ONLINE
Online investigative reporting
First Place
“In Plain View”
Emily Hoerner and Rick Tulsky Injustice Watch
Judges’ comments: Injustice Watch’s reporting on how social media posts by hundreds of law enforcement officers in eight cities reflected racism, misogyny, homophobia, and xenophobia brought significant response and resulted in new media policies and discipline action against dozens of officers.
Second Place
“Amazon: Behind the Smiles”
Will Evans and Reveal Staff
The Center for Investigative Reporting
Third Place
“Small Town Government, Chicago-style Politics”
Casey Toner and Dane Placko
Better Government Association/Fox 32
Online beat coverage
First Place
“No Mercy”
Sarah Jane Tribble
Kaiser Health News
Judges’ comments: Graceful writing focused on the people impacted by the decision to close Mercy Hospital in Fort Scott. The physical closing was detailed well (loss of jobs, identity etc.). The emotional impact simmered in each story, adding a literary tone to each report. . Casting the stories as an example faced by other people in other towns created a universal connection to the reader, as well as solutions to consider as hospitals are closed in rural communities nationwide.
Second Place
“Breakdown: Mental health in California”
Jocelyn Wiener
CalMatters
Third Place
“The Future of Learning”
Tara García Mathewson
The Hechinger Report
Best Blog
First Place
“Fumes in South Portland”
Sabrina Shankman
InsideClimate News
Judges’ comments: What an engaging way to write about an issue: From the perspective of an everyperson, but with a reporter’s eye and skill. This was a refreshing and interesting read — with photos! — that may not have offered a solution, but inspired empathy and frustration.
Second Place
“Immigration Decoded”
Susan Ferriss
The Center for Public Integrity
Third Place
Mary C. Curtis
Roll Coll
Online video up to one minute
First Place
“The Greasy Pole”
WCVB Digital Staff
Russ Reed WCVB
Judges’ comments: Hilarious annual tradition goes viral in a feel good news moment.
Second Place
“Violinist Overcomes Homelessness to Reach Greatness”
WBALTV.com Digital Team
WBAL-TV
Third Place
“Classmates Befriend Lonely Student”
WBALTV.com Digital Team
WBAL-TV
Online video up to three minutes
First Place
“Meet The Students Walking Out of School to March for Climate Change Action”
Kevin Urgiles, P.J. Tobia and Ludwig Hurtado
NBC News NOW
Judges’ comments: Well-done package followed students in a mini-doc style in a large march for climate change.
Second Place
“Remembering the Victims”
WBALTV.com Digital Team
WBAL-TV
Third Place
“Death-Cap Mushrooms are Terrifying and Unstoppable”
Kasia Cieplak-Mayr von Baldegg and Elyse Kelly
The Atlantic
Online Video 3-10 minutes
First Place
“Extreme violence is driving girls to kill themselves”
Univision News Digital and TIME
Almudena Toral, Patricia Clarembaux, Mauricio Rodriguez Pons, Jose Osuna, Justine Simons
Judges’ comments: A beautiful, brave video told with authenticity. The cinematography is exceptional for a news topic, shot on site under extreme circumstances.
Second Place
“An Abortion in Mississippi”
Maisie Crow, Jordan Smith and Lauren Feeney
The Intercept
Third Place
“State care of another kind”
Shelly Yang and Tammy Ljungblad
The Kansas City Star
Online Video 10 to 30 minutes
First Place
“Legendary: 30 Years of Philly Ballroom”
Lauren Schneiderman, Raishad Hardnett and Cassie Owens
The Philadelphia Inquirer
Judges’ comments: Compelling story, told with great energy and cinematography. Strong sourcing is evident.
