Judges’ comments:
From the first sentence, readers are propelled on a chilling journey where a dying woman’s desperate gambit for a new kidney leads to a thriving, global black market, centered in the outcast slums of India, where poor workers were tricked or forced to sell their organs. The author crafted a vivid, intimate narrative that dug beneath the headlines of a high-profile investigation to illuminate the many victims of transplant profiteers.
1. Provide the title of your story or series and the names of the journalists involved.
The Organ Dealer, Discover, April 2010.
2. List date(s) this work was published or aired.
April 10, 2010.
3. Provide a brief synopsis of the story or stories, including any significant findings.
The story covers the rise and fall of an Indian kidney trafficking ring, illuminating the anatomy of the global kidney trade.
4. Explain types of documents, data or Internet resources used. Were FOI or public records act requests required? How did this affect the work?
The piece was based on extensive field reporting across India, in addition to phone interviews in the U.S., India and Greece.
5. Explain types of human sources used.
I interviewed police officials, national investigators, victims of kidney trafficking, kidney recipients, members of the ring and the ring’s mastermind.
6. Results (if any).
The story takes readers into the bowels of the global kidney trade, showing its evolution and illuminating the factors that allow the trade to flourish.
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 or clarifications have been necessary.
8. Advice to other journalists planning a similar story or project.
Report from the field, don’t take the word of experts as the gospel truth.