Here's How Michigan Radio's Lindsey Smith Broke the Flint Water Story

Lindsey Smith accepting a 2017 duPont-Columbia Award for Michigan Radio's "Not Safe to Drink". 

Lindsey Smith accepting a 2017 duPont-Columbia Award for Michigan Radio's "Not Safe to Drink". 

"When you do [a story] this big, it's really easy to get swept up into things. It's a rollercoaster that you kind of have to ride. There are really good times and there are really difficult times."

Lindsey Smith of Michigan Radio was one of the first reporters to break the story of the water crisis in Flint, Michigan, which she uncovered in stacks of paperwork and lab results. We spoke to her about investigating local stories, reporting on health and environment stories, and how to practice self-care as a journalist. "Take care of yourself. Make sure [the] people you work with watch your back."

Smith's Michigan Radio reporting, 'Not Safe to Drink,' won a 2017 duPont-Columbia Award for its outstanding storytelling and investigative work. See the rest of the 2017 winners here. 

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