Fault Lines wins two Peabody Awards

This week, Fault Lines was honored with two Peabody Awards for our films “Haiti in a Time of Cholera” and “Made in Bangladesh.”   

 “A pair of documentaries from Al Jazeera America’s Fault Lines series demonstrated its broad reach and aggressive journalism,” the Peabody announcement said. “'Haiti in a Time of Cholera’ examined the epidemic that has erupted since the 2010 earthquake and underscored the likelihood that U.N. peacekeepers are the source. ‘Made in Bangladesh’ found evidence of prominent American retailers turning a blind eye to the dangerous practices of foreign subcontractors, practices that led to horrible tragedies like the clothing-factory fire in Bangladesh that killed more than 100 people.”

“Haiti in a Time of Cholera” was produced by Sebastian Walker, Singeli Agnew, Jeremy Dupin, Carrie Lozano, and Mathieu Skene, and edited by Warwick Meade. The film begins in Haiti, where thousands have died a painful death after a cholera outbreak. The focus of the film then turns to the United Nations in New York where Walker pursues high-level officials, including Secretary-General Ban Ki-moon, to question them over their organization’s apparent role. 

"This is a recognition of the commitment Al Jazeera has made to telling stories that are not being heard,” said Walker, who was both a producer and correspondent on the film. “The award is for everyone that we met during the course of filming 'Haiti in a Time of Cholera.' Most of all, it's an opportunity to draw attention to the scale of the cholera crisis in Haiti, and to place the focus firmly on those who are impacted most."

“Made in Bangladesh” similarly focused on the plight of those who are largely ignored. Producer Laila Al-Arian said it was the recent garment factory accidents in Bangladesh—like the 2012 fire in the Tazreen Fashions factory—that led Fault Lines to examine the underlying problems in the clothing industry. In addition to Al-Arian, the production team behind the film was made up of Anjali Kamat, Tim Grucza, Andy Bowley, Warwick Meade, Paul Sapin, Joel Van Haren, Omar Mullick, Nafeesa Syeed, and Mathieu Skene.

 “We hope that the film was able to give a voice to the workers who make clothes for America’s biggest retailers—and highlight the dangers they face every day,” Al-Arian said. “We also hope that we shed some light on a complex supply chain system that has contributed to poor, dangerous, and sometimes deadly working conditions.”

In response to the Peabody announcement, Al Jazeera America President Kate O’Brian said, “The investigative work from the Fault Lines team reflects some of the best of Al Jazeera America’s unbiased and in-depth coverage of global news.” 

Watch trailers for both “Haiti in a Time of Cholera” and “Made in Bangladesh” below. 

Fault Lines travels from Haiti to the United Nations headquarters in New York to ask who should be held accountable for Haiti’s cholera epidemic.

In the wake of a 2010 earthquake, nearly eight thousand people have died horrible, painful deaths in Haiti since a cholera epidemic swept the country. More than half a million others have been infected. Dozens are still dying every week.

A growing body of scientific evidence shows that the U.N. peacekeeprs brought the disease into the country. But, despite the mounting evidence, the U.N. still refuses to acknowledge responsibility.

Fault Lines travels to Haiti to witness the devastating impact of cholera on the Hatian people and their fight for justice and compensation. Following the trail of U.N. authority from Haiti to New York, all the way up to Secretary-General Ban Ki-moon, Fault Lines asks questions of those who are most likely to be responsible.

Following two deadly factory disasters in Bangladesh, Fault Lines investigates Walmart and Gap supply chains to find out if the retailers know where their clothes are being made.

In November 2012, a fire at the Tazreen Fashions factory in Bangladesh killed at least 112 people. Walmart’s Faded Glory brand shorts were among the clothing found in the charred remains. Walmart blamed its supplier, saying the order had been subcontracted to Tazreen without its authorization.

Fault Lines follows the paper trail of the Faded Glory order and investigates whether Walmart has lost control of its supply chain in Bangladesh. We speak to the owner of the factory that received the original Faded Glory order, which ended up in Tazreen, and an auditor offers an insider’s perspective on how Walmart gets its clothing made.

Finally, Fault Lines visits an unauthorized finishing house where children as young as 12 work on Old Navy pants.