2022 Audio Storytelling (Larger Newsroom) Finalists
DJ Cashmere, Catherine Winter, Anna Canny, Alden Loury, Chris Julin, Craig Thorson & Andy Kruse
APM Reports
No Excuses: Race and Reckoning at a Chicago Charter School
Comments From the Judges:
“I really appreciated the personal tie that DJ had to the story he was telling, and his willingness to open himself up to criticism from his former students. He allowed their voices to shine through, rather than situating the narrative from his perspective. The production and sound design quality is evident.”
“This is an outstanding podcast/documentary, an intimate portrait of the no-excuses charter school movement — both its triumphs and failures. DJ, a former charter school teacher, brings us into a universe that we rarely have access to and contritely shares his own mistakes. But he also deftly shows how the current alternative to strict discipline isn’t working either.”
Carrie Jung, Max Larkin, Yasmin Amer, Elisabeth Harrison, Amy Gorel, Jennifer Goren & Gabrielle Emanuel
WBUR
The Cost of Child Care
- We asked 8 child care workers about their joys and frustrations. Here’s what they said
- Why child care in Massachusetts costs so much
- Child care is a problem for employers, too. Now more of them want solutions
- How child care can build kids’ brains, one interaction at a time
Comments From the Judges:
“Great use of data combined with personal experiences that helps humanize what can often be an abstract policy issue. I enjoyed how they wove the voices of so many childcare workers into the narrative. It’s an important topic that is relatively undercovered despite impacting so many families.”
“Outstanding heart-breaking and heart-warming portraits of early childhood educators. Beautiful interviews uninterrupted by narration. These stories help explain our nation’s childcare crisis. Gorgeous sound design!”
Elissa Nadworny, Lauren Migaki & Steve Drummond
NPR
Getting a Bachelor’s Degree in Prison Is Rare. That’s About to Change
- Getting a bachelor’s degree in prison is rare. That’s about to change
- 1 man is determined to break the cycle and not end up back in prison
- A man started his college degree in prison. Can he finish on the outside?
Comments From the Judges:
“I appreciate that the reporter followed the trajectory of these men over two years, looking at all of the different points where things can go a different direction in the transition from prison to college. The story also gives a good sense of place with the audio in the background. I especially appreciated how you captured the challenges of integrating into campus.”
“Great storytelling that brings you inside the lives, thoughts and feelings of prisoners pursuing a college degree and why this policy change — reversing the ban on federal aid for college tuition— is so important. Bravo.”
Finalists
