Best of the Best 2018 (Part 1)

This hour, winners of our annual Third Coast/Richard H. Driehaus Foundation Competition. Featuring...

John Thompson vs. American Justice — Best Documentary: Bronze Award
by Andrew Marantz, Sarah Lustbader, and Katherine Wells and edited by David Krasnow for The New Yorker Radio Hour
When John Thompson was investigated for the murder of the son of a prominent family in New Orleans, he insisted on his innocence. But prosecutors wanted a conviction and he quickly landed on death row. Eighteen years later, and just weeks before his execution date, Thompson’s lawyers discovered that a prosecutor had hidden exculpatory evidence from the defense.

Uncounted Civilian Casualties in Iraq — Best Documentary: Honorable Mention Award
by Annie Brown, with reporter Azmat Khan and edited by Lisa Tobin for The Daily
The American-led battle against the Islamic State has been hailed as the most precise air campaign in history. But its airstrikes have killed far more Iraqi civilians than anyone has acknowledged. Basim Razzo lost his family and his home in one of these airstrikes. Why was Mr. Razzo’s home targeted? And how often does this happen?

Summer Rain — Best Documentary: Foreign Language Award
by Nanna Hauge Kristensen for Danish Radio P1
Visibility and invisibility. Severance and openings. Everyday life, loss and rain. This short documentary is a personal piece about Chemo therapy.
This story in in Danish. Click here to listen to the full story with subtitles in English by Radio Atlas.

Host’s Fat — Skylarking Award
by Jonathan Zenti and edited by Cathy Fitzgerald for Meat
Jonathan Zenti is an overweight man. He explains how the shape of his body and the diets he underwent in his life has often caused him to question his identity.

Hidden Problems of Silicon Valley — Radio Impact Award
by Will Evans and Alyssa Jeong Perry and edited by Taki Telonidis with Ziva Branstetter for Reveal in partnership with KQED
This investigation into Tesla’s safety practices shows how the company has prioritized production over safety and disregarded the warnings of its own safety staff. Tesla responded by calling Reveal an "extremist organization."

Overnight in the E.R. — Best News Feature Award
by Sammy Mack and edited by Alicia Zuckerman for WLRN News
Over the course of a night at the Ryder Trauma Center at Jackson Memorial Hospital in Miami, it’s not uncommon to see a gunshot wound victim come through the doors. This story shows what happens in those crucial moments after a shooting in real-time.

Man Choubam (I am good) — Best Documentary: Silver Award
by Sharon Mashihi with editors Bob Carlson and Kaitlin Prest for UnFictional from KCRW
Sharon calls herself a weirdo and refuses to conform to cultural standards. Her mom does not approve. They confront their longstanding differences on an Iranian self-help cruise.

This hour of Best of the Best was produced by Isabel Vázquez.

You can learn more about the 2018 Third Coast / Richard H. Driehaus Foundation Competition Awards Ceremony here, and listen to all the speeches in their entirety.

Listen to Hour 2 of Best of the Best here.