FRONTLINE’s “China’s COVID Secrets” Wins 2022 NIHCM Award

The NIHCM Journalism and Research Awards announced today that FRONTLINE’s 2021 documentary China’s COVID Secrets is the winner of the 2022 Television and Radio Journalism Award.

From director and producer Jane McMullen, senior producer Dan Edge, and producers Alex Mattholie and Stephanie Stafford, China’s COVID Secrets lays out the untold story of the beginning of the coronavirus pandemic and how China responded. The documentary draws on revealing interviews with Chinese scientists and doctors, international disease experts and health officials, illustrating the missed opportunities to suppress the outbreak and the grave impacts felt around the world.

Given annually, the NIHCM Awards “recognize the tremendous contributions of researchers and journalists who brought to light new evidence that advances the health system and the health of Americans,” according to their website. 

“We went into production on China’s COVID Secrets in spring 2020, just as the pandemic began to unfold around the world. The questions at its heart — what the Chinese authorities knew about COVID-19 and whether opportunities to stop its spread were missed — only became more relevant over time,” McMullen says. “It’s a tremendous honor to see our FRONTLINE reporting recognized by NIHCM, and we are so pleased that this documentary could shine new light on these critical events.”

“It’s an honor to see China’s COVID Secrets recognized by NIHCM, and we are so pleased that this documentary could serve as a resource to the American public — illuminating both the missed opportunities to thwart the COVID-19 crisis and how the global health system responded,” says FRONTLINE Executive Producer, Raney Aronson-Rath. “Congratulations to Jane McMullen, Dan Edge, Alex Mattholie and Stephanie Stafford, who were committed to telling this story and tracing the origins of what was known about the virus and when.”

The NIHCM Awards’ official announcement notes that “the powerful stories written and pioneering research conducted by the [this year’s] winners [explore] the origins of COVID-19, the health impact of environmental hazards, poverty and discrimination on health, as well as controversial new treatments, and the link between health care coverage and health outcomes.”

Read more about this year’s NIHCM Award winners and watch FRONTLINE’s award-winning documentary:

China’s COVID Secrets (credits)

FRONTLINE Press Contact: Anne Husted | Manager, Public Relations & Communications | frontlinemedia@wgbh.org  |617-300-5312