June 14, 2023
WASHINGTON, D.C. — The Washington, D.C., Chapter of the Society of Professional Journalists announced recipients of its 2023 Dateline Awards for journalism excellence at its annual Hall of Fame and Dateline Awards dinner held at the National Press Club.
The awards’ top honor, the Robert D.G. Lewis Watchdog Award, was presented to a collaborative team of NBC News, The Washington Post, the International Consortium of Investigative Journalists and the Arab Reporters for Investigative Journalism (ARIJ). The Watchdog Award comes with a $1,000 prize and is presented to a journalist or group in any award classification whose entry best exemplifies journalism aimed at protecting the public from abuses by those who would betray the public trust.
The group’s year-long investigation uncovered the ongoing use of trafficked workers to staff military bases overseas. Their reporting found that contracting companies previously caught and reported to have used trafficked workers had since received billions in new government contracts.
The stories appeared domestically in The Washington Post, on the NBC News digital news site and on NBC Nightly News. ARIJ translated stories that ran in eight outlets across the Middle East. The reporting produced results: The video segment has since been incorporated into training for government contracting officers, the stories helped pass a senate bill designed to end trafficking in government contracts, and the U.S. State Department has opened an investigation into labor contracting at Middle Eastern military bases.
Last night, the D.C. chapter also announced the full list of winners and finalists in the Dateline Awards, the annual contest designed to honor the best in local journalism throughout Washington D.C., Northern Virginia and Maryland. Finalists and winners in 18 categories over eight divisions were announced. The contest received a record number of entries.
“Each year we gather to honor journalists, both for a lifetime of achievement and for current, ground-breaking work,” said Denise Dunbar, president of the D.C. Pro Chapter of SPJ. “Last night, we inducted three worthy members into our D.C. Pro chapter Hall of Fame and presented another with our distinguished service award. Future winners of those awards were undoubtedly in the audience, and among those who won or were finalists for our Dateline Awards. The scope of outstanding journalism that takes place each year in the D.C. metro area is astonishing, and our annual SPJ chapter dinner is a wonderful way to acknowledge that work.”
After the dinner concluded, Dunbar released a further statement: “Our printed program for the June 13 awards dinner listed WAMU-FM host Kojo Nnamdi as the master of ceremonies. Unfortunately, through an internal communications failure, no one actually contacted him about that role and all assumed everything was in place for our great annual event as the time to start the program neared.
“When we called him to apologize that evening, he admitted he was surprised to be getting telephone messages from friends asking if he was all right.
“Kojo was laughing but we are not. The mistake was entirely ours and we apologize to all.”
A list of the Dateline Awards winners and finalists by category follows.
CORRESPONDENT AWARD
(For distinguished coverage of the Washington area published or broadcast outside the Washington D.C. area):
Winner: Reagan Priest, Cronkite News/Arizona PBS
Finalist: Blair Miller, Cox Media Group
Finalist: Maria Recio, Fort Worth Star-Telegram and Austin American-Statesman
DAILY NEWSPAPER DIVISION
DAILY NEWSPAPER Non-Breaking News
Winner: Bart Jansen, USA TODAY, “Bankrutpcy very rarely erases student loans.”
Finalist: Francesca Chambers, USA TODAY, “’Emotional moment’: Inside Biden’s presidential primary shake-up.”
Finalist: Stephen Dinan, The Washington Times, “Biden busing beats border states.”
DAILY NEWSPAPER Breaking News
Winner: Aruna Viswanatha, Sadie Gurman and Alex Leary; The Wall Street Journal, “The Trump document hunt.”
Finalist: Francesca Chambers, USA TODAY, “Biden rushes to prevent a global crisis on heels of high-stakes summit.”
DAILY NEWSPAPER Features
Winner: Jessica Donati, The Wall Street Journal, “An American dad hunts for his 8-year-old in the chaos of Afghanistan’s fall.”
Finalist: David Montgomery, Washington Post, “What does Virginia stand for? (And what does that mean for the rest of the country?)”
Finalist: Deborah Berry and Josh Morgan, USA Today, “Charleston church shooting survivors demand gun control.”
DAILY NEWSPAPER Sports
Winner: Steven Goff, The Washington Post, “Bruce Murray spent years heading the ball. He worries it took a toll.”
Finalist: Jacob Calvin Meyer, The Washington Times
Finalist: Matthew Paras, The Washington Times
DAILY NEWSPAPER Editorial/Opinion Writing
Winner: Chris Gentilviso, Richmond Times-Dispatch, “Trust in Government: Richmonders deserve the truth about Dogwood Dell.”
DAILY NEWSPAPER Business
Winner: Susan Ferrechio and Dave Boyer, The Washington Times, Reporting on Unions
DAILY NEWSPAPER Photojournalism
Winner: Daniel Kucin Jr., The Washington Post, “Pitch Perfect.”
Finalist: Daniel Kucin Jr., The Press of Atlantic City, “Can’t Stop Me.”
DAILY NEWSPAPER Investigative Journalism
Winner: Stephen Dinan, The Washington Times, “Pandemic fraud: Scammers make billions off of pandemic assistance funds.”
Finalist: Jess Bravin, The Wall Street Journal, “An American celebration gone wrong.”
