March 2009

Two staff writers for The State win this year's Taylor/Tomlin Award

by Cheryl Matheson

John Monk and Sammy Fretwell, staff writers for The State newspaper, have won this year’s Taylor/Tomlin Award for their series, "DHEC Under Fire." The award is administered by the University of South Carolina School of Journalism and Mass Communications. (Read the winning series>)

The veteran reporters wrote an eight-day package about troubles at the S.C. Department of Health and Environmental Control.

Each day they published a story about how DHEC's difficulties were affecting average citizens who depend on the agency to make sure their air and water are clean, and their health is protected. Each story was supported by sidebars, graphics and photos.

“This year’s award for the series ‘DHEC Under Fire,’ shows in a concrete way the critical role investigative reporting plays in developing an informed citizenry.  As a newcomer to Columbia, this series quickly brought me up to speed about some of the critical issues facing our state,” said Dr. Carol Pardun, director of the School of Journalism and Mass Communications.

To get the story, the reporters faced many difficulties. It took weeks to get answers to basic questions and even months to gain access to files that were needed. They were forced to submit all initial questions in writing. If follow-up questions were necessary, those also had to be submitted in writing.

In addition, the reporters were barred from a meeting of residential care providers about deaths and poor treatment at residential care homes. DHEC told the reporters it denied their request to attend because the media would make it uncomfortable for the providers to discuss the topic openly. The reporters showed up at the meeting anyway only to be denied entry a second time.

Judges for the Taylor/Tomlin award said the winning entry was a textbook case of how to do investigative reporting well and how to fit all the pieces together in an investigative project.

"Investigative journalism means using in-depth reporting to hold the government, businesses or others accountable for their actions,” said Sammy Fretwell.

“That's done by exposing issues the general public doesn't know about. It means hours of tedious work, sometimes without knowing where that work will lead you. You often must interview reluctant sources and review stacks of public records to find the truth,” Fretwell said.

In this specific piece, the issues were broad and complex in nature.

“There were often local, state and federal aspects, all intertwined. We had to master the ‘language’ of each topic before we could even talk intelligently about these topics and interview knowledgeable people,” said John Monk.

He said they dealt with numerous isolated and complex topics - from coal plants to mega-landfills to the Charleston port to coastal dune regulations to underground storage tanks to homes for the disabled.

In response to the series, the state legislature is now considering bills to put the governor in charge of DHEC, as well as banning mega-landfills. DHEC has said it would push for more authority to deny permits to companies with histories of polluting the environment.

"Be prepared to dig. Look under every rock you can find. Talk to every source you hear about. Chase down every lead that you can." Fretwell said.

The Taylor/Tomlin Award was named for and is given in collaboration with South Carolina businessmen Joe E. Taylor Jr. and Donald R. Tomlin Jr. The award recognizes enterprising, perceptive and beneficial reporting by journalists whose work is published in a South Carolina daily or weekly newspaper or wire service. The prize seeks to stimulate and honor the work of investigative journalists.

The two reporters will receive the award at 11 a.m. on Tuesday, March 31, at the Capstone Auditorium. The event is part of I-Comm Week, highlighting different aspects of the College of Mass Communications and Information Studies, which starts Monday, March 30 and ends Friday, April 3.

Cheryl Matheson is a print journalism student graduating in May 2009. A Columbia native, she has been interested in journalism since her first day in high school. "I knew I always had an interest in writing, but I never knew I could combine my love for writing with asking the tough questions and getting information out to the people who want and need it," she said.