the town around a Canadian whiskey warehouse coated with a strange black fungus? Rogers explored some of the mysteries of microbiology in an unusual locale and took readers on an engaging, lively journey of exploration. “The story skillfully slips the spinach of science into the reader as smoothly as a shot of fine whiskey,” said science reporter Dan Vergano of USA Today. Laura Helmuth, a senior editor for Smithsonian magazine, called it “a charming story—unexpected, vivid, dramatic.” She added that Rogers “deftly explains the relevant history, chemistry, evolutionary biology, taxonomy, and mycology.” Rogers said he became fascinated with what makes a fungus grow outside distillery warehouses. “And then it turned out that a scientist-detective was looking into the mystery, and he was in love with it,” Rogers said. “I think that kind of passion always makes for a good story.”

Spot News/Feature Reporting (20 minutes or less)

Rachel Silverman, Craig Miller, Lindsay Kelliher, Linda Peckham, Amy Miller and Paul Rogers

Rachel Silverman, Craig Miller, Lindsay Kelliher, Linda Peckham, Amy Miller, Paul Rogers

KQED QUEST/Climate Watch (San Francisco)

“Going Up: Sea Level Rise in San Francisco Bay”

31 August 2010

Along with the rest of the world’s oceans and estuaries, San Francisco Bay is rising. The changes are slow and barely perceptible, but even the most optimistic estimates about how high and how quickly this rise will occur suggest potentially significant problems for the region. “Sea level rise is one of those issues that seems far away for the public,” said Paul Rogers, managing editor for QUEST. “It’s also been clouded by huge amounts of misinformation and political spin. We wanted to show that scientists have documented that it’s already happening, and that it is going to have direct effects on the Bay Area and other coastal communities which will cost billions of dollars in the decades ahead.” Kathy Sawyer, a freelance science writer formerly with The Washington Post, said the entry was “a nicely executed zoom-in from a global perspective to a regional close-up of the encroaching seas.”

In-Depth Reporting (More than 20 minutes)
(Two winning entries)

Richard Burke-Ward, Robert Strange, Callum Macrae, Stuart Carter and Howard Swartz

Richard Burke-Ward, Robert Strange, Callum Macrae, Stuart Carter, Howard Swartz

WGBH/NOVA

“Japan’s Killer Quake”

30 March 2011

In a gripping account of the aftermath of the 11 March 2011 earthquake and tsunami in Japan, the broadcast team looked at the impact of the disaster and the search for answers by scientists in the field. Harris said that the producers “moved with astonishing speed to tell the story of a still-unfolding disaster.” Richard Hudson, director of science production for Twin Cities Public Television, said the program used “breathtaking footage not seen in other broadcasts” and offered an “excellent treatment of the drama and the underlying science.” Robert Strange, executive producer for Pioneer Productions, said the logistics for the program were challenging, given the short turnaround time, and praised “the willingness of respected members of the scientific community to investigate and publicly explain the causes and consequences of the disaster, even at the risk of placing themselves in considerable personal danger.”

Mark Davis

Mark Davis

National Geographic Channel

“Death of a Mars Rover”

2 June 2011

Davis of MDTV Productions, the writer, producer, and director of the program, tells the story of the Mars Rovers, Spirit and Opportunity, and the desperate effort to save Spirit after the craft drove into a quicksand trap five miles from its landing site. When the rovers arrived at Mars in 2004, they were expected to travel only a few hundred yards and last 90 days. More than seven years later, Opportunity is still active but a final attempt to revive Spirit on 25 May 2011 was unsuccessful. “Along with its gripping storytelling,” Sawyer said, “the production makes maximum use of real-life images from the surface of the Red Planet in seamless combination with animation and graphics to depict the lonely, cliff-hanging adventures of two robots under the skilled remote direction of an engaging team of handlers in a lab back on Earth.” David Baron, health and science editor for PRI’s “The World,” said the program had “memorable characters—human and otherwise. You can’t help but care about this plucky piece of machinery.” Davis, who won previously in the same category in 2004, said it was “flattering and reassuring to get a pat on the back” from the judges.

Large Newspaper—Circulation of 100,000 or more

Charles Duhigg

Charles Duhigg

The New York Times

“Toxic Waters”

17 December 2009; 13 September 2009; 23 August 2009

The judges applauded Duhigg for his impressive combination of science reporting and investigative journalism. He looked at possible health risks of chemicals commonly found in the nation’s drinking water and the failure of regulators to update and enforce existing laws pertaining to such chemicals. “Charles Duhigg has set a new standard for science journalism and investigative reporting, distilling hundreds of research papers and regulatory reports into a damning indictment of water quality in the United States,” said Robert Lee Hotz, a science writer for The Wall Street Journal and one of the contest judges.

Small Newspaper—Circulation less than 100,000

Hillary Rosner

Hillary Rosner

High Country News

“One Tough Sucker”

7 June 2010

In her tale of the razorback sucker, Rosner noted that despite an alphabet soup of conservation and recovery plans, there are fewer fish in a smaller range. There have been turf wars between conservationists and sport-fishing advocates over management of fish species in the river. And it is now apparent that without constant management, the razorback sucker will be unlikely to survive. “Hillary Rosner’s meticulous field reporting and graceful writing illuminates the central dilemma in endangered species protection,” said Nancy Shute, a contributing editor to U.S. News and World Report. “What to do with creatures who can no longer survive without human intervention?”

