Personal Award: Mary Nissenson for “Poland: A Changing Nation”
WTVJ-TV, Mary Nissenson
When Mary Nissenson of WTVJ-TV, Miami, went to Poland to tape a local documentary about a holocaust victim, she had no idea she would get involved in Poland’s labor crisis. CBS News asked her to report for them. As her interest in the touchy situation grew, she decided to write, narrate and produce the story of Poland’s growing dissent that led to the crisis, and to do the documentary in such a way as to make it meaningful to her home community of Miami. The result, Poland:Changing Nation, was a superb example of television journalism at its best. Her explanations were so clear and her insight so understanding that she merits special recognition. The Peabody Board singles out Mary Nissenson for a Peabody Award for excellence.