Michigan Radio’s Believed podcast was named a winner of a prestigious Peabody Award today in the Radio & Podcast category. This is the first time that Michigan Radio has won a Peabody Award.
Hosted by Michigan Radio reporters Kate Wells and Lindsey Smith, the nine-part series investigates how former sports doctor Larry Nassar was able to abuse hundreds of women and girls for more than 20 years. The podcast was a first-of-its-kind collaboration between a member station and NPR, which distributed it.
“To be recognized with a Peabody award for our team’s work on the Believed podcast is most gratifying and humbling,” said Steve Schram, Executive Director and General Manager of Michigan Radio. “We also appreciate the efforts of NPR who helped raise the profile of our work with the distribution of Believed on NPR programs and podcast providers.”
Support Believed and future projects like it by making a donation today: Click here to donate now.
"Michigan Radio is beyond proud to be able to bring the stories of these survivors to podcast listeners across the world,” said Zoe Clark, Michigan Radio Program Director. "We are grateful to the women who were willing to share their stories and hope this reporting will spark conversations aimed at preventing future abuse."
The Peabody Awards are recognized as one of the highest honors in the field of journalism with the most powerful, enlightening and invigorating stories in television, radio and digital media being celebrated each year.
"This is such well-deserved recognition for the team at Michigan Radio. They tackled a challenging investigation with tremendous tenacity and sensitivity," said Anya Grundmann, SVP of programming and audience development at NPR. "Believed is a perfect example of how podcasting has extended public radio’s mission to give voice to people and ideas that help us see our world more clearly."
In addition to winning a Peabody, the podcast has also been recognized with a Dart Award for Excellence in Coverage of Trauma from the Columbia School of Journalism, a Scripps Howard Award for Radio/Podcast In-Depth Coverage, and an Award for Excellence in Coverage of Youth Sports from Penn State University’s John Curley Center for Sports Journalism.
Peabody Award winners will be celebrated on Saturday, May 18 at Cipriani Wall Street in New York. Ronan Farrow, a contributing writer for The New Yorker and an investigative reporter and producer based at HBO, will serve as host.
To listen to the Peabody Award-winning Believed, you can find it on Apple Podcasts, NPR One, or wherever you listen to podcasts.
About Michigan Radio
Michigan Radio is an NPR news station, and the most listened to public radio news source in Michigan. The station's news team began covering the Larry Nassar abuse story in the fall of 2016, when allegations first surfaced against the former USA Gymnastics and MSU sports doctor. Since then, the station has produced more than 200 stories related to the case. Michigan Radio's news stories can be found online at michiganradio.org. Michigan Radio is a public media service of The University of Michigan.
About NPR
NPR's rigorous reporting and unsurpassed storytelling connect with millions of Americans everyday—on the air, online, and in person. NPR strives to create a more informed public—one challenged and invigorated by a deeper understanding and appreciation of events, ideas, and cultures. With a nationwide network of award-winning journalists and 17 international bureaus, NPR and its Member Stations are never far from where a story is unfolding. Listeners consider public radio an enriching and enlightening companion; they trust NPR as a daily source of unbiased independent news, and inspiring insights on life and the arts.
