L.A. Times and Scripps News Win National Headliner Award

The Los Angeles Times has won a National Headliner Award for “In Real Life: Crossing the Line,” a documentary collaboration with Scripps News. Founded in 1934 by the Press Club of Atlantic City, the competition is one of the oldest and largest annual contests recognizing outstanding journalism. The 90th annual National Headliner Awards were announced on Apr. 10.

The Times and Scripps News won first place in the Broadcast Television Networks, Cable Networks and Syndicators News Magazine Program category. The winning documentary features Times criminal justice editor Keegan Hamilton shadowing a militia group operating near the U.S.-Mexico border.

“A much needed approach to covering complicated news stories was found in these reports produced by Scripps News and the Los Angeles Times,” wrote the competition judges. “The in-depth reporting of very opposite groups at the border shed light on people that we only hear about in soundbites. Taking viewers on the ground and hearing first hand accounts while actually moving with the interview subjects on the ground was risky and exceptionally important. This is a fine example of what journalism is supposed to do. The collaborative effort showed accountability and allowed reporters in TV and print to showcase the best of both worlds with their varied approaches to covering a story.”

To learn more about the National Headliner Awards, visit headlinerawards.org.