WXYZ's investigative team got a nice shout out Tuesday in New York.
The station reports that its investigative team received the prestigious Alfred I. duPont-Columbia Award at a ceremony at Columbia University hosted by Christiane Amanpour or ABC News/CNN and Bryon Pitts of CBS News.
The award is regarded as the highest in broadcast journalism.
WXYZ-TV won the award for its years-long investigative series: “Wayne County Confidential: Government Run Amok.”
Reporters Heather Catallo and Ross Jones (pictured above) broke the story about former Wayne County Economic Development Director Turkia Mullin’s secret $200,000 severance package.
The station posted on its website:
Their investigations also revealed other secret severance deals, a political machine fueled with county resources and global travel for county officials funded by secret donors.
The 7 Action News Investigator’s reports led to an FBI investigation, a series of indictments, criminal charges, resignations, firings and stronger ethic rules.
Also honored for their work on the series were editor Randy Lundquist and photographers Ramon Rosario and Johnny Sartin. Ann Mullen is the executive producer of WXYZ’s investigative unit.
