Grantees Nadja Drost and Bruno Federico Win Peabody Award

Nadja Drost and Bruno Federico were honored with a 2021 Peabody Award for their Pulitzer Center-supported PBS NewsHour report, “Desperate Journey.”

Part of a wider project called Extra-Continental Migration: The Longest Journey to America, “Desperate Journey” provides a rare look into the often deadly trek migrants take through the Darien Gap, a dangerous wilderness crossing between Colombia and Panama that is part of the overland journey from South America to the United States border.

“PBS special correspondent Nadja Drost and videographer Bruno Federico put themselves at great risk to join this caravan to bring us ‘Desperate Journey,’ a harrowing tale brought straight from its source,” notes the Peabody Awards website. “What could be more consequential, in helping viewers to understand the desperation of these migrants, than the image of them stepping over the skeletal remains of those who have gone before them and failed? For its courage and its power, and for its visceral telling of an urgent and necessary story, ‘Desperate Journey’ is a Peabody winner.”

Previously, Drost was awarded a Pulitzer Prize in feature writing for a print version of the story that appeared in California Sunday Magazine. She is one of the few freelancers to be honored with a Pulitzer.

“Respected for its integrity and revered for its standards of excellence, the Peabody is an honor like no other for television, podcast/radio, and digital media,” the Peabody website reads. “Chosen each year by a diverse Board of Jurors through unanimous vote, Peabody Awards are given in the categories of entertainment, documentary, news, podcast/radio, arts, children’s and youth, public service, and multimedia programming.

“The annual Peabody winners are a collection of 30 stories that powerfully reflect the pressing social issues and the vibrant emerging voices of our day. From major productions to local journalism, the Peabody Awards shine a light on the Stories That Matter and are a testament to the power of art and reportage in the push for truth, social justice, and equity.”

For the full list of winners, visit the Peabody Awards website.