NBC 7 San Diego's Investigative Unit has received national recognition for its expansive documentary series looking into child sex trafficking in San Diego County and beyond.
The Radio Television Digital News Association honored NBC 7 San Diego with the Edward R. Murrow Award for Excellence in Innovation for its seven-part digital documentary series.
“Our team is honored by this recognition and will strive to continue delivering work at this high level and better serve our community,” said Todd Mokhtari, president and general manager of NBC 7.
The NBC 7 Investigates team, comprised of anchor Monica Dean, producer Tom Jones, and photojournalists Jay Yoo and Elroy Spatcher, spoke to sex trafficking survivors, families of those caught in the cycle and victims' advocates to understand in a new way how the illicit child sex market thrives.
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Click here to watch NBC 7 San Diego's year-long investigation into child sex trafficking and exploitation in San Diego County and beyond
The year-long investigation secured exclusive interviews, jailhouse recordings and other elements that exposed gaps in the justice system and the lack of consequences for those who pay to sexually assault children; and, for the first time ever, showed substantial proof of the scope of the problem in San Diego County schools.
“This award highlights our newsroom’s dedication to delivering the stories that impact our viewers, on the platforms and in the way they consume news,” said Greg Dawson, vice president of news at NBC 7. “This series is a digital-first investigation, helping our consumers understand a difficult but important topic for our community.”
The Excellence in Innovation category is designed to award organizations that innovate their product to enhance the quality of journalism and the audience’s understanding of news.
Beyond the documentary series, the Stolen project utilizes interactive multimedia storytelling to highlight the exploitation of children through the unique stories of survivors. The project tests the knowledge of its audience and shares ways to help.
Watch Stolen on NBC7.com, on Apple TV, Roku and Peacock and go in-depth into the full investigation here.
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The Murrow Awards highlight the highest quality of broadcast and electronic journalism, and are among the most respected journalism awards in the world. Winners are selected for embodying the values and principles set by Edward R. Murrow, a pioneer in journalism.
See the full list of Murrow Award winners here.
