The Peabody Awards announced Tuesday 11Alive's investigation Lost on the Line: Why 911 is Broken won a 2016 Peabody.
According to the organization, they "exist to recognize when storytelling is done well in electronic media; when stories there matter."
The series of investigative stories by 11Alive's Chief Investigative Reporter Brendan Keefe and Digital Producer Phillip Kish spurred a nationwide investigation into the 911 system.
The Peabody Awards announcement about the win described the series this way:
Inspired by a single 911 call for help that failed fatally, WXIA reporter Brendan Keefe launched an ambitious, enterprising multimedia probe that revealed government oversights and technical shortcomings in supposedly smart iPhones and in telecommunications infrastructure that were causing needless deaths across the country.
“Our mission is to hold the powerful accountable. I am humbled to be honored with a Peabody Award for our investigative work, but this national recognition underscores the urgency to fix 911 location accuracy for the 170 million Americans who call for help from a cell phone every year," Keefe said.
"It's an honor for our digital team to be included in this prestigious award," Kish said. "Brendan was really adamant that the presentation of the story on the web was equally as important as its presentation on traditional TV."
Monica Pearson, former Atlanta anchor, is a member of the Peabody Board of Jurors. She visited the 11Alive Newsroom Tuesday to share the news in person.
Brendan has continued the investigation into 2016. Watch the latest parts below:
