NEWS LEADERS ASSOCIATION ANNOUNCES
2023 NLA AWARDS WINNERS AND FINALISTS
Recognizing Excellence in Journalism
COLUMBIA, MO; July 28, 2023 – Today, the News Leaders Association (NLA) announced the winners of the 2023 NLA Awards for distinguished journalism and leadership.
The NLA Awards continue the long traditions of the previous ASNE and APME Awards and are among the most prestigious in journalism.
"There is no bigger honor than to be able to read and recognize the best of American journalism, and this year the entries were truly astounding. 2022 brought us too much tragedy, corruption and malfeasance. It also produced some of the most compelling, hard-hitting and gut-wrenching journalism.” said NLA Board Secretary and Awards Committee Chair Audrey Cooper, Editor in Chief and VP of News, WNYC/New York Public Radio. “These are trying times in which to lead American newsrooms, but we also received entries about unsung heroes of storytelling – news leaders who help keep this American phenomenon of unflinching and unapologetic fact-based journalism alive.”
The 2023 Awards include cash prizes, thanks to our sponsors: O’Brien Fellowship in Public Service, Journalism at Marquette University, Editors from the former Knight Ridder company, Advance Publications, Inc., The Seattle Times, The Dallas Morning News, The New York Times, Chicago Tribune, Middle Tennessee State University’s Free Speech Center, Donald W. Reynolds Journalism Institute, Gannett and the USA TODAY Network.
Alison Gerber, News Leaders Association President and Editor of the Chattanooga Times Free Press, Tennessee, said, “It was humbling and uplifting to read this year’s NLA contest entries, which included so many worthwhile examples of excellent journalism and demonstrated that despite the challenges our industry faces, there is exceptional work being done in newsrooms of all sorts. We celebrate the winners for deep research and reporting and compelling storytelling across platforms.”
The winners and finalists are as follows:
Robert G. McGruder Award for Diversity Leadership
Winner: Dorothy Tucker, National Association of Black Journalists (NABJ) President and CBS2 Chicago Investigative Reporter, is the winner of the Robert G. McGruder Award for Diversity Leadership. This award recognizes the accomplishments of media professionals who encourage diversity in hiring and coverage. Honoring the distinguished career of Robert G. McGruder, a former executive editor of the Detroit Free Press, former managing editor of The Plain Dealer in Cleveland, graduate at Kent State University and relentless diversity champion, the award is sponsored by Gannett and the USA TODAY Network.
From the judges:
Dorothy Tucker is a passionate and respected advocate for diversity, often reaching out to leaders at news organizations to ensure they meet the goals they have set for diversifying their newsrooms. She doesn’t just talk the talk, she walks right up to the challenge and gets things done. An award-winning investigative reporter for CBS2 Chicago, Tucker also seeks to ensure that news coverage of communities of color includes important context and highlights the voices of those communities. First elected NABJ president in 2019, Tucker has overseen the organization’s mission through a confluence of events – from the COVID-19 pandemic that disproportionately affected people of color to the deaths of George Floyd and Breonna Taylor by overzealous policing that led to a national reckoning on race. Having worked in newsrooms from Memphis to Denver and Pittsburgh, Tucker’s journey has given her regional insights and expanded her network of influence.
Batten Medal
Winner: Staff, POLITICO. The Batten Medal each year recognizes coverage of an issue that presents an urgent challenge to the United States.The Batten Medal is sponsored by editors from the former Knight Ridder company.
Winning Work: “POLITICO breaks the news that the Supreme Court has voted to overturn Roe v. Wade and reveals internal dissension, questions about court ethics.”
From the judges:
The Politico series on the Supreme Court with the breakthrough in the Roe decision is the type of dogged journalism that will not be forgotten and for the history books. The incredible sourcing and disciplined writing with which this work unfolded will no doubt be taught in journalism classes for years to come. This work changed the political discourse for years, and began an industry-wide focus on the Supreme Court that has reverberated in ways we might not yet fully understand.
Finalists:
Staff, Miami Herald: Jacqueline Charles, Jay Weaver, Antonio Delgado, Sohail al-Jamea, Rachel Handley, David Newcomb, Michael Wilner — “Made in Miami: The Assassination of Jovenel Moise”
This prescient Haiti project exposes the delicate connections of U.S. policy with a nation that has suffered and the interconnections of those looking to overthrow a sovereign government with direct links to South Florida – most recently, a key perpetrator was sentenced to life in prison. The story is also told with breathtaking visuals that surely force the reader to pay attention.
