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Honors and Awards

2023

The Public Media Journalists Association honored Making Contact with an award for Narrative/Produced Podcast for Salima Hamirani’s two part story The Agony and the Ecstasy: Race and the Future of the Love Story.

2022

The Society for Professional Journalists (Indiana Chapter) honored Making Contact with an award for Radio Feature Story for Amy Gastelum’s piece on the Healing Garden.

2021 

The Society for Professional Journalists (Northern California Chapter) honored Making Contact with the award for Technology Reporting in radio/audio. Making Contact producer Salima Hamirani won an award for “Bad Math: the risks of Artificial Intelligence”. The episode examines one kind of decision made by AI, called a risk assessment, and why it’s had such an impact on the poor and people of color. She also won an award with freelance reporter, Lucy Kang, for their piece “On the Brink: Homelessness before and during COVID-19”. The show follows two women dealing with evictions and the impact of displacements before and during the pandemic.

The Los Angeles Press Club honored Making Contact with the second place award for Radio/Podcast Documentary for Monica Lopez’s “Locked Down and Loaded: The 2020 Gun Surge and Violence Prevention,” and the second place award for Activism Journalism, Broadcast for Monica Lopez’s Frontline East L.A.

2016

The Society for Professional Journalists (Northern California Chapter) honored Making Contact with the award for Explanatory Journalism in radio/audio. Making Contact producer Laura Flynn, with freelance reporters Thalia Beaty, Maggy Donaldson and BeenishAhmed, were commended for their “excellent use of sound and descriptive writing” in “Invisible Workers: Laboring in the Shadows.”  Come and meet people around the world who are making work where there is no work for them.  From recyclers to border couriers to waste pickers, listen to voices from the informal labor sector and hear what some are doing to gain greater recognition, protections, and rights.

2015

The Society for Professional Journalists (Northern California Chapter) honored Making Contact’s Jasmin Mara Lopez, with George Lavender, Brandon Thibodeaux and Mitra Kaboli with an award for Feature Storytelling (radio/audio) for Deadly Divide: Migrant Death on the Border.  Their radio documentary and photojournalism tells the harrowing story of migrants who risk their lives to cross into the United States, and many who die in the desert. The reporters shined light on those who collect the bodies of the dead, a forensic scientist who pieces together the lives of the deceased from their bones and a an activist who each day delivers water to spots that dot the parched landscape to try and spare the lives of those crossing.

2014

The Society for Professional Journalists (Northern California Chapter) awarded Making Contact’s George Lavender, with Zoe Sullivan, Mudassar Shah, and assistance from Laura Flynn for “The Good, the Bad, and the Ugly Side of the Beautiful Game,” a look at the economic, environmental and social cost of preparing for World Cup 2014 in Brazil.

The Society for Professional Journalists (Northern California Chapter) awarded Making Contact’s George Lavender also for FEATURE STORYTELLING (radio/audio) with assistance from Andrew Stelzer on the “I SPY segment” from “Shh! Life in a State of Surveillance,” which portrays the story of how artist and professor Hasan Elahi began doing “self-surveillance” when he was mistakenly placed on a terror watch list.

2012

The Society for Professional Journalists (Northern California Chapter) gave Andrew Stelzer, Daniel Gordon & Kyung Jin Lee an award for Feature Storytelling for their show Gang Injunctions: Problem or Solution?, a project examining whether gang injunctions serve their intended purpose. Reese Erlich was received an award for Explanatory Journalism in “Inside the Syrian Uprising“, a piece that provides an intimate look at what’s happening on the ground, and the fractious divides among the Syrian people.

The PASS Awards (now renamed the Media for A Just Society Awards) recognized Andrew Stelzer and Kyung Jin Lee for their work to focus America’s attention on our criminal justice, juvenile justice, and child welfare systems in a thoughtful and considerate manner. Hear the show that won the award, “Gang Injunctions: Problem or Solution?” and learn about how Oakland, London and L.A. are using a controversial technique known as “gang injunctions” to address youth violence and crime.

