Leslie Griffith: About Leslie

Frequent contributor to

The Huffington Post
truthout.org
the San Francisco Chronicle and sfgate.com "City Brites"
Reader Supported News

2 Edward R Murrow Awards
9 Emmies
37 Emmy Nominations
National Casey Award for reporting to help stop exploitation of America's poorest Children
7 Radio Television News Director Association Awards for Reporting
2006 People's Choice Award for Best Local TV News Anchor (Female) - Oakland Magazine
2005 Associated Press Anchor of the Year
2005 Women in Media Award
2005 Genesis Award
2005 National Emmy nomination for Writing
2004 Women In Radio & Television Award
2002 Associated Press Commendation for being the first to confirm that on 9/11 the passengers on flight 93 did indeed fight back.
National Emmy nomination for writing.

Griffith received the People’s Choice Award for best female anchor of 2006 from Oakland Magazine, and a 2006 Telly award for investigative reporting for “Horrors under the Big Top.”

Photo: National Genesis Award in Los Angeles

Griffith earned an Edward R. Murrow Award in 2005 for Best Market Newscast in the United States. Griffith was at the anchor desk. She received another Edward R. Murrow Award for a series on San Francisco’s homeless. Above, Griffith receives the Genesis Award for reporting on the M-tuberculosis in performing elephants and it's transference to humans.

Click here to view the report.

Photo: Back from the dead, George Watson wins 2005 Emmy (leslie received one too)

In 2005 the Associated Press named Griffith Broadcaster of the Year. The Associated Press also commended Griffith for confirming on 9/11, 2001 that the passengers on flight 93 did indeed fight back.

Griffith is also the winner of the prestigious Casey Medal for Meritorious Journalism. The Casey award is given to individuals who have helped stop the exploitation of America’s children. “Candy Kids,” an inside look at the illegal exploitation of young children across the country, earned her the first place Casey Award. The reports stopped the practice of putting America's poorest children out on the streets begging for money. Money that eventually found it's way to the New Jersey Mafia.

Among Griffith’s other honors are seven Radio and Television News Director Association Awards, one of which was for Best Sports Report which was a humorous spoof on women who don’t follow sports; another for Best Newscast; another for live reporting from the Los Angeles riots; and she also won a Women In Radio and Television award in 2004.

Photo: Romania crew joins us near where Ceausescu was killed. Leslie on the far right, with the photographer Don McQuaig

In 2001, before 9/11--the newscast Griffith co-anchored--won the Project for Excellence in Journalism award ranking the newscast the best in the nation. P.B.S. reported on the balanced, relevant, news source. "Due to lack of funding the Project for Excellence in Journalism is no longer monitoring local and national newscasts. Griffith says, "How telling is that? Fifteen years ago, wee covered news locally, and around the world. Back then, broadcasts were honored for providing context and perspective. The problem today, of course, is--now that six corporations own all the country's networks...they monopolize the airways and often operate with agendas. (usually liberal or conservative) If reporters were allowed to do their jobs by protecting citizens, that would often mean pointing a finger at the very people who pay their salaries. Many of the corporations owning our airwaves today wanted to control information that might effect their stock holders. It worked. Reporters fell silence for many years."

Griffith adds,"Today's newscasts often sedate, cross promote television shows with movies, or sell war.The bravest reporters are now independent of all that."

In 2003 Griffith won an Emmy for “Lost Children of Romania.” She spent two weeks following some of the thousands of homeless children through the sewers of Bucharest. Her story on their plight was nominated for a National Emmy and won a local Emmy.

Click here to view the first part of the report from Romania.

Click here to view the second part of the report from Romania.

In 2003, 2004, and 2005 Griffith won Emmy’s for best anchor. She was at the anchor desk alone at the time. Griffith also won an Emmy for best live reporting of the Los Angeles riots.

Her most prized Emmy is for a report called “Coming Home,” a poignant story about a Vietnam MIA whose remains were found 30 years after the war was over. "If you really want to read an eye opening book, read, "Kiss the Boys Goodbye." Griffith adds.

Before reporting for television, Griffith began her career in newspaper. She worked for the Associated Press and The Denver Post. Griffith has reported from around the country and the world on everything from hurricanes to developments from inside the former Soviet Union during the cold war. "To Russia with Love," was nominated for a national Emmy and won a local one.