Second Place
“Christians Build Bridges, Not Walls”
Jeremy Raff and Kasia Cieplak-Mayr von Baldegg
The Atlantic
Third Place
“Chaotic Care”
Renee Jones Schneider
Star Tribune
Digital presentation of a single news topic and BEST IN SHOW
First Place
“In El Salvador, violence is driving girls to kill themselves”
Almudena Toral, Patricia Clarembaux, Mauricio Rodriguez Pons, Jose Osuna and Justine Simons
Univision News Digital
Judges’ comments: “Femicide Suicide” in El Salvador is death by suicide resulting from physical and mental abuse. This Univision entry blended compelling spot news video, heartfelt personal stories of fear and loss, illustrations, data, reporting to reveal the threats women and girls face in El Salvador.
Second Place
“Silent Killer: Carbon Monoxide Poisoning in Public Housing”
Suzy Khimm and Laura Strickler
NBC News
Third Place
“American Climate”
Anna Belle Peevey, Neela Banerjee and Adrian Briscoe
InsideClimate News
Digital presentation of a single features topic
First Place
“Detained”
Emily Kassie
The Marshall Project in partnership with The Guardian
Judges’ comments: The Marshall Project and The Guardian provided a smart blend of text, video and graphics to draw attention to how the U.S. got the immigration detention system it has.
Second Place
“Crack vs. Heroin”
Asbury Park Press Staff
Asbury Park Press
Third Place
“Manufacturing In Chicago: The Legacy, The Promise”
Esther Kang, Natalie Moore, Odette Yousef, Maria Zamudio, Paula Friedrich, Manuel Martinez and Alden Loury
WBEZ
Social Media
First Place
The Dallas Morning News Staff
The Dallas Morning News
Judges’ comments: The team brought quality reporting and an understanding of the audience of each platform to their work. The reporters’ notebooks for Instagram were smart. The podcast was compelling. Teaming with other news organizations on the twitter feed about the Texas legislature was executed well.
Second Place
“Amazon: Behind the Smiles”
The Center for Investigative Reporting Staff
The Center for Investigative Reporting
Third Place
KC Downey, Kirk Enstrom and James Lalli
WMUR-TV
Online Slideshow
First Place
“12 hours with ‘Live From Here’”
Aaron Lavinsky and Anna Boone
Star Tribune
Judges’ comments: Creative, insightful, intimate and a different look at a show we have listened to for 20 years: “A Prairie Home Companion.” The online presentation did not subjugate the visuals for the words. Just the opposite – with full-screen imagery throughout.
Second Place
“Tornadoes cause widespread destruction in Dallas”
The Dallas Morning News Staff
The Dallas Morning News
No third-place award given
Best Narrative Podcast
First Place
“Dolly Parton’s America”
Jad Abumrad and Shima Oliaee
Osm Audio
Judges’ comments: Who knew? Who knew Dolly Parton is one of the most interesting people in the world? Who knew her impact across generations has touched millions? In an era when many narrative podcasts focus on crime or big important issues, this one tells a simple story – of an amazing woman. And on the technical side, well-done!
Second Place
“Broken Pledge”
The Columbus Dispatch Staff
The Columbus Dispatch
Third Place
“White Lies”
Andrew Beck Grace, Chip Brantley and Graham Smith
NPR
Best Information Podcast
First Place
“Mobituaries with Mo Rocca”
Rand Morrison, Mo Rocca and Megan Marcus
CBS News
Judges’ comments: The measure of a good podcast is that you just can’t stop listening. And that was the case with Mo Rocca’s “Mobituaries.” Quirky stories presented in a smooth and happy format. We met the archive guy at CBS, and remembered how much we loved Laura Branigan.
Second Place
“Critical Condition”
Shea Johnson and Reed Redmond
Las Vegas Review Journal
Third Place
“Show Me The State”
Kristofor Husted and the KBIA Staff
KBIA
Digital Innovation in Storytelling
First Place
“A Game of College”
The Hechinger Report and CalMatters Staff
The Hechinger Report and CalMatters
Judges’ comments: An easy, fun and informative way for families to start the college planning process. Information is helpful to students trying to chart their courses through coursework, extracurriculars, SATs/ACTs, financial aid, and more. A great resource!
Second Place
“Assemble Your All-Star Crew”
Neil Paine
ESPN
Third Place
“Chicago Mayoral Election Questionnaire”
Paula Friedrich
WBEZ