2011

The Society for Professional Journalists (Northern California Chapter) gave Pauline Bartolone, Momo Chang, Andrew Stelzer, Kyung Jin Lee and Khanh Pham an award for Explanatory Journalism for their documentary about the health impacts of chemical exposure, cosmetics regulation and the movement towards greener nail salons: “The Toxic Truth about Nail Salons.

The Society for Professional Journalists (Northern California Chapter) gave Brian Edwards-Tiekert an award for Explanatory Journalism for his series on the climate change that is happening, the political response that isn’t, and the people trying to break the gridlock: “Climate Change Gridlock: Where Do We Go From Here?

2010

The Society for Professional Journalists (Northern California Chapter)gave Andrew Stelzer an award for Explanatory Journalism for his documentary about civilian oversight of the police called “Breaking Through the Blue Wall of Silence.

2009

The Society for Professional Journalists (Region 11) gave Making Contact correspondent Adelaide Chen a first place award for In-Depth Radio Reporting in the University category. Her documentary, “Neither Here nor There: Bhutanese Refugees in the U.S,” was edited and produced by Making Contact‘s Pauline Bartolone.

The National Council on Crime and Delinquency gave Making Contact producers Andrew Stelzer, Pauline Bartolone and Tena Rubio a PASS (Prevention for A Safer Society) award for Andrew Stelzer’s documentary “Breaking Through the Blue Wall of Silence.

2008

The National Association of Hispanic Journalists‘ award in the Radio Reporting honored Tena Rubio for her Making Contact program, New Orleans Now: Immigrants, Labor and the Human Cost of Rebuilding an American City (Part 1)

2007

Two awards for “Excellence In Journalism” 2007 from the Society of Professional Journalists Northern California Chapter:

Tena was also a 2007 IRE (Investigators Reporters and Editors) Award Finalist for New Orleans Now: Immigrants, Labor and the Human Cost of Rebuilding an American City (Part 1)

2006

Best Troublemakers on the Dial / Best Of The Bay – San Francisco Bay Guardian

Who Owns Our Water? Profits vs. Public Interest 01-05 included a segment “Maui Water Issues” by Robynn Takayama, which won a National Journalism Award – “Radio – Unlimited Subject Matter” category, Asian American Journalists Association.

Democratic Media Award – Goodwriters

2005

PodSpider “5-Star Award”
For the National Radio Project Podcast

Regulating Love 43-04 included a segment, “The Fight Over Gay Marriage” produced by Steven Valentino, which won first place – Excellence in Student Journalism Award, National Lesbian & Gay Journalists Association (NLGJA).

Journey to Justice: Carlos Mauricio’s Story 50-03 by Jon Watanabe, Silver Reel – “National Documentary” category, National Federation of Community Broadcasters (NFCB).

2004

ElectionWatch ’04 – 6th most licensed program on PRX

Democratic Media Award, Goodwriters

2003

Let’s Go to Mazar: A Chronicle of Life in Afghanistan after the War 27-02 by Pratap Chatterjee, Silver Reel – “National Public Affairs Programming” category, National Federation of Community Broadcasters (NFCB).

Biowars: First, Do No Harm 06-02 by Monica Lopez and Stephanie Welch, Silver Reel – “National Documentary” category, National Federation of Community Broadcasters (NFCB).

2002

Whose Beacon of Freedom? 43-01 featured at the Center for Peace and Human Security Media Festival

Jewish Women for Peace in Israel, produced by the Women’s Desk for Womens International News Gathering Service (WINGS), is featured at the Center for Peace and Human Security Media Festival

Environmental Desk – lauded in the “Grapevine” newsletter produced by Antioch University New England.

1998

Cruel and Unusual? Women’s Prisons 45-98 produced by the Women’s Desk, was highlighted in “Investigate ’98: Highlights of Community-Based and Investigative Journalism,” Media Alliance

Not In My School 40-97 included a segment, “Vaughn Teachers: A Case of Educational Censorship” produced by Catalina Reyes, which won the Special Merit Award, “National News/Public Affairs Programming” category, National Federation of Community Broadcasters (NFCB).