NBC announced that Richard Engel’s MSNBC documentary “War Zone Diary” has won a duPont award…

NBC News has won two prestigious Alfred I. duPont-Columbia University Awards. “Dateline NBC” was honored for “The Education of Ms. Groves,” a report that chronicled the experiences of first year teacher Monica Groves and explored and exposed the realities of life in a troubled American classroom. MSNBC and NBC News’ Senior Middle East Correspondent and Beirut Bureau Chief Richard Engel, are recognized for “War Zone Diary,” a rare and intimate account of everyday realities covering the war in Iraq. The 2008 winners were announced today by Columbia University. The award-winning journalists will be presented with the duPont silver baton on January 15, 2008 at Columbia University.

“Dateline NBC” has already received numerous accolades for “The Education of Ms. Groves” including Peabody and Headliner awards, and a News and Documentary Emmy nomination.

Description of winning entries:

“Dateline NBC”: The Education of Ms. Groves.

“Dateline NBC” spent a full school year following teacher Monica Groves and her sixth grade class at Jean Childs Young Middle School in Atlanta. Groves worked as part of “Teach for America,” which recruits accomplished college graduates to teach in low-income communities. The “Dateline NBC” report explored and exposed the realities of life in a troubled American classroom. The documentary, which aired in August 2006, focused on Groves’ idealism and commitment to her students as she confronted the challenges of urban education. It also profiled three of Groves’ pupils who with her help overcame obstacles on their way to educational success. Correspondent Hoda Kotb interviewed Groves at length about her goals, fears and accomplishments throughout the school year, as well as the students and their families. Also included in the report was Groves’ personal “video diary” in which she reflected on her day-to-day struggle to help her students reach their potential.

In their announcement, the duPont committee said, “Correspondent Hoda Kotb’s sensitive interviewing illuminates the emotional stories of Ms. Groves and three key students who are the center of this hour-long program. The result is a thoroughly engrossing broadcast that captures the challenge of educating American children.”

Correspondent: Hoda Kotb
Producers: Izhar Harpaz, Shayla Harris
Senior Producer: Ellen Mason
Associate Producers: Deanna DiMuro, Serene Fang, Henning Fog, Sarah Gregory
Editor: Frank Bido
Executive Editor: Liz Cole
Executive Producer: David Corvo

MSNBC & Richard Engel: “War Zone Diary”

MSNBC’s “War Zone Diary,” which aired in March 2007, showed the physical, emotional, and psychological toll the war has taken on Iraqis, the troops and correspondent Richard Engel. In the four years of filming, Engel survived bombings and kidnapping attempts and saw colleagues and friends injured, kidnapped, or killed by insurgents. In many ways, Engel’s story reflected the transformations the war itself has taken over the past four years. The report included gripping, emotional footage and interviews with other correspondents and U.S. troops, in addition to Engel’s personal accounts. Engel took the audience on his journey through his most exciting days and darkest moments covering this fast changing and vitally important conflict.

The duPont committee said, “Engel’s long tenure in the war zone enables him to tell an evolving story from a personal perspective. He recounts his difficult living conditions and his personal security measures, along with reporting on how the Iraqis react to the arrival of American troops and the destruction of Saddam Hussein’s dictatorship.”

Correspondent: Richard Engel
Producer: Madeleine Haeringer
Associate Producer: Elizabeth Ruksznis
Director: Carrie Wysocki
Editors: Beverly Chase, Linda Diehl
Camera: Kevin Burke, Bredun Edwards, Richard Engel, Steven O’Neill
Motion Graphics Artist: Jody Sugrue
Music: Gordon Miller
Senior Producers: Judith Greenberg, Sharon Hoffman
Senior Executive Producer: Scott Hooker
Vice President of Long-Form Programming: Michael Rubin