Hello again,

I’m delighted to start this newsletter by sharing the news that On Point has been honored with a 2022 Gracie Award for our episode looking back at the 1992 acquittal of four Los Angeles police officers accused of beating Rodney King. The episode, which won in the national radio documentary category, was produced during the 2021 trial of former Minneapolis police officer, Derek Chauvin, and focused on what had and had not changed in the U.S. between the two trials — nearly 30 years apart.

Additionally, The Alliance for Women in Media Foundation, which is behind the Gracie Awards, awarded Meghna Chakrabarti an Honorable Mention in the Reporter/Host/Correspondent category. They note that they found Meghna’s work to be ‘outstanding’ and ‘exceptional’ — and all of us on the team could not agree more!

The documentary award comes just a few months after On Point received the National Edward R. Murrow Award for news documentary. It bears pointing out that On Point, a daily show, has now won two major documentary awards in successive years. I think that speaks volumes about the effort and ambition of the On Point production team. Both of the award-winning episodes I just mentioned reached into history to help us understand the present. I believe it’s a signature of our storytelling — and you might have heard it in some of our recent shows on the Russian invasion of Ukraine, such as our exploration of whether war crimes are being committed and what the consequences of that might be.

In my last newsletter, I wrote that the war in Ukraine was just breaking out, and what a remarkable couple of months it has been for many of us in journalism as we’ve sought to comprehend and interpret the awful and historic events alongside our audiences. And I think that’s where a show like On Point is unmatched. We brought you the only long-form interview given by Ambassador Bill Taylor since the war broke out. The top U.S. diplomat in Ukraine from 2006 to 2009 and 2019 to 2020, he shared his unrivaled insight into the U.S. relationship with Ukraine.

We brought together retired colonels Alexander Vindman and Larry Wilkerson for a smart, passionate, and fascinating debate about what the U.S. role in Ukraine should be. Both men have unique and personal perspectives on global conflict. Vindman was born in Ukraine and testified in the first impeachment hearing against then-president Donald Trump. Wilkerson served as Secretary of State Colin Powell’s chief of staff during the Iraq war.

We’ve also spent a gripping hour hearing first-hand, in depth accounts, from Ukrainians living through the war.

Looking ahead, I’m really excited about a forthcoming four-part series exploring how artificial intelligence and machine learning are revolutionizing healthcare in the U.S. Produced by On Point’s Senior Editor, Dorey Scheimer, the series will take a close look at the technology itself, the ethical dilemmas it presents, and regulations being considered. We’ll also meet physicians and patients already experiencing this emerging technology in the treatment room. Look out for the series, Smarter Health: AI, Machine Learning and the Future of Medicine, beginning Friday, May 27 and rolling out subsequent Fridays.

Jonathan Dyer
Executive Producer, On Point