Bloomberg School TV Series Wins Peabody Award

A South African television series co-produced by the Johns Hopkins Center for Communication Programs received a 2011 Peabody Award this week, adding to the long list of accolades already earned by the HIV-themed television show.

Intersexions, which aired throughout 2011, comprised 25 standalone but interlinked episodes that mimicked the human sexual network and showed how HIV can exploit the network and spread. It was co-produced by Curious Pictures and Ants Multimedia, in partnership with Johns Hopkins Health and Education in South Africa and SABC Education, with funding from USAID and PEPFAR.

In its announcement regarding this year’s awards, Peabody described Intersexions as a series “aimed at stemming South Africa’s AIDS epidemic.” The organization also noted, “The HIV virus itself plays a role as a seductive voice in this well-acted, candidly written program focused mostly on young, restless, high-risk adults.”

Since 1941, the Peabody Awards have recognized achievements in electronic media, including radio, television and cable, and are administered by the Grady College of Journalism and Mass Communication at the University of Georgia.

Intersexions joined other projects from CNN, National Public Radio, HBO and BBC.com who were included in the list of winners. The 2011 Peabody Awards will be formally presented at a luncheon ceremony hosted by Sir Patrick Stewart in New York City on May 21, 2012.

For more information about Intersexions, please visit its website.

Media contact for Johns Hopkins Bloomberg School of Public Health: Tim Parsons at 410-955-6878 or tmparson@jhsph.edu.