Al-Jazeera English, Penn State Abuse Scandal Reporter Win Polk Awards

reuters ^ | 2/21/12 | Lucas Shaw at TheWrap

[ColdOne]

Al Jazeera-English and Sara Ganim, the reporter who broke open the Jerry Sandusky sexual abuse scandal at Penn State, were among the winners of George Polk Awards in Journalism, announced Sunday by Long Island University.

Ganim is a 24-year old crime reporter for the Harrisburg Patriot-News whose dogged pursuit of a grand jury investigation helped her uncover one of the biggest scandals in the history of college athletics. She won for Sports Reporting.

The reporting of Ganim and some of her colleagues was instrumental in uncovering a lurid history of alleged sexual abuse and rape by former Penn State defensive coordinator Jerry Sandusky, a loyal lieutenant of Joe Paterno.

Paterno, the winningest coach in college football history, died Jan. 22, just a few months after the university dismissed him. Many suspected he was complicit in covering up Sandusky’s actions, though both students and alumni of the school protested his firing.

A Polk Award for Television Documentary marks another substantial achievement for Al-Jazeera English, the burgeoning network that had its biggest year to date in 2011. AJE expanded its global reach to 250 million homes, penetrated major U.S. markets such as Chicago and New York, and

[TheClintons-STILLAnti-American]

"Other winners this year include the New Yorker’s Jane Mayer, the New York Times’ C.J. Chivers and Ira Glass, host of radio show “This American Life."

What, nothing for MSNBC and NPR this year??

Obviously about as unbiased as the Nobel Prize.

"Prestigious" only as a badge of honor among fellow liberal elitists.

[TheClintons-STILLAnti-American]

"Other winners this year include the New Yorker’s Jane Mayer, the New York Times’ C.J. Chivers and Ira Glass, host of radio show “This American Life."

What, nothing for MSNBC and NPR this year??

Obviously about as unbiased as the Nobel Prize.

"Prestigious" only as a badge of honor among fellow liberal elitists.

[DJ MacWoW]

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[G Larry]

There’s just something WRONG about this headline....

Penn St. scandal....Polk award....ugg....

[allmendream]

To me the “winning-est” coach would be the one with the best record - not the one who hung out for decades (while ignoring pedophilia) and gathered the most wins.

When I say I want the most successful surgeon” I don't mean the 90 year old guy who did his 10,000th surgical operation - I want the guy with the best record of success - even if it was just 10 for 10!

[Red Badger]

She won for Sports Reporting.

What was the 'sport'?.................

[AnAmericanAbroad]

Well, kudos for winning.

Personally, “sports reporting” seems a bit of a misnomer, even though the story is related to sports.

I would think “investigative journalism” would be more appropriate.

Nonetheless, congratulations on her award, and her perseverance as well as to her boss(es) for letting her pursue the story to it’s outcome.