SEATTLE — KING 5’s investigative series “Skagit: River of Light and Loss” has been selected as the first place recipient of the 2022 National Headliner Award for environmental reporting.
The nine-part series from chief investigative reporter Susannah Frame, photojournalist Eric Desrosiers and former photojournalist Ryan Coe detailed Seattle City Light and the cost-effective electricity they’ve provided to residents for nearly 100 years – on the backs of Puget Sound animals, resources and the Native American tribes of the Skagit Valley.
“We are so grateful to be honored by the National Headliner Awards for this work,” said Frame when the award was announced. “The issues highlighted in the series are near and dear to the Pacific Northwest: salmon, orcas, and the culture and way of life for Native American tribes of the Skagit Valley. It is rewarding to see an esteemed national organization recognize the importance of these species and the rights of Indigenous Peoples of coastal Washington.”
In their remarks, judges applauded the investigative team's reporting that led to the City of Seattle’s passage of measures to protect the fish habitat, calling the series "a testament to the power of journalism to restore justice to nature, Indigenous Peoples and humanity.”
The 88th National Headliner Awards is one of the oldest and largest contests in the country that recognizes journalistic excellence. The awards were founded in 1934 by the Press Club of Atlantic City. Since then, more than 2,780 Headliner medallions have been presented to outstanding writers, photographers, daily newspapers, magazines, graphic artists, radio and television stations and networks, and news syndicates.
A full list of the 2022 winners is available on the National Headliner Awards website.
