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The 2007 Dart Awards for Excellence in Reporting on Victims of Violence were presented May 9 in the Joseph Pulitzer World Room at the Columbia University Graduate School of Journalism.
2007 Dart Award winners (left-to-right): Matthew Kauffman, Lisa Chedekel, Paul Meyer, Stella Chávez and Lara Solt. |
Hartford Courant reporters Lisa Chedekel and Matthew Kauffman accepted the award for their series “Mentally Unfit, Forced to Fight,” which exposes the plight of U.S. soldiers sent into combat despite histories of serious psychological problems, and the PTSD, depression and suicide which often follow.
Dallas Morning News reporters Paul Meyer and Stella Chávez, and photographer Lara Solt accepted the award for their series “Yolanda's Crossing,” which chronicles the flight of a victim of child sexual abuse from rural Mexico to a life of continued victimization as an illegal immigrant in the US, and her search of justice in U.S. courts.
During the ceremony, Dart Center executive director Bruce Shapiro said, “both winning teams understand that people who are the victims of violence—whether it’s individual violence in the home or the systemic violence of the battlefield—have been radically disempowered by their experiences, are among the most powerless people in their society. These winning teams brought to these stories passion and clarity of mission, and a dedication to putting the lives of the least powerful and most voiceless in this society center-stage in their reporting, which is an extraordinary achievement.”
Wilmington (Del.) News Journal reporter Kristin Harty and photographer Ginger Wall were also recognized during the ceremony for their series “Losing Stephen: The Anguish of a Soldier's Mother,” which received an honorable mention.
Established in 1995, the annual Dart Awards recognize reporting that best portrays victims and their experiences with accuracy, insight and sensitivity while illustrating the effects of violence on victims' lives and the process of recovery from emotional trauma. The Dart Awards are administered by the Dart Center for Journalism and Trauma at the University of Washington.
The award presentation was followed by a panel discussion on covering Iraq War veterans. The discussion included Courant reporters Chedekel and Kauffman, Salon reporter Mark Benjamin and freelance photographer Nina Berman. (A report on the discussion will be posted soon …)
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