Michigan Radio’s documentary Not Safe to Drink has been nominated by the NYU School of Journalism as a finalist in the Top Ten Works of U.S. Journalism of the Decade.
“Not Safe to Drink” is Michigan Radio's documentary that traced the story of the Flint water crisis, and how the water in the city became unsafe to drink, bathe in or use for cooking. It first aired on Michigan Radio in December 2015 and helped call national attention to the water crisis.
“The coverage of the Flint Water Crisis was a real team effort on the part of the Michigan Radio newsroom,” noted Vince Duffy, Michigan Radio News Director. “It was an important and complicated story, and we’re honored to be considered for this recognition. It really demonstrates how important local journalism is to uncovering what can become national stories.”
The faculty of New York University’s Arthur L. Carter Journalism Institute, together with a group of distinguished outside judges, is selecting “The Top Ten Works of Journalism of the Decade in the United States.” 122 works of journalism produced between 2010-2019 were nominated for this honor. This includes journalism from the New York Times, Washington Post, The Atlantic, ProPublica, NPR and This American Life among others. All forms of journalism in all media were eligible for consideration.
The ten winners will be announced in a virtual ceremony on October 14 at 7:00pm. You can find the full list of nominees here.
The documentary Not Safe to Drink was reported and produced by Michigan Radio's Lindsey Smith and edited by Sarah Hulett with help from Jennifer Guerra, and additional reporting from Steve Carmody, Rebecca Williams and Mark Brush. You can listen to the story here.
Not Safe to Drink was the winner of a National Edward R. Murrow Award, Third Coast International Audio Festival Radio Impact Award and a duPont-Columbia University Award.
