Tuesday, April 05, 2005

Detroit Free Press: Homicide in Detroit

Congratulations to the Detroit Free Press and reporter Jeff Seidel and photographer Eric Seals for winning the $10,000 Dart Award for Excellence in Reporting on Victims of Violence:

The Dart Center for Journalism & Trauma

Judges described the six-part series as timeless, touching and powerful, with the stories conveying the immediate impact of violence and the long-term effects on everyone from young children to the elderly. Strong photos and careful reporting “showed a deep respect for victims and the community,” said one judge.

Reporter Jeff Seidel and photographer Eric Seals spent six months covering crime scenes, court cases, and neighborhood experiences. The series was published in December 2004.


Homicide in Detroit: Echoes of violence
Detroit Free Press Special Series

Homicide in Detroit: Echoes of Violence, Six Part Report
December 4, 2004
Through November, there were 1,279 people shot in Detroit -- 247 more than in all of 2003 -- and 341 people have been killed.

Why is this city killing itself? What has it done to the community's soul?

That's what the Free Press wants to show you, in this special series by staff writer Jeff Seidel and photographer Eric Seals.

After you meet the victims, after you travel with the detectives and see their frustrations and successes, after you walk through the neighborhoods and feel the tension and fear, you will find some surprises.


-------------------------------------------------------------

Also check out these outstanding news series that received honorable mentions from the judges:

The Women of Juarez, Eight Part Orange County Register Series (Hundreds of women have been killed in Juárez in more
than a decade. Authorities link 90 of them to serial killings, but
activists say the number is higher.)

The Healing Fields, 12 Part Rocky Mountain News Series (A Colorado couple who escaped the Khmer Rouge's reign of horror return on a mission of faith to rescue the forgotten women of Cambodia)

Past winners and honorable mentions:

Rape in a Small Town (Providence Journal) (The story of a 15-year-old girl raped by a popular classmate and of the devastating aftermath for her, her family, and her town.)

The Ones She Left Behind (Seattle Post-Intelligencer) (The story of a man left to care for his infant son after his wife committed suicide while suffering severe post-partum depression.)

Legacy of Love and Pain (Houston Chronicle) (The story of Angela Hudson, who barely survived after her estranged husband set her on fire, and of the effects of the attack on her family.)

Chasing Hope (Austin American Statesman) (Her old life vanished in flames. Now, guided by a tenacious will and her father's devotion, Jacqui fights every day to recover.)

The Short Life of Viktor Alexander Matthey (The Newark Star Ledger) (An article depicting the unhappy life of a Siberian boy whose violent death is told against the larger story of his birth parents, the orphanage that briefly shelters him, and his abusive adoptive parents in America.)

Aftershocks of a Crime Spree (Detroit Free Press) (A gripping five-part series describing the impact of a string of armed robberies on its many victims, including the trauma experienced by the police officer who shot and killed the suspect.)

Latisha's Children (St. Paul Pioneer Press) (A series following the lives of four small children after their mother was murdered by her boyfriend, and of the grandmother who stepped forward to care for them.)

The Joseph Palczynski Story (The Baltimore Sun) (A two-part series on the lives of six women serially victimized by one man's extremes of physical and psychological abuse.)

Who Killed John McCloskey (The Roanoke Times) (A compelling series on the suspicious death of an 18-year-old man arrested and placed in the care of a mental institution, the cover-up that followed, and the family's on-going grief and confusion.)

A Stolen Soul (Portland Press Herald) (For the sensitive and thorough portrayal of Yong Jones' struggle to bring her son's murderer to justice against the backdrop of
her cultural beliefs.)

Malignant Memories (Anchorage Daily News) (For documenting the spirited growth of three women as they transcend the tragedies of incest that haunted their lives.)

W. Kaul Ave. (Sunday Journal Sentinel--Milwaukee) (A three-part series showing how entire communities can be victims of poverty and the violence it spawns.)

Stalking the Bogeyman (Denver Westword) (Coming to grips with the killer inside me.)

No comments: