Reporters and editors from The Washington Post have won the 2005 Selden Ring Award for Investigative Reporting for their series exposing lead contamination in the District of Columbia water supply and the failure of public officials to inform and protect residents. The $35,000 annual prize presented by the School of Journalism recognizes the years outstanding work in investigative journalism that led to direct results. Beginning in January 2004, Washington Post journalists began reporting and publishing more than 200 articles alerting local residents to dangerously high levels of lead in tap water. Their continuing investigation ultimately resulted in the firing of the DC public health director and revealed that water agencies across the country have manipulated or withheld test results that disclose high levels of lead content. The U.S. Environmental Protection Agency along with federal prosecutors, environmental officials and state regulators are now investigating whether several water utilities have broken criminal or environmental laws by misrepresenting the lead levels in their drinking water.
Continuing coverage by The Washington Post»