Staff, Bloomberg News: Polly Mosendz, Caleb Melby, Jackie Davalos, Ike Swetlitz, Gillian Tan — “Hopped Up”
Bloomberg’s “Hopped Up” series is a classic investigation and deserving of accolades for presenting a deep level of reporting in a clear and concise manner.
Frank A. Blethen Award for Local Accountability Reporting
This year there were two winners of the Frank A. Blethen Award for Local Accountability Reporting, which recognizes outstanding work done by a news organization that holds local authorities accountable for actions (or inaction). This award is named in honor of Frank A. Blethen and is sponsored by The Seattle Times.
Co-Winner: Staff, AL.com: John Archibald, Ashley Remkus and Ramsey Archibald
Winning Work: “The Rise and Fall of a Predatory Police Force”
From the judges:
This is local accountability reporting at its very best. AL.com took what everyone in a community knew to be true about a local police department and brought reporting depth and a clarity of writing that is too often hard to come by. The story is told with straight-forward care and assuredness that is admirable in any publication, much less one challenging such an entrenched power structure.
Co-Winner: Michael Stavola of the Wichita Eagle
Winning Work: “Secret Messages”
From the judges:
The Wichita Eagle brought enviable reporting depth and incredibly impressive police sourcing to bear on this expose about racist messages openly shared among members of the local department. The reporting coming from this local newsroom had widespread impact that tremendously benefited the community and shocked even its highest ranking officials.
Finalists:
Staff, Texas Tribune — “Uvalde Shooting and its aftermath”
The Texas Tribune delivered a master class in covering one of the most shocking school shootings in a country (and state) where they have become all too common. They approached the story with a mix of hard-hitting enterprise reporting, data-infused reports, and, most critically, scoops that started unraveling the nonsensical response of local officials to a horrifying tragedy. The range of storytelling and reporting approaches sets this reporting apart.
First Amendment Award
Winner: Craig Whitlock and Nate Jones of the Washington Post are the winners of the First Amendment Award. This award recognizes the best example of protecting or advancing freedom of information principles, and/or overcoming significant resistance to the application of the First Amendment. The award is sponsored by Middle Tennessee State University’s Free Speech Center.
Winning Work: “Foreign Servants” (PDF images are distorted due to paywall.)
From the judges:
This stellar reporting on an obscure practice exposed how retired military leaders are being paid enormous amounts of money to share their expertise with foreign nations. Whitlock and Jones assiduously dug into the serious implications these arrangements have had on world relations. Their reporting also revealed how potential conflicts of interest and policy violations have triggered little enforcement, even when former U.S. military leaders are advising nations with documented human rights violations.
Finalists:
Staff, The Associated Press: Garance Burke, Sally Ho, Jason Dearen, Huizhong Wu, Krutika Pathhi, Rishabh R. Jain, Josef Federman, Rod McGuirk, Peter Hamlin, Dario Lopez, Jeannie Ohm, Justin Myers — “Tracked”
Prescient and painstakingly reported, the AP’s examination of artificial intelligence’s role in human surveillance revealed troubling details and raised alarming questions about the future use of such technologies. For example, journalists on the project gained access to exclusive data and documents and conducted numerous interviews to demonstrate how these powerful tools were worsening child welfare agencies’ disproportionate impacts on families of color. This investigation makes clear the need for more transparency about government agencies’ increasing reliance on AI.
Tony Plohetski and the Austin American-Statesman staff — “Uvalde Transparency”
The Austin American-Statesman’s coverage of the aftermath of the mass school shooting in Uvalde stands out as revelatory, urgent and hugely consequential. Using deep local sourcing and reportorial resourcefulness, reporter Tony Plohetski and the American-Statesman’s staff pushed through the official secrecy surrounding the response to the shooting at Robb Elementary in ways that truly changed the public narrative and debate, and conclusively exposed law enforcement’s stunning failures that day. In addition to these revelations, the American-Statesman placed transparency at the center of its coverage of the tragedy, using a variety of approaches – from the Texas Public Information Act and the courts to critical Spanish translation and thorough, thoughtful explanations of the “how” and “why” behind its reporting – to bring the truth to light.
