An investigation by The Kansas City Star on airbags has been recognized by the Society of American Business Editors and Writers in its Best in Business Journalism Contest. Reporters Mike Casey and Rick Montgomery, whose series exposed the dangers of airbags that do not inflate, were among the winners in the projects category for “Fatal Failures,” published in October. The stories, which triggered a congressional investigation, found that at least 1,400 drivers and front-seat passengers died from 2001 through 2006 in front-impact crashes involving vehicles whose airbags never deployed. Two other publications, the Milwaukee Journal Sentinel and the Rocky Mountain News, also were projects winners in the large-newspaper category with circulation from 225,000 to 325,000. The 13th annual contest recognized the best business news reporting during 2007. A record 842 entries were submitted. The awards will be presented April 27 in Baltimore at the society’s 45th annual conference.
