The Cancer Letter received eight 2021 Dateline Awards from the Washington, D.C. Chapter of the Society of Professional Journalists—five for journalism, and three for illustration.
During a year of reckoning on health equity, gender equality, and systemic racism, as the future of American democracy hung in the balance, The Cancer Letter’s work—recognized by SPJDC—focused on the resonance of Black Lives Matter in oncology, pervasive gender bias at America’s cancer centers, and tracking the impact of COVID-19.
The Cancer Letter’s entries recognized by SPJ include narrative journalism, interviews, surveys, infographics, illustrations and editorial cartoons. This is the second consecutive year The Cancer Letter has won an award for infographics. In a feature about sexual harassment reporting structures, the infographics are central to telling the story, and are recognized as part of the journalism award.
For the fourth consecutive year, The Cancer Letter has won first-place awards for illustration, and the second year The Cancer Letter has won awards for cartooning. The cartoons recognized this year accompany aguest editorial on medical charlatans who attached themselves to Stalin—and Trump.
The cartoon connects President Donald Trump’s infamous comment on the healing power of household detergents with Joseph Stalin’s championing of the healing power of baking soda.
First-place awards:
- Breaking News, Newsletter/Trade Publications, first place, by Alexandria Carolan, for “‘#WhiteCoats4BlackLives’ Aims to Lead to Real Change in Oncology”
- Features, Newsletter/Trade Publications, first place, by Alexandria Carolan, Katie Goldberg, Matthew Ong, and Jacqueline Ong (infographics), for “Sexual Harassment Reporting Structures in Oncology are Broken, The Cancer Letter Survey Finds”
- Art/Photo Illustration, Newsletter/Trade Publications, first place, by Katie Goldberg, for cover art illustrating the impact of COVID-19 on oncology.
- Editorial Cartoon, Newsletter/Trade Publications, first place, by Katie Goldberg, for “The Doctors’ Plot: American Style”
Finalist awards:
- Non-Breaking News, Newsletter/Trade Publications, finalist, by Matthew Ong and Katie Goldberg, for “First-ever Survey of Leadership Pipeline Points to Urgent Need for More Diversity at Elite Cancer Centers”
- Series, Newsletter/Trade Publications, finalist, by Alexandria Carolan, for “What to Expect: Oncology’s Response to Coronavirus in Italy”
- Series, Newsletter/Trade Publications, finalist, by Alexandria Carolan, Matthew Ong, and Paul Goldberg, for “COVID-19 and Cancer: Tracking the Surge, Early Data and Treatments”
- Art/Photo Illustration, Newsletter/Trade Publications, finalist, by Katie Goldberg, for selected cover art from 2020
