Lead Series Leads Post to Selden Prize

In another sign that award season is in full swing, the Washington Post yesterday received the 2005 Selden Ring Award for Investigative Reporting for its series last year exposing elevated levels of lead in D.C.’s water.

The team of seven reporters–including David Nakamura, who first broke the story–take home the $35,000 prize, which is believed to be the largest in journalism.

Other winners on the team include Metro staff writers Carol D. Leonnig, D’Vera Cohn, Craig Timberg, Monte Reel and Jo Becker and newsroom database editor Sarah Cohen.

In making the announcement, Michael Parks, former editor of the LA Times and director of the awarding USC Annenberg School of Journalism, said the over 200 articles published by the Post in its investigation were “a very important piece of journalism–important to every man, woman and child living in the District of Columbia, drinking its water and thinking it was pure.”

We’re sure it was pretty important to Brita‘s bottom line last year too.

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