Muller wins Peabody Award for her work on “Up in Smoke”

Journalism professor Judy Muller has won a Peabody Award for her work on a KCET SoCal Connected story examining the proliferation of medical marijuana dispensaries in Los Angeles.  

“Up in Smoke,” which aired in May of last year, revealed that there are now more dispensaries in Los Angeles than there are Starbucks. According to the story, LA has had an “open door policy” on the establishment of dispensaries since Prop 215 passed in 1996.

Because of the lack of zoning restrictions on the dispensaries, “it’sPeabody Awards now easier to open a medical marijuana facility than it is a nail salon or a yogurt shop,” the story found.

Muller is an Emmy Award-winning television correspondent and National Public Radio commentator who joined the faculty of USC Annenberg in August 2003. She formerly worked for ABC News and covered the 1992 Rodney King trial and ensuing riots, the 1994 Northridge earthquake and the O.J. Simpson criminal and civil trials.

“The quality of her work is just amazing,” said School of Journalism director Geneva Overholser. “On the one hand, she’s able to teach courses here that students can’t quit raving about, and yet she keeps producing journalism with KCET and KPCC. I’m so proud that her work with SoCal Connected has been recognized with the top award in broadcast.

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