Coverage of Africa

The essence of great reporting remains great writing. In her series of reports in 1998 emanating from all areas of Africa, Charlayne Hunter-Gault’s dispatches simply soared. Based in Johannesburg, correspondent Hunter-Gault followed South Africa’s transition from apartheid to black rule with depth, insight and breadth. Yet, she did not confine herself to South Africa. Through the year, she reported for NPR from Senegal, Congo, Rwanda, the Sudan, Ghana, Kenya, Zimbabwe and elsewhere, covering famine, civil war and the continuing struggles that mark this important, often under-reported and misunderstood continent. Ms. Hunter-Gault demonstrated a talent for ennobling her subjects, and revealed a depth of understanding of the African experience that was unrivaled in Western media. Moreover, her reports illustrated the power of radio. Described and introduced with intelligence and passionate eloquence, her subjects were given voice, and their personal stories moved from our ears into our hearts. In recognition of great reporting, a Peabody Award, her second, to Charlayne Hunter-Gault and National Public Radio for Coverage of Africa.