Atlanta, GA

Atlanta News First reporting wins prestigious duPont Columbia Award

Published

2 years ago

January 25, 2024

Atlanta News First reporting wins prestigious duPont Columbia Award

ATLANTA, Ga. (Atlanta News First) – The Sixth, an in-depth investigative series produced by Atlanta News First Investigates (WANF-TV) and InvestigateTV, has been awarded a 2024 duPont-Columbia Award.

Award winners were announced at a ceremony Thursday hosted by David Muir and Audie Cornish at Columbia University’s Low Library. The award is considered the broadcast equivalent of the Pulitzer Prize, both administered by the university.

The series, led by investigative reporter Andy Pierrotti, examined the impact of public defender shortages throughout Georgia and the nation. While The Sixth Amendment of the U.S. Constitution guarantees citizens accused of crimes the right to an attorney if they can’t afford one and a speedy trial, the series uncovered hundreds of people behind bars with no legal representation for months at a time.

Pierrotti traveled to Georgia, Wisconsin, Oregon and Maryland to document the consequences when there are no attorneys available for the poor and its impact to the criminal justice system.

Other contributors to the series include, Lee Zurik, vice president of investigations; Jamie Gray, managing editor at InvestigateTV; Lindsey Basye, executive producer of investigations; Luke Carter, investigative photojournalist and lead editor; Eric Carlton, investigative photojournalist; Dimitri Lotovski, investigative photojournalist; Bailey Williams, investigative producer; and Tim Darnell, digital content producer.

“I’m incredibly grateful to Columbia University and the jurors who believed the series was worthy of such an honor,” Pierrotti said. “I’m also lucky to work on a team with some of the best journalists in the country who helped make sure these important stories got on television and online.”

The journalism organization revealed 14 other winners during the evening, including PBS who won three, and The New York Times. Atlanta News First is among just five local news outlets to win.

The winning pieces go through a rigorous screening process before a group of nine jurors ultimately selects the award recipients.

“In this moment when truth is being tested here at home and around the world,” said Muir, “It is a privilege to honor the journalists who work tirelessly to uncover the truth, and who often risk their own lives to report on the most pressing stories of our time. Their work has never been more important, and it serves as an inspiration for us all”

Andy Pierrotti speaks after he and the Atlanta News First and Investigate TV team was awarded a 2024 duPont-Columbia award.(Columbia University via YouTube)

Founded by Jessie Ball duPont in honor of her late husband Alfred I. duPont, for 80 years the duPont awards have set the standard for audio and video reporting, in broadcast, documentary and online.

The duPont-Columbia Awards uphold the highest standards in journalism by honoring winners annually, informing the public about those journalists’ contributions and supporting journalism education and innovation, thereby cultivating a collective spirit for the profession.

“Every year I am uplifted by the sense of purpose these journalists bring into the rotunda at this ceremony,” said duPont Director Lisa R. Cohen. “Their work is a model for our students, and journalists everywhere.”

2024 duPont-Columbia Award winners:

20 Days in Mariupol, The Associated Press | PBS FRONTLINE
Accountability After Uvalde, Tony Plohetski & KVUE TV | The Austin American-Statesman
Afghanistan, Undercover PBS FRONTLINE
Aftershock, ABC News Studios | Onyx Collective | Hulu
Against All Enemies, Scott Friedman & KXAS-TV (NBC)
Beyond Utopia, Ideal Partners
BURNED, KUSA 9NEWS Denver
Caught on Camera, Traced by Phone: The Russian Military Unit That Killed Dozens in Bucha, The New York Times
Mother Country, Radicals Crooked Media
Putin vs the West, Brook Lapping | Les Films D’ici
Sold a Story: How Teaching Kids to Read Went So Wrong, APM Reports
The 13th Step, New Hampshire Public Radio
Environmental Reporting: (Combined) The Power of Water & Trashed, ABC News
The Power of Water, ABC News
Trashed: The Secret Life of Plastic Recycling, ABC News
The Sixth, Andy Pierrotti & WANF-TV | InvestigateTV
The U.S. and the Holocaust, Florentine Films | WETA

The Atlanta News First and Investigate TV team at the 2024 duPont-Columbia Awards on Thursday,... — The Atlanta News First and Investigate TV team at the 2024 duPont-Columbia Awards on Thursday, Jan. 25, 2024.(WANF)

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Atlanta, GA

2 Dead In Fiery Crash On Interstate 75 In Atlanta

Published

31 minutes ago

December 13, 2025

Press Room

2 Dead In Fiery Crash On Interstate 75 In Atlanta

ATLANTA, GA — Two people are dead following a fiery crash on Interstate 75 in Atlanta, according to police.

The crash occurred shortly before 3:15 a.m. Saturday on southbound I-75 near Cleveland Avenue Southwest. According to police, a Kia Sportage was traveling on I-75 when the driver lost control of the vehicle while attempting to exit at Cleveland Avenue.

Police said the vehicle left the roadway, hit a pole and subsequently caught fire.

Two unidentified occupants of the vehicle were pronounced dead at the scene.