Dori J. Maynard Justice Award
Winner: Jaeah Lee of Type Investigations is the winner of the Dori J. Maynard Justice Award. The award recognizes reporting on social justice issues. Sponsored by the O’Brien Fellowship in Public Service Journalism at Marquette University in Milwaukee, this award is named in memory of Dori J. Maynard, who was an ASNE board member and a strong advocate for news and newsroom diversity and journalism that addressed injustices. Judges give weight to journalism that shines a light on ignorance, stereotypes, intolerance, racism, hate, negligence, inequality and systemic obstacles.
Winning Work: “This Rap Song Helped Sentence a 17-Year-Old to Prison for Life”
From the judges:
A novel, ground-up investigation that showed how prosecutors increasingly are winning convictions and long prison terms, even with little other proof, by getting evidence before juries linking defendants to rap music and lyrics, what legal scholars called “racialized character evidence.” The report relied on a 230-person database that took more than two years to build, analysis of that data, and research by legal scholars to show how prosecutors, with the countenance of judges, are evading rules of evidence that are supposed to keep such bias out of the courtroom. The work helped spur legislation in California, New York, and Congress to limit the use of such evidence.
Finalists:
Staff, The Washington Post: Julie Zauzmer Weil; Adrian Blanco; Leo Dominguez — “Enslavers”
A massive data compilation and visualization depicting the history of slaveholding members of Congress and how their legacy of slavery continues to complicate issues of race and politics in America. The Washington Post’s storytelling included a call to action that sought added documents; readers helped identify 80 more former members of Congress who were slave owners.
Deborah Howell Award for Writing Excellence
Winner: John Woodrow Cox at The Washington Post wins the Deborah Howell Award for Writing Excellence, which recognizes the best story on any topic, with preference given to strong and stylish writing. Sponsored by Advance Publications, Inc., this award is dedicated to former editor Deborah Howell who loved compelling writing.
Winning Work: “An American Girl”
From the judges:
This incredible piece of storytelling offers an intimate look at an all-too-familiar American tragedy. It paints a beautiful and horrible portrait of Caitlyne Gonzales, a young survivor of the Uvalde mass shooting, and the impact of this trauma on her childhood and family. One of Cox’s great achievements is the way he makes small domestic moments feel huge: a child struggling to sleep without a parent beside her, the nervous chatter before the first day back to school, a routine traffic stop. Each has a devastating emotional punch. While it's a story rooted in unspeakable tragedy and grief, hope emerges – hope that Caitlyne and others with similar experiences will succeed in their demands for change.
Finalists:
Raquel Rutledge and Ken Armstrong, Milwaukee Journal Sentinel — “Landlord and tenant”
An absolute triumph in unconventional storytelling. The dueling narratives serve a purpose, illustrating in stark contrast who the American justice system works for and who it works against. It's a service to audiences to shine a spotlight on the harms caused by delinquent landlords and the limited accountability they face for their negligence.
Jennifer Berry Hawes, The Post and Courier — “Captive no more”
A lovely, startling story told with grace and care. It treats its subject with the respect and dignity he deserves but was deprived of by his employer-turned-enslaver. Its character development was an extraordinary achievement, as was its consistent focus on the way these crimes occurred in view of so many who could have stopped them.
Punch Sulzberger Innovator of the Year Award
Winner: Reem Akkad at The Washington Post is the winner of the Punch Sulzberger Innovative Editor of the Year award. This award is for a leader who excels in pushing its newsroom into new ways of executing the craft of journalism. This leader abhors traditional techniques and seeks ways to investigate or tell stories differently. This can mean everything from executing a novel methodology or using new visual techniques combining multiple story elements to approaching a subject in a groundbreaking way. Work should be seen as a bold new approach instead of iterating on industry best practices. Sponsored by The New York Times, this award is dedicated to the memory of former publisher Arthur Ochs "Punch" Sulzberger.
From the judges:
Reem Akkad is a force of innovation for the international section of the Post. As Akkad’s colleagues attest, there is no bigger advocate of bold storytelling choices, whether it is the use of audio in the award-winning “Saving the Sounds of an Ancient City” or the reliance on videos and graphics to tell the story of a tourist rail project’s impact on Mayan archeological sites. Leadership is not about how many people you manage, but rather how you can positively influence and work outside of your own department, a skill that Akkad has clearly mastered.
