“Flint’s Deadly Water” Wins Scripps Howard Award

Flint’s Deadly Water, FRONTLINE’s September 2019 investigation that exclusively revealed the unreported toll of Flint, Michigan’s water crisis, has been honored with a Scripps Howard Award.

Produced and directed by Abby Ellis and her reporting team — Kayla Ruble, Jacob Carah and Sarah Childress — Flint’s Deadly Water was recognized by the Scripps Howard Awards with the Jack R. Howard Award for Broadcast – National/International Coverage.

Drawing from a two-year long investigation, Flint’s Deadly Water documents an outbreak of Legionnaires’ disease during the water crisis that has continued to claim lives in the city five years after the crisis began. The documentary exposes how the outbreak happened, why it continued for more than a year before state officials alerted the public — and the consequences of that delay for the people of Flint.

The Scripps Howard Awards’ judges’ comments read: “FRONTLINE showed the source of its evidence, how it verified the evidence, and it took a break from theatrical confrontations and hype to calmly and thoroughly explain how the system that we all rely on failed completely to protect the public.”

“This award is validation that stories coming out of the Flint water crisis are just as relevant today as they were six years ago, and that the people suffering in Flint aren’t suffering in silence,” says Ellis.

“We’re thrilled to learn that Flint’s Deadly Water has been recognized by the Scripps Howard Awards,” says FRONTLINE Executive Producer Raney Aronson-Rath. “This award is a testament to Abby, Jacob, Kayla and Sarah’s tenacious investigative reporting and their steadfast commitment to unearthing the truth.”

The 67th annual Scripps Howard Awards will be presented on Thursday, April 16 in Cincinnati, Ohio. You can watch the award-winning documentary below:

Flint’s Deadly Water

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