Investigators with the Atlanta Police Department Accident Investigations Unit responded to the scene to determine what led to the crash. The investigation into the collision is ongoing.

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Atlanta, GA

Atlanta chef charged after shooting 2 suspected teen porch pirates outside his home

Published

13 hours ago

December 13, 2025

Press Room

Atlanta chef charged after shooting 2 suspected teen porch pirates outside his home

An Atlanta chef allegedly shot two teenagers who were suspected of trying to steal packages outside his home in broad daylight.

Rakim Bradford was charged with two counts of aggravated assault and possession of a firearm during the commission of a felony after he opened fire on the boys, ages 15 and 16, at his townhouse in the Mays neighborhood, southwest of Downtown Atlanta, on Thursday around 3:40 p.m.

Bradford, the head chef at an area IHOP, according to his LinkedIn, was at his home on the 700 block of Celeste Lane SW when he noticed the teens near his front porch, Atlanta Police said.

Officials believe the teens had traveled to the Villages of Cascade complex, where they spotted a delivery van and followed it, according to Atlanta News First, citing Bradford’s arrest warrant.

“After the packages were dropped, they agreed to steal that package from the front of the residence,” the warrant stated.

Bradford caught the teens going for the packages and allegedly shot the pair before they could steal the delivery.

“We believe a property crime was occurring, that some packages were being taken off a front porch, which is common this time of year,” Atlanta Police Chief Darin Schierbaum told reporters. “The homeowner did discharge his weapon to stop that theft of packages.”

The unidentified 15-year-old was found with a gunshot wound to the right foot. Officers later found the 16-year-old suffering from a gunshot to the right arm.

He was transported to the hospital in critical condition before undergoing surgery. The teen is expected to survive.

“The Atlanta Police Department takes gun violence very seriously,” Schierbaum said. “Anytime a child is injured in our city, we really take that really seriously. We want to make sure they know what’s happening.”

Bradford was detained after the shooting and brought in for questioning.

Officials ruled out a home invasion and didn’t announce any charges against the two teens.

Neighbors warned potential porch pirates of stealing packages from other homes.

“Don’t go and steal people’s packages,” Andrew Julian told the outlet. “On the other side of that, what right do you have to defend your own home, and then what decision do you make to defend your own home based on somebody taking an item off of your porch? So, it’s certainly a conversation to be had.”

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Atlanta, GA

Want a rental for the World Cup in Atlanta? Demand up as much as 4000%

Published

1 day ago

December 12, 2025

Press Room

Want a rental for the World Cup in Atlanta? Demand up as much as 4000%

Are you trying to find a short-term rental in Atlanta for the 2026 FIFA World Cup on match day?

The players on the field won’t be the only ones facing fierce competition.

In the days since the announcement of the group stage match-ups last week, demand for short term rentals in Atlanta has skyrocketed, reaching nearly a 5000% increase in some neighborhoods.

In a report published by AirDNA — a vacation rental analysis group that uses data from companies like Aibnb, VRBO and rental partners — researchers compared searches for short-term rentals in Atlanta in June and July 2025 to searches for the coming year during the same time period.

Here is what they found.

These Atlanta neighborhoods have highest demand

AirDNA found that in the city of Atlanta, the year-over-year change in demand for short term rentals for the dates of the group stage games increased 286% overall, as of Dec. 10.

For the round of 32 date, demand went up 351% from 2025 to 2026. During the round of 16, the demand was up 284%. The semi-final match led to an increase in demand of 213%.

For specific neighborhoods, the year-over-year increase in nightly demand for rentals was astronomical.

Here are the top 10:

Chosewood Park — 4450%
Buckhead — 2400%
Atlanta University Center/ Vine City — 1911%
Cabbagetown — 1833%
Edgewood — 1638%
Ben Hill — 1200%
Bankhead — 1141%
Grant Park — 1044%
Downtown Atlanta — 1034%
North Druid Hills — 900%

More than 30 other neighborhoods and cities in the greater Atlanta metro area saw increases in nightly demand by more than 200%.

Only six areas — Doraville, Brookhaven/North Buckhead, Douglasville, Powder Springs, Vinnings and Chamblee — saw a decrease in nightly demand for match days compared to 2025.

Rentals for night before also in high demand

When AirDNA compared demand for the night before a match versus the night after, the demand was similar if not higher in some cases.

The demand for rentals on June 14, the day before the first group stage match, is the same for demand on June 15 when the match is actually played, the data shows.

On June 20, however, demand for a rental in Atlanta overall is higher than on June 21, the day of the third group stage match.

Overall demand in Atlanta stays high once the World Cup begins, with some slower breaks in between the later tournament matches.

Can I still get World Cup tickets for Atlanta matches?

The Random Selection Draw period is on now for specific match tickets. Spectators hoping to see a specific match can request to enter the drawing through the FIFA ticketing website.

Tickets are also available for some of the more elaborate World Cup experiences, as well as through packages from Qatar Airlines. Tickets will open for resale on Dec. 15.

Irene Wright is the Atlanta Connect reporter with USA Today’s Deep South Connect team. Find her on X @IreneEWright or email her at ismith@usatodayco.com.

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