Judges’ comments:
We loved this series- particularly the tobacco story, which had great visuals (the jewelry-store like settings where cigarettes are sold) that helped tell the story and lively writing (more smokers in China than PEOPLE in the U.S.) . It was also notable for what it didn t say but rather let the viewer recognize for him/herself: that China, with its government control over tobacco is today where the U.S. was not all that long ago.
1. Provide the title of your story or series and the names of the journalists involved.
PBS NewsHour China Health Series – Merrill Schwerin, Producer/Project Director – Ray Suarez, Senior Correspondent – Denis Levkovich, Cameraman – Catherine Wise, Reporter/Producer – Talea Miller, Reporter/Producer
See the tobacco and obesity parts to this series on the web.
2. List date(s) this work was published or aired.
China Tobacco Health Crisis: May 31, 2010 Waists Expand in China’s Growing Middle Class: June 1, 2010
3. Provide a brief synopsis of the story or stories, including any significant findings.
China Tobacco Health Crisis: May 31, 2010 On the eve of World No Tobacco Day, the PBS NewsHour’s global health team wanted to take an in-depth look at one of the leading causes of death worldwide: smoking. While tobacco use in the U.S. has been declining for years, smoking rates are actually going up in many countries. In China, 350 million people, including a significant number of medical professionals, light-up on a regular basis. The country is now facing staggering short term and long term health consequences. But as the country’s sole manufacturer and seller of cigarettes, the Chinese government is reluctant to wage antismoking campaigns. Our goal was to highlight a serious global health problem that often gets overlooked in the long list of challenges facing the developing world. Waists Expand in China’s Growing Middle Class: June 1, 2010 Many Americans know obesity is a “big” problem in the U.S., but few realize it’s a growing concern in a number of countries where incomes, and Western fast food joints, are on the rise. The NewsHour’s Global Health team went to China this year to report on the economic and cultural factors that are causing a surprising number of Chinese to become overweight. And we traveled around the country – from a “fat farm” outside of Beijing, to a Weight Watchers class in Shanghai – to examine the various ways the Chinese are now trying to shed some pounds.
4. Explain types of documents, data or Internet resources used. Were FOI or public records act requests required? How did this affect the work?
We read numerous medical reports and newspaper articles online while researching this series. The World Health Organization’s Report on the Global Tobacco Epidemic was a helpful resource for the smoking
5. Explain types of human sources used.
For the tobacco report, a number of experts and groups in the U.S. provided valuable information as we were developing the story: the World Lung Foundation, Dr. Jeffrey P. Koplan at Emory University, Professor Matthew Kohrman at Stanford, and Dr. Jonathan Samet at USC, among others. These contacts helped us reach out to experts in China. For the obesity report, University of North Carolina Professor Barry Popkin, an expert on world obesity trends, provided a lot of guidance.
6. Results (if any).
Some viewers wrote in and expressed shock that so many Chinese are becoming overweight, so we decided to delve deeper into worldwide obesity trends. Shortly after the China series aired, Ray Suarez hosted a special online “Forum” with Dr. Barry Popkin, director of the UNC Interdisciplinary Obesity Center and author of “The World is Fat: The Fads, Trends, Policies and Products that are Fattening the Human Race,” and Dr. Michael Power, a research associate at the Smithsonian National Zoological Park and the American College of Obstetricians and Gynecologists. He’s co-author of “The Evolution of Obesity.” This is a link to that Forum: http://www.pbs.org/newshour/updates/health/jan-june10/forum_06-07.html
7. Follow-up (if any). Have you run a correction or clarification on the report or has anyone come forward to challenge its accuracy? If so, please explain.
No corrections have been aired for our China series.
8. Advice to other journalists planning a similar story or project.
We found that experts in China were much more willing to talk to us if we knew someone they knew, or if we told them that so-and-so suggested we contact them. Securing Chinese journalist visas can be a tricky, especially for broadcast crews, so leave plenty of time for that process.