Deadline Club 2022 Award Winners and Judges Comments
In 2022, the Deadline Club returned to the Harvard Club for its annual awards dinner. Below is the full list of winners with comments from the judges, as selected from the list of awards finalists.
For more on this year’s dinner, view the scholarship recipients and the winner of the Robert Greenman Award, and watch below for a special conversation between Maria Ressa, co-founder of Philippine news site Rappler and the 2021 Nobel Peace Prize recipient, and David Rohde, executive editor of newyorker.com and a two-time Pulitzer Prize winner for international reporting.
1. Newspaper or Digital Beat Reporting
Agnel Phillip, Agnes Chang, Andrew Ford, and Jeff Kao, Asbury Park Press and ProPublica, “GILDED BADGES: How New Jersey Cops Profit from Police Unions and Avoid Accountability”
“Exemplary investigative work combining traditional beat reporting with data mining from public documents delivered first-rate accountability journalism. Asbury Park Press’ Andrew Ford and his ProPublica colleagues shed light on a topic with much broader implications than the series’ original focus on New Jersey cops.”
2. Newspaper or Digital Feature Reporting
Radley Balko, The Intercept, “Big Trouble in Little Rock: A Reformist Black Police Chief Faces an Uprising of the Old Guard”
‘“Big Trouble in Little Rock” is a deep investigative probe of the conspiracy to oust Keith Humphrey, the Black police chief and would-be criminal justice reformer of the capital of Arkansas. The story is a masterpiece of reporting. … If the goal of great journalism is to speak truth to power, Balko’s contribution does just that, by posing a question lately on the minds of many Americans: Can the system be changed from within?”
3. Newspaper or Digital Spot News Reporting
Bobby Caina Calvan, David Porter, Jennifer Peltz and Michael Rubinkam, The Associated Press, “Ida’s Deadly Aftermath”
“The AP used its deep bench to chronicle the devastation of Hurricane Ida as its remnants stunned officials in the Northeast last September with surprisingly potent bursts of rainfall that flooded rivers and overwhelmed sewer systems, killing at least 46 people. The story, which was liberally sprinkled with eyewitness accounts of the destruction, was a textbook example of disaster reporting that left no angle uncovered.”
4. Newspaper or Digital Enterprise Reporting
Jim Baumbach, Paul LaRocco, Sandra Peddie, David M. Schwartz and Jeffrey Basinger, Newsday, “Policing on LI”
“Newsday exposed the gross misconduct and incomprehensibly bad incompetence by Suffolk and Nassau counties’ police forces, two of the biggest and best -compensated law enforcement agencies in America. Newsday’s Policing on Long Island package uncovers how these police departments operate with great opacity, dangerous impunity and little to no accountability.”
5. Newspaper or Digital Local News Reporting
Amy Julia Harris, The New York Times, “Profiting Off the Homeless”
“A truly timely article that brings light to an issue that citizens of New York City do not discuss nearly enough. It perfectly illustrates how people facing homelessness are not getting the resources they need. A sobering look at the challenges and the necessary solutions to solve the homelessness crisis in New York City.”
6. Reporting by Newspaper with a Circulation Under 100,000
Kayla Canne, Asbury Park Press, “‘We Don’t Take That:’ How the Government Created Illegal Discrimination Against Low-Income Tenants”
“Of all the entries, this was by far the one with the strongest human impact. The story dives into the Section 8 housing landscape in New Jersey and why it’s so easy for landlords to get away with discrimination and neglect. A fantastic piece of storytelling with impact. This piece exemplifies great local journalism.”
7. Reporting by Independent Digital Media
Emmanuel Martinez, Lauren Kirchner and Malena Carollo, The Markup, “Denied”
“Fantastic work. This detailed reporting pieced together a powerful narrative despite challenging data sources. It highlights a critical issue of vast disparities among home loan borrowers despite government systems set up to prevent them.”
