Buddy Check 12

After her best friend died of breast cancer at age 29, reporter Jeannie Blalock of WTLV-TV, Jacksonville, Florida, began Buddy Check 12 to encourage women in the station’s viewing area to do monthly self-examinations. Through personal stories of both tragedy and triumph, Buddy Check 12 has helped women overcome the fears associated with breast cancer. By fighting the illogical rationalization that by ignoring self-exams cancer will not occur, this unprecedented effort has saved the lives of hundreds of women in the Jacksonville area. The campaign now extends its reach beyond Jacksonville and Florida. To date, the program has been adopted by nearly 50 other television stations in the United States and can be seen in the Philippines, Sweden, and Guam as well. In addition, this model public service campaign has been expanded to include the cancers that strike men. For creating a life-saving project that is fighting fear and spreading hope, a Peabody to Jeannie Blaylock and the rest of the team at WTLV-TV, Gannett Broadcasting in Jacksonville for Buddy Check 12.