An original documentary about the culture wars in America today told through the inner workings of the Texas Board of Education

Shot over the course of three years, director Scott Thurman gained unique access to the Texas Board of Education, America’s most influential, where a few citizens are fighting a battle to shape the course of American education through the revision of public school textbooks. Viewers see both sides of the debate, meeting key players and witnessing them tangle over critical issues like evolution. This effective documentary presents a powerful civics lesson in the culture wars between conservatives and liberals. The writing is spare and effective, and notable for its evenhanded tone. Thurman successfully captured intense debates, soul searching and back room compromises at the Texas Board of Education that effect us all.

Scott Thurman, directory, producer, writer, directory of photography; Pierson Silver, Orlando Wood, Producer; Jim Butterworth, Vijay Dewan, executive producers; Daniel J. Chalfen, Chandra C. Silver, co-producers; Jawad Metni, editor and writer; Mark Orton, score; Zac Sprague, camera operator.

To learn more about the duPont-Columbia Awards visit: journalism.columbia.edu/dupont

An ambitious yearlong broadcast and multimedia series on inequality in Baltimore

This ambitious interactive project from Baltimore’s public radio station incorporated WYPR's talk programs, social media, extended interviews, personal narratives, produced pieces and digital platforms for "opportunities around town to advance the conversation about race, class and community," along with regular solicitations on air and online for story ideas from audiences. The series is eager and serious about broadening its reach to people who don't usually listen to public radio. The station devoted substantial airtime and online resources to this complex project. In its exploration of housing, education, jobs, history and social networks - described not only by the experts but by those who earn their expertise through lived experience - this series performed a real service to the people of Baltimore.

Sheilah Kast, host; Tom Hall, co-host; Lawrence Lanahan, senior producer; Stephanie Hughes, Matt Purdy, producers; Jamyla Kay, assistant producer.

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An original investigative series that revealed misuse of public funds, corruption and fraud

This series of stories started on a simple tip – a coroner charged a number of meals on a public credit card. That led Lee Zurik and the WVUE-TV team to dig through thousands of pages of public documents, doing a more thorough audit of that office. Zurik discovered that the public official, the coroner, was abusing his constituents’ trust – giving himself unheard of pay raises that eventually rivaled even the Vice President of the United States. All of this just a few years after he convinced those same constituents that he needed more money to run his office. The reporting was restrained, extensive and original. Zurik’s straightforward investigative work made a difference in the public interest.

Lee Zurik, chief investigative reporter; Donny Pearce, photographer and editor; Wes Cook, interactive manager; Tom Wright, web editor; Greg Phillips, assistant news director and special projects director; Mikel Schaefer, news director.

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A relentless two-year long investigative series that brought to light rampant pediatric dental Medicaid fraud

In this series of dogged reports, WFAA-TV and reporter Byron Harris uncovered a corrupt system in which hundreds of millions of taxpayer dollars went to dentists who billed the government for questionable orthodontics and other procedures that, in some instances, harmed children. One Dallas-area dental clinic cruised poor neighborhoods, luring kids with food and cash before performing extensive, unnecessary and often harmful dental work all without parental consent. WFAA’s detailed reporting featured whistleblowers, hidden camera video and the tireless pursuit of one dentist living in a mansion the size of Versailles. Because of this reporting, the Texas Medicaid commissioner and the state’s dental director resigned, and congressional hearings were held.

Byron Harris, reporter; Jason Trahan, producer; Billy Bryant, photographer and video editor; Carolyn Mungo, executive news director; Mike Devlin, president and general manager.

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Exceptional live coverage of a major breaking news story over the course of five days

WBZ-TV’s coverage of the Boston Marathon bombings was television journalism at its very best – informative, level headed in a time of crisis, and visually arresting. The station was broadcasting live coverage of the Boston Marathon when the two bombs went off, just seconds apart on April 15, 2013. From its very first report of the explosions, this coverage was fact-filled and measured. WBZ-TV dedicated considerable resources to the reporting. After the bombings, the killers were at large and people were afraid. In the face of that concern, the anchors and reporters stayed calm. They kept their viewers up-to-date on fast-moving events. Through all the dramatic events, reporters dug deep to find sources and information not being released by government officials.

Barry Burbank, Steve Burton, Kerry Connolly, Paula Ebben, Jonathan Elias, Todd Gutner, Lisa Hughes, Kate Merrill, Dan Roche, Bobby Sisk, David Wade, Jack Williams, anchors; Karen Anderson, Jim Armstrong, Paul Burton, Sera Congi, Beth Germano, Christina Hager, Jon Keller, Lauren Leamanczyk, Ken Macleod, Michelle Roberts, David Robichaud, Michael Rosenfield, Didi Salcedo, Bill Shields, Joe Shortsleeve, Bree Sison, Jim Smith, reporters; Jackie Connally, Rob Gati, Joe Giza, Jim Harrington, Kelly Isenor, Debbie Kim, Debbi Klein, Jessi Miller, Elsie Nolan, Kevin Osgood, Scott Sullivan, Seth Szilagyi, Ken Tucci, Jonathan Wells, producers; Dominick Aielli, Natalie Bentley, Paul Buscemi, Russ Chasse, Matt Colson, Bryan Foley, Ken Stiles, Pat Geiler, Chris Gobielle, Al Goebel, Ralph Griswold, Rick Hertzler, Nate Isenor, Rick Macomber, Chuck Manning, Tom Matteo, Terry McNamara, Tom McNamee, William Meservey, Ron Mitchell, Chris Remavich, Aaron Strader, Mo Tate, videographers; Stephanie Innis, Kristin Keefe, James Murphy, James O'Donnell, Evan Scruggs, Therese Signaigo, editors; Julie Eich, Matt Geagan, Seth Graham, Michael Hurley, Katie Katzman-Curley, Dean Reddington, Steve Saleeba, Mike Toole, web team; Arne Jensen, Gary Stout, Lindsey Devine, Ron Wilhelmsen, Bill Ritchotte, design; Candace Almeida, Ronald Anderson, Warren Aulenback, Phillip Billings, Ronald Bogatowski, Peter Brennan, Lisa Bumbaca, Marc Carbone, Michael Cusack, William Daley, James DeWitt, Alex Dina, John Downey, Robert Florio, Brian Gallagher, Brian Gentry, Bill Gibbs, Brooks Habersham, Joseph Hughes, Dalinda Ifill, Mary Beth Lambert, Ethan Lawless, Simon Lockwood, Charles Lucci, Marc Maynard, John Montgomery, John Nemec, Steven Obreza, Alison Parnes, David Peabody, Eric Pearson, Theodore Pollack, Greg Raso, Joe Rogers, Ann Scalcione, Harold Sealls, Daniel Shapira, Kari Solomon, Nicole St. Germain, Matt Stead, Kenneth Vedder, Tisha Wilson, Robert Yankowitz, engineering; Andrea Courtois, Joe Couture, Amanda Howes, David Rothstein, assignment editors; Elisabeth Bagemihl, Joanne Bemis, Steve Bognar, Sarah Burke, Bob Dumas, Terry Eliasen, Greg Nickerson, Paul Pabis, Theresa Rooney, Peter Wilson, managers; Mark Lurd, general manager; John Verrilli, news director.

To learn more about the duPont-Columbia Awards visit: journalism.columbia.edu/dupont