Clockwise from upper left: Jane Ferguson, Sara Just and Morgan Till
Best TV, video or documentary about international affairs with a run time over 30 minutes/em>
AWARD DATE: 2021<
AWARD NAME: The Peter Jennings Award 2021
AWARD RECIPIENTS: Jane Ferguson, Sara Just, Morgan Till, Emily Kassie and Zach Fannin
AWARD RECIPIENT AFFILIATION: PBS NewsHour, with support from the Pulitzer Center
AWARD HONORED WORK: “The Fall of Afghanistan”
AWARD SPONSOR: The Jennings Family
In years to come, students of history will be able to look back at these PBS NewsHour segments from Afghanistan by Jane Ferguson and team to understand what happened in the final year of America’s longest war. Throughout 2021, as most Americans’ attention had turned away, the team returned again and again to capture the final arc of the story — from the futile effort of Afghan government troops to defend their country, to the targeted assassinations of educated elites, to the desperate scramble to depart from Kabul airport, and to the humanitarian crisis once the Taliban took over. Just as important, they relayed these events from the perspective of the Afghan people and the fighters on the ground, not the safe confines of an American TV studio.
Links to the winning work:
“In Afghanistan, Biden inherits America’s longest war and Trump’s peace deal”
“Targeted assassinations against civil society create a climate of fear in Afghanistan”
“As peace talks with the Taliban stall, deadline to withdraw U.S. troops from Afghanistan looms”
“Afghan allies ‘begging’ for their lives, face Taliban attacks amid US withdrawal”
“Afghan militias forced to fight Taliban blame America’s ‘abandonment’”
“Young, modern Afghans fear ‘losing everything’ as Taliban regains ground”
“Inside the desperate, dangerous scramble to evacuate Kabul as Taliban seizes control”
“Taliban leaders promise softer rule, but their actions send a different message”
“Chaos, cries for help outside Kabul airport as Taliban crack down on protesters”
“Frustrated by ill-prepared evacuation plan, anxious Afghans rush airport gates”
“Afghans desperately try to flee; U.S. evacuation continues”
“Afghan children get left behind, go missing amid chaos at Kabul’s airport”
“Aid groups struggle to continue humanitarian aid for starving, injured Afghans”
“Dwindling aid, crumbling economy and ISIS add to Afghans’ hardships under Taliban rule”
Citation for Excellence:
Martin Smith, Marcela Gaviria, Brian Funck and Scott Anger
FRONTLINE PBS
“The Jihadist”