8. Magazine Personal Service
Elizabeth Kiefer, Cosmopolitan Magazine, “The No-Bullsh*t, Not-Scary, Actually Helpful Guide to Egg Freezing”
“This story hits all the right notes for service journalism. A playful, reassuring and confident voice from the first paragraph to the attributions box at the end. Well reported, with a useful focus on debunking internet myths. Plus a great layout that’s inventive and makes intuitive sense.”
9. Magazine Profile
Jessica Schulberg, HuffPost, “Kip Kinkel Is Ready To Speak”
“This was a deeply reported profile with unprecedented access to an Oregon school shooter who had refused all interview requests for decades. It was a compelling narrative, punctuated by powerful audio and photos, that helped shed light on the mental health crisis and its implications on the juvenile justice system.”
10. Magazine Investigative Reporting
Olivia Carville, Bloomberg Businessweek, “Airbnb’s Nightmare”
“Olivia Carville’s compelling investigation into Airbnb revealed the existence and operations of its secretive ‘Black Box’ internal team that handles crimes and safety incidents, including sexual assaults. The time, effort and enterprise involved in reporting was impressive, and the stories had a positive impact, as Airbnb changed its terms of service to give victims the right to sue.”
11. Magazine Feature Reporting
Rita Omokha, ELLE, “America Redefined”
“‘The America Redefined’ story offers a personal look beyond the harsh realities of our nation: racism, the impact that the death of George Floyd and the pandemic that turned the world upside down. It’s a journey of exploration and self-discovery as the reporter reevaluated her existence in America and provided context for what it means to live in this modern society.”
12. Arts Reporting
Kelly Crow, The Wall Street Journal, “NFTs Crash Into the Art World”
“Crow does a fantastic job of covering this brand-new technology and art form in a fascinating and, importantly, fair way. Many mainstream publications get crypto coverage wrong, but by coming at it from an art reporting perspective, Crow brings the reader in and asks important questions about what will happen next. Great work!”
13. Sports Reporting
David Gardner, The New York Times, “His N.B.A. Dream Was Right There. Then He Couldn’t Move His Legs.”
“This is a well-told, dramatic and moving story of great potential followed by great loss. The details, descriptions and interviews make this an engaging story that not just pulls the reader in but makes the reader become emotionally invested. This is great sports journalism.”
14. Business Feature
David Herbert, Bloomberg Businessweek, “The Epic Family Feud Behind an Iconic American Weight-Loss Camp for Kids”
“This story shows how deep reporting to recreate events and conversations from decades past can turn a narrow focus on one place—a camp for overweight kidsؙ—into an entertaining, compelling tale that grips the reader from start to end. The details from dozens of interviews were telling and touching, and the writing vivid and engaging throughout. Well done.”
15. Business Investigative Reporting
Pandora Papers Reporting Team, International Consortium of Investigative Journalists, The Washington Post and Nearly 150 Other Media Partners Around the World, “Pandora Papers”
“A sweeping worldwide look at corruption among the rich and powerful. Great use of documents and sources. And impressive marshaling of journalistic resources across multiple nations and organizations.”
16. Science, Technology, Medical or Environmental Reporting
Sandee LaMotte and Sanjay Gupta, CNN, “Justice for Rehma”
“‘Justice for Rehma’ had gripping storytelling, deep investigative reporting, and an illuminating look at a vulnerable population waiting for justice. The young victims of shaken baby syndrome are given voice in this excellent package by CNN, which captures how manipulated science and already-broken families are caught in a devastating and confusing crossfire. Excellent work.”
17. Opinion Writing
Kali Holloway, The Daily Beast, “The Sickening History of Marjorie Taylor Greene’s Hometown”
“Kali Holloway’s opinion piece is compelling journalism that takes readers on a decades-long, historical journey into deep-rooted racism in a small Atlanta suburb. It’s an eye-opening and powerful piece that peels back just one of the many layers of past and present civil rights struggles in this country.”
