Scarred for Life

Rarely has a program nominated for Peabody consideration received the attention and acclaim accorded this report. From the commendation of the faculty and student pre-screening committees to the unanimous recommendation of the Peabody Board, it was clear that this was important television reporting. In examining the centuries-old ritual of female circumcision in a direct, yet non-sensational manner, ABC News Day One brought this procedure to public attention and mobilized an effort at intervention and introduction of legislation in Congress. Especially deserving of merit are correspondent Shelia MacVicar and producer Susan Aasen who spent six months researching this story. Host Forrest Sawyer is to be commended for his incisive interviewing of State Department and UNICEF officials and women’s activists. For bringing this issue to the forefront of public attention, a Peabody to Scarred for Life.