Joint Investigation with Public Health Watch and Univision into Rise in Deadly Lung Disease Honored with Gold Award in Regional/Local Category
Pasadena, Calif., October 9, 2023 — A joint investigation from LAist, Public Health Watch and Univision was honored with a prestigious Barlett and Steele Award for Investigative Business Journalism. The report, “Silicosis cluster in Southern California,” received the Gold Award in the Regional/Local category.
Led by Leslie Berestein Rojas, LAist Immigrant Communities Correspondent, and Jim Morris, Public Health Watch Executive Director and Editor-in-Chief, the investigation uncovered a rise in cases of a deadly lung disease among Latino workers caused by inhalation of fine silica dust. Their reporting brought high-level attention to the issue, prompting legislative action and other bans at the state and county levels to protect workers.
"This groundbreaking investigation shined a light on a deadly scourge that had previously been linked to coal miners and construction workers,” said Kristen Muller, LAist’s Chief Content Officer. “It also exposed a glaring lack of accountability when it comes to preventing the illness. This is the kind of public service journalism that saves lives and we are honored to accept the award"
Hosted by the Reynolds Center for Business Journalism, the Barlett and Steele Awards honor the best investigative journalism in the country.
About Southern California Public Radio (SCPR)
Southern California Public Radio (kpcc.org) is a member-supported multi-platform public media organization that has garnered more than 600 journalistic honors since 1999. Recognized as a national leader in public service journalism and civic engagement, SCPR’s flagship radio station, 89.3 LAist reaches more than 600,000 listeners every week as the most listened-to public radio news service across Southern California. The network’s five stations (LAist 89.3 KPCC-FM, LAist 89.1 KUOR-FM, LAist 90.3 KVLA-FM, LAist 89.9 FM, and LAist 89.5 KJAI-FM) deliver award-winning local news coverage to the diverse communities of the region, including a robust slate of signature programs from NPR, APM, the BBC and PRI. LAist (LAist.com) is a digital news site committed to in-depth reporting about life in the Los Angeles metropolitan area. In 2019, the brand grew to include LAist Studios, a dedicated podcast development and production studio. Furthering SCPR’s commitment to premium on-demand audio storytelling, podcasts from LAist Studios aim to reflect the ethos of Los Angeles, with a goal of going beyond geographical borders to connect with listeners around the globe who share the L.A. state of mind.
PRESS CONTACTS - The Lippin Group for SCPR
Katie Fuchs - New York
kfuchs@lippingroup.com
646-493-0215
Kevin Broderick - Los Angeles
kevin@lippingroup.com