NEWS
WFAE wins Sigma Delta Chi Award for “Asbestos Town,” Produced by David Boraks
(The News of Davidson Editors congratulate Davidson’s own David Boraks for this important work and for his receipt of the Sigma Delta Chi Award.)
Documentary looked at efforts to cleanup former factory in Davidson
The Society of Professional Journalists recognized WFAE with a 2021 Sigma Delta Chi Award in the documentary category. Reporter David Boraks produced an hourlong documentary about asbestos contamination at an old mill in a historically Black neighborhood in Davidson.
Over the years, attempts to redevelop the mill have failed. Those failed projects may have protected nearby residents who worry about gentrification.
Asbestos Town
Over the years, Boraks reported on the mill’s asbestos contamination as an environmental concern. In 2021, he produced “Asbestos Town,” a series that examined the mill’s history, tensions between Black residents and town leaders, and possible solutions. According to the judges, “Asbestos Town” is a “great example of the kind of quality work that can happen when a talented reporter gets to cover a beat for more than a decade.”
In addition to the documentary, “Asbestos Town” included web and radio stories, a “Charlotte Talks” show and a virtual community conversation.
++++++++++
About WFAE
WFAE is a multimedia news organization, licensed to the University Radio Foundation Inc. WFAE offers an award-winning mix of local, national and international news, and entertainment programs from NPR® and other content partners. With 90.7 in Charlotte, 90.3 in Hickory, 106.1 in Laurinburg and 93.7 in Southern Pines, WFAE serves more than 320,000 monthly listeners and 200,000 monthly readers in the greater Charlotte region. Listen online at WFAE.org.