18. Spot News Photo
Konstantinos Tsakalidis, Bloomberg, “Woman in Evia”
“Konstantinos Tsakalidis’ beautifully captures the desperation, heartache and agony of a woman’s frantic search for her husband as her Greek village is engulfed in flames and threatens her own life. His photo is a mesmerizing color spectrum of sepia, gold and the fear of something beyond our control.”
19. Sports Photo
David J. Phillip, The Associated Press, “Finals Throw”
“An excellent photograph that captures the intensity of athletic competition. It places us up close at the moment this athlete clearly is giving everything in her effort to win.”
20. Feature Photo
Felipe Dana, The Associated Press, “The Taliban Return to Power – Life in Afghanistan”
“This entry of images showed stunning breadth, sensitivity and access. They manage to portray the rapid and overwhelming changes since the Taliban retook control of the country.”
21. Multimedia, Interactive Graphics, and Animation
Samira Jafari, Ron Kuznia and Sean O’Key, CNN, “Assault on Democracy: Paths to Insurrection”
“Paths To Insurrection is a masterwork in applying multimedia elements in the course of reporting. It fully revealed the influences, outside forces, and decisions leading up to the attack on the Capitol on Jan. 6.”
22. Digital Innovation
Ben Mauk, Matt Huynh, Monica Racic, Sam Wolson and Soo-Jeong Kang, The New Yorker, “Inside Xinjiang’s Prison State”
“‘Inside Xinjiang’ successfully and seamlessly balanced investigative reporting, artistic representation, technical engineering, and narrative storytelling. The interactive project utilized 360-degree scenes to make you feel like you were in the middle of the very real humanitarian crisis going on in Xinjiang. The hand-drawn animations gave a particularly personal touch to a well-researched story.”
23. Radio or Audio Spot News Reporting
Karen Moskow, Ken Feliu, Nathan Hager and Richard Trueman, Bloomberg, “Attack on the US Capitol”
“We found Bloomberg’s coverage of the events of January 6th to be a well-edited, succinct yet comprehensive coverage of one of the most pivotal breaking news events of the year. Excellent use of contextual interviews, raw audio from throughout the day, eyewitness accounts, and expert analysis.”
24. Radio or Audio Feature Reporting
Antonia Hylton, Frannie Kelley and Mike Hixenbaugh, NBC News, “Southlake”
“‘Southlake’ is a powerful example of how a sound-rich, detail-oriented story can transport listeners to the scene, hold their attention and leave them wanting more. From the subject matter of national reckoning over race and education to the never-before-heard audio included in the piece, it resonated with the judges as the standout of this year’s competition.”
25. Radio or Audio Investigative Reporting
Ayman Mohyeldin and Preeti Varathan, NBC News / MSNBC, “American Radical”
“We felt that this program exhibits true radio story telling. The story was told with sound! This is exactly how the story should be told. Great work!”
26. Digital Video Reporting
Michael Karas, The Record/NorthJersey.com, “After 14 Months, Former NJ Prisoner Still Struggles to Find Stability”
“With a cinematic quality and documentary style, Karas shows the mundane moments of James Magilton’s day-to-day life as the former prisoner – partially paralyzed and living with Parkinson’s – retells his story of re-entry into society. It leaves the viewer with insight and inspiration from Magilton, who chooses to push forward against all odds.”
27. National TV Feature
Aria Shavelson, Erin Moriarty, George Pozderec, Rand Morrison and Sari Aviv, CBS Sunday Morning, “CBS Sunday Morning: Innocence Isn’t Enough”
“A well-crafted, anger-evoking story of the terrible injustice of the Missouri justice system that prevented prosecutors from overturning the wrongful convictions of two men for murders prosecutors themselves say the men did not commit.”
