The New England Center for Investigative Reporting won a first place nod for investigative reporting in the Awards for Excellence in Health Care Journalism from the national Association of Health Care Journalists, Executive Director Joe Bergantino announced March 19.
The award was granted to NECIR reporter Beth Daley for her examination of unregulated medical tests – from everything from cancer to Lyme disease to prenatal genetic defects. Reporting Interns Shan Wang and Samantha Costanzo also contributed to the reports.
Daley won in the investigative category for small news outlets. Judges said her entry was “the clear winner of the field. An ambitious investigation that has the potential to impact thousands of people.” The New England Center is an independent, nonprofit news center based out of Boston University and WGBH News.
The 2014 awards recognizes’ the best health reporting in 11 categories - from public health to investigative work to health policy. The health care association launched the awards program amid growing concern that too many journalism prizes are sponsored by special interest groups that seek to sway media coverage. No health care companies or agencies fund this awards' program.
Daley’s stories were published on the New England Center's website and also were picked up by scores of websites, newspapers and radio stations across the country. Her investigation into a new generation of prenatal tests that have led to unintended abortions also was published in the Boston Globe.
Daley recently was awarded a $15,000 McGraw Fellowship for Business Journalism by The City University of New York Graduate School of Journalism to look more closely at unregulated genetic tests. Also, the Society of American Business Editors and Writers (SABEW) announced March 2 that she is a finalist in its 2014 Best in Business competition, which recognizes outstanding business stories.
The awards will be presented during a luncheon on April 25 at Health Journalism 2015, the association's annual conference, taking place this year in Silicon Valley. First-place winners will receive $500 plus registration and hotel accommodations at the conference. Those winners also will speak on conference panels about their work.