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Documenting Hate,” a two-part investigative documentary series by ProPublica and PBS Frontline, won an Alfred I. duPont-Columbia University Award honoring outstanding audiovisual reporting in the public interest.

Produced by ProPublica reporter A.C. Thompson, along with producer Karim Hajj and editor/producer Jacquie Soohen of Midnight Films, and directed by Midnight Films’ Rick Rowley, the documentaries revealed some of the most violent figures within America’s resurgent white supremacist movement, in addition to the members’ presence in the U.S. military. The films also showed governmental failures to curb the criminal activities of dangerous white power groups.

Part one, “Documenting Hate: Charlottesville,” investigated the white supremacists and neo-Nazis involved in the 2017 Charlottesville, Virginia, “Unite the Right” rally, and revealed how ill-prepared law enforcement was to handle the influx of hate groups from across the nation. The second film, “Documenting Hate: New American Nazis,” identified former and active-duty members of the military as members of Atomwaffen Division, a neo-Nazi terrorist group linked to five murders.

Much of the reporting featured in the films began with online stories written for the ProPublica and Frontline websites by Thompson and freelancers Ali Winston and Jake Hanrahan, as well as online videos produced by ProPublica’s Lucas Waldron.

“In the wake of Charlottesville, Frontline and ProPublica journeyed deep into America’s shadowy white supremacist movement, exposing some of its most influential leaders,” duPont Award judges said.

The investigation generated real-world impact, including a congressional inquiry into the military’s handling of white supremacists within its ranks and the prosecution of nine members and associates of white supremacist groups.

See all of this year’s duPont Award winners here.

Citations

[1] “Documenting Hate: New American Nazis,” Coming Soon From ProPublica and Frontline — ProPublica ➤ https://www.propublica.org/article/documenting-hate-new-american-nazis-coming-soon-from-propublica-and-frontline[2]https://journalism.columbia.edu/2020-dupont-winners