Burl Osborne Editorial and Opinion Award
Winner: The Los Angeles Times Editorial Board wins the Burl Osborne Award for Editorial and Opinion Award, which recognizes editorial writing that is excellent journalism and makes a difference in the community. The award is sponsored by The Dallas Morning News in memory of Burl Osborne, former editor, president and publisher of The Dallas Morning News.
Winning Work: “Fixing City Hall”
Editorial: Resign, Councilmembers Nury Martinez, Kevin de León and Gil Cedillo: https://www.latimes.com/opinion/story/2022-10-10/nury-martinez-kevin-deleon-gil-cedillo-should-resign
Editorial: Tired of City Hall scandals? This is the moment to reform Los Angeles city government: https://www.latimes.com/opinion/story/2022-10-16/tired-of-city-hall-scandals-this-is-the-moment-to-reform-los-angeles-city-government
Editorial: Why L.A. needs independent redistricting: https://www.latimes.com/opinion/story/2022-11-06/la-ed-fixing-city-hall-independent-redistricting
Editorial: Why L.A. needs a larger City Council: https://www.latimes.com/opinion/story/2022-11-13/fixing-city-hall-expand-council
Editorial: Los Angeles must take politics out of development decisions: https://www.latimes.com/opinion/story/2022-11-20/editorial-los-angeles-take-politicians-out-of-development-decisions
From the judges:
This work is a masterclass of straight-forward, authoritative opinion writing prompted by breaking news events. The work went beyond the local issue to explore what has become a national issue and also offered logical solutions to the mess unfolding within the Los Angeles City Council.
Finalists:
“Columns and editorials by Cary Clack” — San Antonio Express-News
Clack’s writing shines in these unique and well-written pieces that ranged from the Uvalde tragedy to the need to protect voting rights.
“The uncounted dead” — Jeffery Gerritt, The Pittsburgh Post-Gazette
This impactful series exposed problems in the Allegheny County Jail and offered not only top-level reporting but also the bravery to fight the judicial system on behalf of people who are rarely treated fairly.
Mike Royko Award for Commentary and Column Writing
Winner: Kyle Whitmire at AL.com is the winner of the Mike Royko Award for Commentary and Column Writing, which recognizes excellence in writing by an individual that expresses a personal point of view. The award is sponsored by the Chicago Tribune in memory of legendary columnist Mike Royko, who died in 1997.
Winning Work: “State of Denial: How 150 years of whitewashed history poisons Alabama today” — AL.com
From the judges:
Whitmire’s engaging approach of serving as a reader’s tour guide pulls a reader through Alabama’s dark, racist history that still pokes through civic life. He doesn’t use in-your-face prose. Instead, he brings readers along while writing about how white lawmakers in 1901 subverted the rights of Black citizens. His compelling writing makes plain that this is not merely Alabama’s history; it is also its present, as political forces try to erase or whitewash what truly happened – and what is still tolerated.
Finalists:
“Columns about Uvalde” — Nancy M. Preyor-Johnson, San Antonio Express-News
These heart- and gut-wrenching columns expose the truth of how official misinformation maligned a teacher in order to nefariously detract from law enforcement's failures during the 2022 Uvalde school massacre. This is powerful writing and critical accountability journalism.
Collection of columns on "The Buildings That Made Dallas" and a special commentary on "Reinventing Dealey Plaza" — Mark Lamster, Dallas Morning News
The enticing and inviting writing about Dallas's architecture and civic spaces offered great insight, history and understanding of how places make and influence a city's character and thus, that of its citizens. Buildings can reflect deep tragedies like the 1963 assassination of President Kennedy in Dallas, seek to uphold communities and/or renew the collective spirit that makes citizens proud.
Al Neuharth Breaking News Reporting Award
This award is for editors who performed at the highest level in a single breaking news event. This editor showed exemplary leadership skills by expediently devising a plan to cover all critical elements of the story and quickly assigning journalists to the key story arcs. The resulting work rapidly and repeatedly served readers on all digital platforms. Showed courage and determination in overcoming obstacles in pursuit of a story with significant community impact. It is understood that many editors are involved in major breaking news; this award honors those who were on-the-ground leaders of coverage, not the supervisors of that coverage.
The NLA board has decided not to give an award in this category this year.
About News Leaders Association (NLA)
NLA’s mission is to help journalists thrive in diverse, sustainable newsrooms with fact-based reporting in service to democracy. For more information on awards or NLA, go to www.newsleaders.org or follow us on Facebook, LinkedIn and Twitter.
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