Baltimore Sun 'Zombieland' series earns Urban Journalism Award from Freedom Forum, enterprise foundation

11.13.00

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ATLANTA — An in-depth newspaper series about the decayed, overcrowded and lead paint-infested homes in one Baltimore neighborhood today earned the third annual "Excellence in Urban Journalism Award." The series, written by The (Baltimore) Sun's Jim Haner, brought investigations into housing violations and spurred a multi-agency investigation into a drug dealer who had established property management companies to launder money and stymie housing inspectors.

The award, conferred annually by The Enterprise Foundation and The Freedom Forum, honors outstanding coverage of the challenges facing inner-city America and the people who live there. The Freedom Forum, a nonpartisan foundation dedicated to free press, free speech and free spirit for all people, and Enterprise, the nation's community development leader, created the Excellence in Urban Journalism Award in 1998.

Haner, a Sun metro reporter, spent more than a year in a slum enclave of east Baltimore, producing a collection of stories that stunned state and city officials as well as residents. The neighborhood surrounds a small, struggling elementary school, and the investigation revealed that felons were purchasing up blocks of run-down houses and renting them in substandard condition to the area's residents, who often were too destitute to fight the practice or to leave their neighborhood. The "landlords" undermined urban renewal efforts and contributed to the plague of lead-paint poisoning that had earned the neighborhood its moniker, "Zombieland." Buttressing his on-site reporting with extensive database research, Haner brought to light a ring of property owners, many with extensive drug dealing records, who were being sheltered by property management companies.

As a result of the series, Maryland and Baltimore officials pledged $50 million to rid the city of housing contributing to lead poisoning. Additionally, Baltimore agencies targeted for investigation a particularly egregious slum speculator, and city officials began work to overhaul housing enforcement efforts and improve communication among city offices. Finally, a drug kingpin who had been using his real estate business to launder money was convicted of masterminding a drug conspiracy.

The Sun's ambitious series was selected from among 46 print and broadcast admissions. Haner received a $5,000 award for his series at The Enterprise Foundation's 19th annual Network Conference in Atlanta. Judges were Ray Suarez, of PBS' "NewsHour with Jim Lehrer," and Marcia Slacum Greene, reporter for The Washington Post.

"Urban communities too often are ignored or their problems not well understood," said Bart Harvey, chairman and CEO of The Enterprise Foundation. "Congratulations to Mr. Haner and to The Sun for investing the time and resources to investigate these imperative issues and for instigating the process of restoring the fragile balance of this neighborhood. The Enterprise Foundation and The Freedom Forum wish to support media interest in the significant issues and people in urban settings."

Charles L. Overby, chairman and CEO of The Freedom Forum, said, "This award exemplifies the best in journalism — reporting that has a real impact on people's lives, that generates change, and that educates the public about important, often hidden, issues in our cities. We hope this recognition encourages editors and reporters to pursue such coverage more vigorously."

Entries for the 2001 award must be postmarked by April 1, 2001, and mailed to Sandra Gregg, The Enterprise Foundation, 10227 Wincopin Circle, Floor 5, Columbia, MD 21044-3313.

Single articles, series, broadcast and Internet submissions that were published during calendar year 2000 are eligible. Entries must involve news or feature reports on how a community has been affected — positively or negatively — by an event or situation. Topics may include, but are not limited to, housing, community safety, community development, transportation, welfare to work and childcare.

Application forms will be available by mail and on the Internet after Jan. 1, 2001, at:

www.freedomforum.org/professional/apps/urbanaward.asp

www.enterprisefoundation.org

The Enterprise Foundation rebuilds communities. Working with partners and a national network of more than 1,500 nonprofit organizations in 550 locations, Enterprise provides low-income people with affordable housing, safer streets and access to jobs and child care. Enterprise has raised and committed more than $3.4 billion in equity, loans and grants to help build or renovate more than 107,000 homes. Launched by Jim and Patty Rouse in 1982, Enterprise is building America one community at a time.

The Freedom Forum, based in Arlington, Va., is a nonpartisan, international foundation dedicated to free press, free speech and free spirit for all people. The foundation focuses on four main priorities: the Newseum, the interactive museum of news in Arlington, Va.; First Amendment issues; newsroom diversity; and world press freedom.