28. National TV Series or Investigative
Staff, ABC News, “ABC News: Climate Crisis: Saving Tomorrow”
“This is important and ambitious reporting that allows the audience to gain a window into a world they seldom see. The judges were impressed by the striking imagery, documenting the plight of the people living in places impacted by climate change. The impact of the reporting was clear, given the millions raised for charity following the coverage.”
29. National TV Spot News Reporting
Richard Engel, NBC News Staff, On Assignment with Richard Engel Staff, NBC News, “Richard Engel’s Reporting on the Taliban’s Takeover of Afghanistan”
“When America’s longest war came to an inglorious end, and the Taliban took power of Kabul, NBC’s Chief Foreign Correspondent Richard Engel and his team were there, at the center of chaos, capturing the devastation of the people of Kabul, and a chilling interview with a defiant Taliban official. Engel presses for answers and delivers a powerful, insightful story—true excellence in journalism.”
30. Local TV Feature
Cheryl Wills, Dan Keese and Dan Komarinetz, Spectrum News NY1, “Retired NYPD Detective Opens Up About Domestic Abuse”
“This was such a powerful story that shows how one person can spark change, and how one tragic situation can be forged into something positive and impactful. Great storytelling and visual effects.”
31. Local TV Series or Investigative
Bob Hardt, Courtney Gross, Dan Keese, Dan Komarinetz and Lloyd Kim, Spectrum News NY1, “Ballot Blunders”
“A comprehensive and even-handed examination of years of alleged mismanagement at the New York City Board of Elections – from citizens having their votes publicly disclosed, to absentee ballots arriving too late to be used, to failing to clear dummy ballots that could have made it into the results. And all of it while turning down assistance from experts who could have averted the crisis.”
32. Local TV Spot News
Staff, Spectrum News NY1, “Mornings on 1: Hurricane Ida Coverage”
“NY1’s broadcast covered a wide array of implications from this storm and had crews all over the area to show what was happening and where. We also thought it was interesting the anchor shared his own pictures of his basement flooding, making the coverage seem more personal.”
33. Daniel Pearl Prize for Investigative Reporting
Pandora Papers Reporting Team, International Consortium of Investigative Journalists, The Washington Post and Nearly 150 Other Media Partners Around the World, “Pandora Papers”
“The Washington Post and the International Consortium of Investigative Journalists set the standard for investigative reporting with their Pandora Papers package, which exposes a worldwide network of dark money behind corrupt politicians and criminal networks. These journalists have forever made their mark with dogged reporting that produced powerful results, including toppling regimes around the globe and instigating much-needed reforms.”
34. The Mosaic Award
Caleb Melby, Jason Grotto, Mira Rojanasakul and Paul Murray, Bloomberg, “The Inequality Tax”
“This is a unique story that dives into the complex property tax system and how it perpetuates racism and double standards. At the same time, the authors tell human stories of how this system has affected people, making the story’s impact all the greater.”
35. The Les Payne Award for Coverage on Communities of Color
Jim Baumbach, Paul LaRocco, Sandra Peddie, David M. Schwartz and Jeffrey Basinger, Newsday, “Policing on LI”
“Newsday’s reporters provided an impressive combination of original reporting, deep research and informative interviews to provide its readers with stunning exposes’ of the shortcomings of Long Island’s police departments. That included police exams that worked against minority candidates, police reports that didn’t match videos obtained by Newsday and casual policing practices that allowed a woman to die at the hands of an ex-boyfriend.”
36. Public Service Award
Jeff Horwitz and Staff, The Wall Street Journal, “The Facebook Files”
“The “Facebook Files” is a dazzling 10-reporter, 17-story package built on extensive original interviewing and research, and an archeological-grade probe of internal Facebook documents, including internal studies, online employee discussions and drafts of presentations to senior management. The Wall Street Journal’s coverage did not just force Facebook to change its core business practices. It also goaded governments and individuals worldwide to reexamine society’s relationship with technology itself and the power and pervasiveness of social media.”