Contact: Gary Kalman 215-573-3623 Media Contact: Carolyn Gonzales 505-277-5920

January 2, 2003 LOCALLY-TAPED PROGRAM EARNS EXCELLENCE IN REPORTING AWARD In a recent ceremony hosted by Walter Cronkite, National Public Radio's Justice Talking won first place honors in this year's Nancy Dickerson Whitehead awards for excellence in reporting. The specific program recognized, Directing America's Drug War: Which Way to a Safer Society?, featured Drug Enforcement Administration chief Asa Hutchinson and then-New Mexico Governor Gary Johnson in a debate taped before more than 600 people at the University of New Mexico in Albuquerque. The program was taped in September 2001. The program was produced in conjunction with KUNM. Principles for the program were Paul Ingles, then-production director, and Chip Borton, KUNM volunteer. Ingles provided a six minute report on drug reform policy for the program. Ingles and Borton worked together to engineer the live recording. In presenting the award to Justice Talking host Margot Adler, Leslie Stahl said, "Justice Talking ... is a substantive and thought-provoking program that ... captures the tough challenges legislators face in coming up with policies that balance public health and public safety. By giving both sides equal time, the program explores the complexities of the issue. Directing America's Drug War is an example of precisely the journalistic excellence that Nancy Dickerson Whitehead championed throughout her career." Justice Talking joins a prestigious list of previous broadcast winners, including ABC's Nightline and NBC's Dateline, and print winners including The New York Times. In accepting the award and thanking the sponsors, Adler noted, "The topic is not only important, but it's one that rarely gets discussed in a serious forum with top flight people. We were fortunate to have the new head of the Drug Enforcement Administration agree not only to talk with us, but to debate the opposition - Mr. Hutchinson was new on the job - He decided to do this on enemy turf, in New Mexico with one of his most formidable opponents, Former Governor Gary Johnson, who has used his position to argue for the reform of all drug laws. Both debaters were excellent...and the audience large and opinionated. We even had demonstrators outside, perhaps always a sign that you are doing something right." The awards and accompanying cash prizes are sponsored by Drug Strategies, a nonprofit organization based in Washington, D.C. that promotes more effective approaches to the nation's drug problems and supports private and public efforts to reduce the demand for drugs through prevention, education, treatment, law enforcement and community initiatives. Justice Talking is a one-hour, weekly radio program produced by the Annenberg Public Policy Center at the University of Pennsylvania. The show, hosted by veteran NPR correspondent Margot Adler, takes an in-depth look at the cases and controversies that come before our nation's courts. Justice Talking is taped in front of a live studio audience. # # #

The University of New Mexico
Public Affairs Department
Hodgin Hall, 2nd floor
Albuquerque, NM 87131-0011
Telephone: (505) 277-5813
Fax: (505) 277-1981