DC Archives » Adam Bender

Bender wins National Press Club journalism award for DC 911 reporting

Published by Adam on January 15, 2022

At a virtual ceremony on Jan. 6, 2022, I was delighted to accept the National Press Club’s newsletter journalism award for my reporting with Jonathan Make in Communications Daily on problems with the District of Columbia 911 system.

Our reporting over the last couple of years showed how the D.C. 911 center, the Office of Unified Communications, has struggled to get timely help to people calling with emergencies. The District’s auditor opened an investigation and recently reported that the center failed to meet national standards. The issue also attracted interest from Congress.

Click the links in the paragraph above to read some of my articles, which are free in front of the Comm Daily paywall. And you can check out Jonathan and my full acceptance video below!

Thank you again to the National Press Club for this journalism award. The historic club based in Washington, D.C., is one of the most prestigious conveners of journalists in the country (if not the world), so this is truly an honor! I am also grateful to work for a publication like Comm Daily that encourages investigative and enterprise reporting. I plan to continue to cover 911 issues in Washington, DC, and around the country.

I’ve been lucky to receive many awards over the years for both my reporting and my novels. If you’re curious, you can see a full list right here on my website.

Happy New Year, by the way! Please stay tuned to this blog and subscribe to my newsletter for more news soon on my creative writing. I am hoping to have some pretty cool announcements for you all soon related to my novels.

Photo by Oleg Magni from Pexels

Photos: The Wanderer and the New West book signing at ALA Annual 2019

Published by Adam on July 6, 2019

I won’t lie — I’m still buzzing from last month’s American Library Association (ALA) Annual 2019 Conference & Exhibition in Washington, DC.

I gave away free signed copies of The Wanderer and the New West to librarians and educators from around the country. The good folks at the Independent Book Publishers Association (IBPA) hosted me and were a big help bringing in the crowds. My wife Mallika lent a hand getting me set up and taking photos as dystopian fans arrived to learn more about my novel.

The conference itself took place in the Walter E. Washington Convention Center and was widely attended. Mallika and I saw great keynotes by Frank Miller and Hoda Kotb.

I brought a suitcase full of books — 25 copies in all — and I have to admit that I was a little scared going in that I’d have to bring most of them home. In actuality, I gave out all the books before my 20 minutes was up at the stand! I even gave out a few eBook and audiobook editions to visitors who didn’t get a paperback.

The event left me on a pretty big high! I hope to get out to another big event like this soon. It was great to meet everyone who stopped by!

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Snowed In

Published by Adam on February 10, 2010

So we’ve got something of a blizzard in Washington, DC. It snowed about two feet over the weekend, and now on Wednesday the clouds are furious once more. For those of you not from DC, it’s very strange for us to get this much snow. Generally, we get about two inches, and everyone freaks out. This winter storm has caused smart, perfectly reasonable people to dispense terms like “Snowpocalypse,” “Snowmageddon,” and “Holy S***!”

The National Zoo during the Feb. 2010 snow storm

The whole situation makes me miss school, when we’d get the day (or week) off for this kind of thing. Sadly, today’s American work world is such that if you can’t make it into the office, you work from home.

Speaking of work, I’ve shifted into a new beat at Communications Daily. I am now the paper’s lead reporter on Capitol Hill. It’s both an exciting and challenging switch. The best part has been getting out of the office to cover Congressional hearings and meet congressmen. So far, I have interviewed Rep. Rick Boucher and cornered Sen. John Kerry on the Comcast/NBC deal. Not too shabby.

Of course, getting out to cover things can be difficult when you’re stuck inside and your city is completely inept when it comes to clearing snow and ice.

Tag: DC

Bender wins National Press Club journalism award for DC 911 reporting

Photos: The Wanderer and the New West book signing at ALA Annual 2019

Snowed In

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