According to The Hollywood Reporter, the seasoned news anchor/ America’s Favorite Blerd was among the first round of winners for the 75th annual Peabody Awards. Gumbel received the award for a special edition of his HBO docuseries Real Sports with Bryant Gumbel. The particular 2- part segment entitled “The Killing Fields” aired last November and explored the horrific world of elephant poaching. Gumbel interviewed poachers themselves, providing some truly chilling moments, like when one hunter insisted that elephants weren’t “Disney animals” but instead “killers”.
“One of the basics of what we do is you’re not supposed to get emotionally invested,” Gumbel said to his news team about the story. “In this instance, I’m guessing you all got emotionally invested. So what’s the answer? What’s a possible solution here? What’s practical? What’s realistic?” The special examined the valiant work of Wild Life Rangers’- despite limited resources- protection of the endangered elephants and safe haven of elephant orphanages that have bittersweetly emerged. You can watch Gumbel’s discussion with his team below.
Real Sports with Bryant Gumbel has been running on HBO since 1995. The monthly news magazine has covered various in- depth topics and spotlighted sports figures during its 20- plus year run, earning nominations and wins from several lauded organizations like the Emmys, GLAAD, Image Awards and even a previous Peabody in 2013.
Gumbel is a veteran newsman, anchoring multiple news programs over his career. He’s co-hosted Today and served as anchor on NBC’s Dateline and later CBS’s The Early Show.
The first batch of Peabody winners focused on news reporting in television, radio, the internet and public service. Other winners announced today includes PBS News Hour’s series on Syrian Refugees. The prestigious award show has expanded their field of finalists and winners to “The Peabody 30? for its seminal 75th year. “There are now more than 400 scripted prime time television shows, new locations for documentary television, a flood of podcasts and a wealth of quality digital storytelling,” Peabody Awards director Jeffrey P. Jones said in a statement. “Peabody has to reflect that change in order to continue to award the best of the best, while also recognizing and highlighting this expanded field of quality media production.”
The entertainment and children’s/youth winners will be announced on NBC’s Today show April 21 and documentary and educational winners via Facebook Live on April 26.
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