By Dr. Jeffrey Jones, Executive Director
It was an impromptu moment. Ceremony host Kumail Nanjiani had waded into the audience to engage one of the winners, Sir Patrick Stewart, who was attending the 84th annual Peabody Awards ceremony to celebrate Star Trek’s Institutional Peabody Award. Unaware he was being targeted, Sir Patrick, seemed unphased and simply asked for the microphone. He stood and then extemporaneously spoke the words that not only tapped into the feelings that many in the room were sharing, but also summarized what this pageantry was ultimately all about:
I am very emotional. I feel so honored in this awards ceremony, unlike any awards ceremony I have ever imagined or indeed ever been part of. It is extraordinary. And I congratulate all of the winners but also all of those who support and work and represent because it is also in that direction that advancement and liberty and democracy will proceed. Thank you.
There is something special and extraordinary about a Peabody ceremony, one that elicits tremendous emotions precisely because so much is at stake in our storytelling, including nothing less than liberty and democracy. That may seem like a trite recitation of overused patriotic slogans or unattainable ideals, yet those in attendance were experiencing narratives (the media itself but also the stories behind the work shared by the creators) that had done just that—from news stories of radicalized sheriff’s agents in Texas and gun violence in American schools to scripted stories of unrequited love during the “Lavender Scare,” the horrors of maternal health care in a privileged society, and Native American teens navigating life on the Reservation, as told by indigenous storytellers.
Through Peabody’s unique blend of news, documentary, and scripted entertainment, as well as kids, interactive, social media, and public service programming, the annual awards ceremony truly is unlike any other. A Peabody award represents a story that matters, not just for consumers seeking pleasure and enjoyment, but also, as Sir Patrick suggested, to citizens who believe deeply in the ideals that will push societal advancement toward equality and justice.
The 84th Peabody ceremony was a moving tribute to this year’s extraordinary winners, and with its arrival in Los Angeles for the first time, asks us to consider just what storytelling is all about and who it ultimately serves.
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