NPR reporter Ari Shapiro wins Daniel Schorr Journalism Prize
Report on drug use in the gay community aired on 'All Things Considered'
Ari Shapiro, a reporter for National Public Radio in Washington, D.C., has won the fourth annual Daniel Schorr Journalism Prize, which recognizes significant broadcast journalism by a young public radio journalist. The prize is sponsored by Boston University and its NPR station, WBUR.
Shapiro is being honored for his 14-minute piece “The Impact of Methamphetamine Use on the Gay Community,” which originally aired last March on NPR’s All Things Considered. The report focused on connections between methamphetamine abuse and rates of HIV infection in the gay community.
The panel of five judges included noted journalists, among them Geneva Overholser, a professor at the University of Missouri School of Journalism and a former Washington Post ombudsman. She praised Shapiro for taking on a tough topic and described the story as “revelatory without being prurient.”
Since he began working for NPR in 2001, Shapiro’s career included a brief stint at WBUR through NPR’s reporter training fellowship. His submission was one of 21 entries received from broadcast journalists age 35 and under from around the country.
The $5,000 prize will be presented on behalf of veteran newsman Daniel Schorr as part of WBUR’s Public Radio Gala on November 29 at The State Room in Boston. The keynote speaker for the gala is Ira Glass, host of NPR’s This American Life. Robin Young, host of WBUR’s midday program Here and Now, will serve as master of ceremonies.
The Daniel Schorr Journalism Prize spotlights a new generation of public radio journalists and seeks to inspire them to stretch the boundaries of the medium. Schorr, currently a senior analyst for NPR, has had a distinguished, award-winning career in broadcast journalism, working with such pioneers as Edward R. Murrow at CBS and Ted Turner at CNN. Schorr’s integrity and professionalism provided the vision for the naming of the journalism award.
In addition to awarding the Daniel Schorr Journalism Prize, WBUR’s Public Radio Gala will include a reception, a dinner, and a live auction. Tickets to the gala are available by calling 1-800-909-9287, or click here.