A CNBC team has won the cable television category in third annual awards from the Center for Integrity in News Reporting.
The team included Melissa Lee, Scott Zamost, Paige Tortorelli, and David Lettieri, who produced “RiskyRX.”
Over 10 months of reporting, CNBC documented the growth of so-called alternative funding programs (AFPs) — companies that promise dramatic prescription drug savings to cash-strapped employers, including municipalities, school districts, retirement plans, unions, and small businesses. Patients are told they can receive medications at little or no cost, but the suppliers are often unverified and operate outside the FDA-regulated supply chain. The series included a broadcast investigation and a CNBC.com investigative report.
The judges wrote, “RiskyRX was a solid and balanced series. The reporter did a thorough job of interviewing patients, Homeland Security, several federal agencies, and even an AFP itself to make sure she covered all sides of the story with a fair representation of facts about a serious issue for low-income patients and employers.”
See all of the winners here. Each of the winners received a $25,000 cash prize.