Magazine

Steve Silberman

Steve Silberman

Wired

“The Placebo Problem”

September 2009

Steve Silberman told how an increasing number of medications are unable to beat dummy pills called placebos in head-to-head clinical testing, a point that has huge implications for the pharmaceutical industry. Only belatedly, he found, have researchers been trying to fully understand the power of the body's response to placebos, and the real potential of that response to affect human health. Guy Gugliotta, a freelance science writer, said Silberman’s piece was “superbly written and superbly researched.” Mary Knudson, a freelance writer and journalism teacher at The Johns Hopkins University, called Silberman’s piece “a fascinating account,” told through an examination of medical history, drug trial records, and extensive interviews with scientists. “I learned that the humble phrase ‘the placebo effect,’ often used glibly to dismiss the benefits of quack therapies, describes a complex web of relationships—between doctor and patient, mind and body, and hope and affliction—that has a very concrete impact on our state of being,” Silberman said. “The pure joy of science reporting is having the perspective of a story open out like that. You start out by looking hard at some small phenomenon, and end up getting a glimpse of the higher orders at work in our everyday lives.”

Spot News/Feature Reporting (20 minutes or less)

Sarah Holt

Sarah Holt

NOVA scienceNOW

“How Memory Works”

25 August 2009

The winning segment asked how a famous psychology subject named H.M. could retain memories of his childhood but not recall short-term memories such as what he had for lunch. It told how researchers are starting to learn what memories may be made of in the complex chemistry of the brain. Through animal experiments, neurobiologists are beginning to pinpoint specific molecules in the brain that are associated with the formation of memories. They also have found molecules that can erase memories forever. Peggy Girshman, executive editor for online at Kaiser Health News, said the broadcast was “an excellent presentation of a compelling story combined with an impressively clear description of the neuroscience.” Holt said her reporting “allowed me to profile the scientists sorting out the chemical and electrical changes that allow us to keep, indefinitely, the recollections of a lifetime.” Holt previously won a AAAS science journalism award in 2002 for a WGBH/NOVA program on “18 Ways to Make a Baby.”

Vince Patton, Nick Fisher, Michael Bendixen and Todd Sonflieth

The judges also awarded a “Certificate of Merit” for an entry by producer Vince Patton of Oregon Public Broadcasting and videographers Nick Fisher, Michael Bendixen and Todd Sonflieth. In two reports for OPB’s “Oregon Field Guide” program, on 4 February 2010 and 18 February 2010, Patton and colleagues showed the unanticipated impact of the bald eagle’s recovery on the breeding success of seabirds called common murres and a dedicated graduate student’s dogged pursuit of pygmy owls in a forest habitat on the edge of downtown Portland. Science reporter Seth Borenstein of The Associated Press called the reports “charming, lovely storytelling with a wonderful, leisurely pacing.”

In-Depth Reporting (More than 20 minutes)

Clockwise from top-left: Alan Alda, Larry Engel, Jared Lipworth, and Graham Chedd

Alan Alda, Graham Chedd, Larry Engel, and Jared Lipworth

THIRTEEN, in association with WNET.ORG

“The Human Spark”

6, 13, and 20 January 2010

This wide-ranging series asked basic questions about what makes us human and how our ancestors evolved with a spark of ingenuity and intelligence that set them apart from other species, including the Neanderthals with which they co-existed for a time. The series looked at what we share in common and what sets us apart from chimpanzees, considered our closest living relatives. And it discussed the latest imaging methods that are giving neuroscientists insights into the brain mechanisms that account for language, one of the most fundamental aspects of the human spark. Dan Vergano, a science writer for USA Today called the winning entry “a sprawling, ambitious look at what makes us human.” Paul Basken, science reporter for The Chronicle of Higher Education, called it “well-sourced, well-explained, and full of enthusiasm for the subject.” Series producer Graham Chedd noted that he first came to the United States from Britain nearly 40 years ago as a consultant to AAAS on public engagement with science, a role in which he helped found the NOVA science series on PBS. Since then, he has enjoyed what he called “a wonderful few decades making science shows, with my work with Alan Alda being the most rewarding experience of all. So I have much for which to thank the AAAS, making this award especially meaningful.” The series was produced by Chedd-Angier-Lewis Productions and THIRTEEN, in association with WNET.ORG.

Large Newspaper—Circulation of 100,000 or more

Carl Zimmer
The New York Times
“Now: The Rest of the Genome”
“10 Genes, Furiously Evolving”
“Blink Twice If You Like Me”
11 November 2008; 5 May 2009; and 30 June 2009

Small Newspaper—Circulation less than 100,000

Amie Thompson
Great Falls Tribune
Lethal Legacy (series)
21-23 June 2009

Magazine

Gary Wolf
Wired
“Barcode of Life”
October 2008

Spot News/Feature Reporting (20 minutes or less)

Julia Cort
NOVA scienceNOW
“Diamond Factory”
30 June 2009

In-Depth Reporting (more than 20 minutes)

Doug Hamilton
WGBH/NOVA
“The Last Extinction”
31 March 2009

Jad Abumrad, Soren Wheeler, Robert Krulwich
WNYC Radiolab
“A Very Lucky Wind”
June 15, 2009

Lisa Friedman
ClimateWire
“Bangladesh: Where the Climate Exodus Begins” (series)
Facing the specter of the globe’s biggest and harshest mass journeys
E+E’s Lisa Friedman explores storm-ravaged Bengali village
The road from growing rice to raising shrimp to misery
March 2009

Douglas Fox
Science News for Kids
“Where Rivers Run Uphill”
23 July 2008