Scripps News, WTVF in Nashville receive 2025 duPont-Columbia Awards

CINCINNATI, Jan. 22, 2025 /PRNewswire/ -- For their series of investigative reports, news teams at The E.W. Scripps Company (NASDAQ: SSP) have won two 2025 Alfred I. duPont-Columbia Awards. The prestigious journalism awards recognize America's best video and audio journalism. The duPont Silver Batons were presented during a ceremony Wednesday night at Columbia University in New York City.

Scripps News, the national news network owned by Scripps, won for its reporting on the limits of Maine gun laws. WTVF, Scripps' CBS-affiliated local television station in Nashville, received the award for its series of reports on political extremism in Tennessee. Scripps News was also a finalist for its investigation into the water crisis in Flint, Michigan.

"The relentless reporting from Scripps journalists across these three investigations is another reminder of the vital role they play as community connectors, keeping the public informed, engaged and accountable – often at great personal cost," said Dean Littleton, Scripps' executive vice president of media broadcast operations. "This award is a testament to the commitment of Scripps' robust team of local and national investigative journalists to delivering hard-hitting impactful stories that go beyond the headlines and get to the bottom of the story." 

Scripps News, "Maine Shooting: Missed Warnings"
Scripps News Investigates won a duPont-Columbia Award for its investigation into the 2023 Maine mass shooting. The investigation revealed how more than two dozen law enforcement officials had information about the shooter's threats and access to firearms, but no one was able to remove the shooter's weapons before he took the lives of 18 people. For more than a year, national investigative correspondent Lori Jane Gliha, investigative producer Brittany Freeman and the Scripps News Investigates team have been trying to find out why. Read the full investigative series to see what Scripps News uncovered.

WTVF, NewsChannel 5 "Hate Comes to Main Street"
WTVF Chief Investigative Reporter Phil Williams and the NewsChannel 5 Investigates team received a duPont-Columbia Award for their investigation into Franklin, Tennessee, mayoral candidate Gabrielle Hanson. In a series of reports, the team probed Hanson's ties to white supremacists, her arrest history for promoting prostitution and her social media photo of a group of women she claimed to be her supporters but who later denied that claim and denounced her, among other inconsistencies and unusual revelations.

As the investigation expanded, the NewsChannel 5 Investigates team discovered how a Hanson ally, Shawn Taylor, had a lengthy history of bizarre, unfounded conspiracy theories before being hired as the assistant police chief in Millersville, Tennessee. This project has produced more than 60 individual stories.

The investigation into Hanson received a Peabody Award last May. This is the fifth duPont-Columbia Award for Williams and the NewsChannel 5 Investigates team.

Scripps News, "Flint: City in Contempt"
Scripps News Investigates was named a finalist for "Flint: City in Contempt." The investigation found that nearly a decade after one of the nation's largest public health scandals was set in motion, many Flint residents were still waiting for the city to remove and replace the corroded pipes that have been leaching lead into the city's water supply. View the full investigation here. Scripps News also received a national news Emmy Award last September for its investigation into the Flint water crisis.

Media contact: Molly Miossi, The E.W. Scripps Company, 513-977-3713, [email protected]

About Scripps
The E.W. Scripps Company (NASDAQ: SSP) is a diversified media company focused on creating a better-informed world. As one of the nation's largest local TV broadcasters, Scripps serves communities with quality, objective local journalism and operates a portfolio of more than 60 stations in 40+ markets. Scripps reaches households across the U.S. with national news outlets Scripps News and Court TV and popular entertainment brands ION, ION Plus, ION Mystery, Bounce, Grit and Laff. Scripps is the nation's largest holder of broadcast spectrum. Scripps is the longtime steward of the Scripps National Spelling Bee. Founded in 1878, Scripps' long-time motto is: "Give light and the people will find their own way."

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SOURCE The E.W. Scripps Company