Excellence in Audio Storytelling, Long-form
Jacklyn Kim, “Exposed: Cover-Up at Columbia University,” Wondery & ProPublica
ABOUT THE WORK: From Wondery, in a reporting partnership with ProPublica, this six-part podcast investigation reveals how Columbia University covered-up the sexual abuse of patients for decades under the care of OB-GYN Robert Hadden.
The result is a story that unfolds largely through the voices of the survivors. Episode 1 begins when a survivor’s routine postpartum exam with Dr. Hadden ends in a frantic 911 call; Columbia lets him return to work after just one business day. In Episode 2, the Manhattan DA’s Office ultimately allows Hadden to go home with no jail time – one of many betrayals the survivors are asked to accept. The first survivor to go public speaks out against Hadden in Episode 3, followed by revelations that Columbia had known about his crimes for decades in Episode 4. Those discoveries help launch a federal investigation that concludes with Hadden’s sentencing in Episode 5, where the survivors finally face him in court. The final Episode 6 dives into sharp questions around Columbia’s culpability, and the aftermath of the release of Exposed.
Since the release of the podcast, medical students staged a demonstration during the inauguration of the new Columbia University president, demanding accountability and disclosure of Hadden’s crimes to former patients. One Columbia University law professor sent a letter to administrators saying she found the university’s legal filings against the survivors so disturbing she was including them in her classes as examples of unethical legal behavior.
On Oct. 24, 2023, New York state assembly members held a press conference at the Columbia gate, and hand-walked a letter to Columbia University's president signed by 36 bi-partisan state lawmakers. During the press conference, medical students were handing out fliers with a QR code for the ProPublica story co-written by Laura Beil and Bianca Fortis, in tandem with the podcast’s release. A unanimous resolution by the university senate said that the Hadden revelations have “shaken our community to the core” and “done real damage to Columbia’s reputation and to our trust and faith in our own institution.”
In November of 2023, Columbia finally agreed to notify patients about Robert Hadden, commissioned an independent investigation, formally apologized for their role in their patients' trauma, and set up a settlement fund. More than 700 victims have come forward. Many of them say that they believed the abuse they suffered only happened to them. For decades, it was a burden they carried alone.
Jacklyn Kim (she/her) is an independent journalist and award-winning producer, editor, director, and showrunner based in Los Angeles. Over the past decade, her love for the craft of audio has led to experimenting across multiple formats — whether tackling a deep-dive investigative series, interviewing K-pop artists & celebrities, reporting on curious food stories, or just making good old fashioned public radio. Select projects include NPR, KPCC/LAist, KCRW, Pushkin, Apple, Wondery, America's Test Kitchen, Netflix, and more. Outside of audio, she loves to eat and will happily share a food rec at any time.
Judges’ comments: “This series was a masterful example of investigative journalism. The podcast series deepened the impact of this investigation and literally gave a voice to many of the victims of this horrendous crime.”
Honorable Mention: Melissa Akiko Slaughter, Maya Lin Sugarman, James Kim, Eric Mennel, Jenna Weiss Berman, Max Linsky, Maria Robins-Sommerville, Darby Maloney, Joel Lovell, Davy Sumner, Marina Paiz, Raj Makhija, Aaron Reiss, Hannis Brown and Matthew Wang, “Magnificent Jerk,” Audacy’s Pineapple Street Studios and Apple TV+
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