Special Commendations

Britain’s Homecare Scandal
British Broadcasting Corporation - BBC, United Kingdom;
by: Sandy Smith (author/commissioning editor), Murdoch Rodgers (director/producer); produced by BBC,
co-produced by Kevin McCormick   

Citation by the Jury:
Britain's Homecare Scandal is a shocking story. Local authorities in Britain privatize the care for the elderly. As a result people who could be our parents are neglected, forgotten and sometimes even harmed by untrained and underpaid staff. In daring on the record and undercover reporting the BBC team uncovers how privatized care for the elderly degenerates into a business, profitable for one side, a disaster for the other. At the same time we  learn about the life stories, dreams and hopes of those elderly people who are nothing but a “care problem” for local authorities. The BBC team gave a voice to those who otherwise won’t be heard. The jury thinks, this is journalism at its best. 

The Surrogate Scam / Rugemor til salg
Danish Broadcasting Corporation - DR, Denmark
by: Mette Frisk, Søren Klovborg (authors/ directors/producers), Peter Palm Hansen, Jørgen Palmer, Anders Agerbo (camera), Steen Jensen (commissioning editor);produced by DR, co-produced by NRK, RUV

Citation by the Jury:
There is money to be made in the market of surrogacy.  A growing number of childless couples cross borders and pay women from The Third World to carry and deliver a child. For some of the couples it works out,  but for too many  it becomes a nightmare when their  hopes are being cynically exploited by ruthless middlemen and crooks.  Mette Frisk and Sören Klovborg  from Denmark set out to investigate this industry of surrogacy. Their findings are frightening. This current affairs piece is soft-spoken, respectful and close to the victims. And  in  the business of surrogacy victims can be found on all sides- cheated couples from Europe as well as exploited women in the Third World. The jury delegates were impressed by the programme makers persistent search for  the crooks in this industry as well as the open and quite moving portraits of couples whose dreams where crushed.