Kaiser Health News Wins Feddie Award

Christina Jewett of Kaiser Health News has won the National Press Foundation’s Feddie Reporting Award for her work that pried open a hidden database of medical equipment malfunctions.

Jewett’s “Hidden Harm” series exposed the U.S. Food and Drug Administration’s secret database of malfunctioning medical devices. Her reporting prompted the FDA to publish its entire database online.

Jewett will be honored at the National Press Foundation’s annual journalism awards dinner on Feb. 13, 2020. Learn more about the dinner and awards here.

NPF judges said: “Christina Jewett’s reporting reveals a shocking 20-year effort to hide from doctors and public view thousands of cases of medical equipment malfunctions. We were stunned by the story, which has universal impact and is a failure of federal regulation. Manufacturers of major medical devices were allowed by the Food and Drug Administration to file reports of malfunctions in a special hidden database. Thanks to Jewett, the FDA has now revealed 5.7 million device-related injuries or malfunctions for the first time.”

In 2010, the National Press Foundation established the Feddie Reporting Award to recognize outstanding reporting about the impact of federal laws and regulations on local communities. A list of past winners is here.

The National Press Foundation is an independent nonprofit that is run by and for journalists. NPF’s sole mission is to educate journalists about today’s most pressing issues and critical toolbox training.

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