Duluth News Tribune wins national award for methadone series

The News Tribune was named winner this afternoon of a major journalism award for a series on methadone that ran in the Duluth newspaper last fall.

The series, “Methadone: A costly fix,” won the Scripps Howard Award for Community Journalism. The series' author, Brandon Stahl, is the News Tribune's former investigations editor who has moved on to a reporting position at the Minneapolis Star Tribune.

He will be awarded $10,000 and a trophy by the E.W. Scripps Company at a ceremony in May.

Entries were judged by 51 industry experts.

Stahl’s stories, which ran in September, are credited with prompting calls for statewide reform in the treatment of drug addiction.

“Two major reasons for a vigorous press is to bring serious information to readers that they may not be aware of, and to effect change to keep those outrages from continuing,” said News Tribune Editor Robin Washington.

“Brandon Stahl’s series did both, with one of the quickest responses by authorities I’ve seen in decades as an editor. Though Brandon has moved down the road, this story continues in the News Tribune as a serious matter of public safety the public needs to know.”

Judges noted Stahl’s research, extensive interviews and clear and concise writing and said:

“This problem would not have come to light if Stahl and the Duluth News Tribune hadn’t invested the time and resources to inform its community. It was first-rate all the way.”

Tags: news, business, health