ABC News Nightline Special: Moment of Crisis, Anatomy of a Riot

It is extremely rare for a single news program to receive two Peabody Awards in the same year. However, in the view of the Peabody Board this documentary stood on its own as worthy of recognition. This special investigation by the superb Nightline team presented a detailed, behind-the-scenes account of the hours immediately preceding and following the announcement of the Rodney King verdict on April 29, 1992. Most importantly, in interviewing the principals from the trial – including members of the Los Angeles police department, the Mayor and others in his office, and the residents of Simi Valley and the Crenshaw district—Nightline helped focus the questions and provided needed answers as America came to grips with one of its darkest episodes in recent history. To a Moment of Crisis: Anatomy of a Riot, a Peabody Award.