DAILY NEWSPAPER Commentary and Criticism
Winner: Chris Gentilviso (GEN-TILL-VEE-SO), Richmond Times-Dispatch, “Setting standards on college campuses, at doctor’s offices and in libraries.”
DAILY NEWSPAPER Feature Photography
Winner: Daniel Kucin Jr., The Daily Progress, “The Competitor.”
DAILY NEWSPAPER Art/Photo Illustration
Winner: Alexander Hunter, The Washington Times
Finalist: Linas Garsys , The Washington Times
Finalist: Greg Groesch, The Washington Times
DAILY NEWSPAPER Infographic
Winner: Ryan Tracy and Anthony DeBarros, The Wall Street Journal, “Why rural Americans keep waiting for fast internet.”
DAILY NEWSPAPER Front-Page Design
Winner: Robert Cohn, The Washington Times, “Staying grounded; Putting aside his ego; Vintage Ovechkin.”
Finalist: Staff, The Washington Times
DAILY NEWSPAPER Column
Winner: Thom Loverro, The Washington Times, Sports Columns
Finalist: Michael McKenna, The Washington Times
DAILY NEWSPAPER Series
Winner: Staff, The Wall Street Journal, “The Issues motivating 2022 voters”
Finalist: Stephen Dinan, Tom Howell Jr. and Joseph Clark, The Washington Times, “Two years and counting.”
DAILY NEWSPAPER Beat Reporting
Winner: Gabriel Rubin, The Wall Street Journal, “The College debt dilemma.”
Finalist: Deborah Berry and Rick Rouan, USA Today, “For some Native Americans, casting a ballot means ‘absurd’ trip to the polling site.”
Finalist: Valerie Richardson, The Washington Times, Environmental Beat Reporting
Finalist: Jeff Mordock, The Washington Times, Criminal Justice Reporting
WEEKLY NEWSPAPER DIVISION
WEEKLY NEWSPAPER Non-Breaking News
Winner: Sara Gilgore, Washington Business Journal, “The Topic of Cancer.”
Finalist: Annemarie Cuccia, Hannah Loder and Holly Rusch, Street Sense Media, “Is DC’s heat plan working for people experiencing homelessness?”
Finalist: Michelle Vassilev and Nina Raj, The Hoya, “Anti-abortion conference sparks student opposition.”
Finalist: Sam Collins, The Washington Informer, “Black teen and chess phenom Miles Kwasi Davis organizes tournaments for youth.”
WEEKLY NEWSPAPER Breaking News
Winner: Michael Key, Washington Blade, “Va. students stage mass walkout over anti-LGBTQ policies.”
Finalist: Annemarie Cuccia, Street Sense Media, “DHS releases a benefits portal without full translation options.”
WEEKLY NEWSPAPER Features
Winner: Kathi Wolfe, Washington Blade, “Queer, Crip and Here.”
Finalist: Michael Lavers, Washington Blade , “Transgender journalist joins Ukrainian military.”
Finalist: Judy Kurtz, The Hill, “A mother’s harrowing RSV story ends with a simple lesson.”
WEEKLY NEWSPAPER Editorial/Opinion Writing
Winner: Denise Dunbar, Alexandria Times
Finalist: Michael Lavers, Washington Blade, “A reporter’s observations on the Brazilian, U.S. elections.”
WEEKLY NEWSPAPER Business
Winner: Kaela Roeder, Street Sense Media, “Paying it forward: How one bookstore coffee shop makes a difference in Adams Morgan.”
WEEKLY NEWSPAPER Investigative Journalism
Winner: Hannah Denham, Washington Business Journal, “Gone off course.”
Finalist: Kaela Roeder and Amanda Michelle Gomez; Street Sense Media, the Center for Public Integrity, The Seattle Times, and WAMU/DCist; “DC receives funds to help homeless students. Why are so many schools missing out?”
Finalist: Michelle Vassilev and Nina Raj, The Hoya, “GU fraternity brother accused of misusing nonprofit money.”
WEEKLY NEWSPAPER Commentary and Criticism
Winner: Andrew Dunbar, Alexandria Times, “’Mr. Morale’ is Kendrick Lamar’s most mature album to date.”
Finalist: D. Kevin McNeir, The Washington Informer, “Can Donald Trump really believe the hateful things he says? Or is it all a show?”
WEEKLY NEWSPAPER Photography Story
Winner: Michael Key , Washington Blade, “Activists stage ‘smoke-in’ at Russian embassy to protest Griner incarceration.”
WEEKLY NEWSPAPER Front-Page Design
Winner: Micha Green, Jarrin Davis and Dan Olds (Zebra), and Shevry Lassiter, “The Washington Informer 2022 Year End Review.”
Finalist: Athiyah Azeem and Khadijah Chapman, Street Sense Media, Cover designs that tell a story
WEEKLY NEWSPAPER Column
Winner: Rob Whittle, Alexandria Times
WEEKLY NEWSPAPER Series
Winner: Rebecca Beitsch, The Hill, “Here, There, Everywhere: Afghan refugees one year later.”
Finalist: Annemarie Cuccia, Street Sense Media, “The complicated world of housing vouchers.”
WEEKLY NEWSPAPER Editorial Cartoon
Winner: Lori Smith, Street Sense Media, “Grayman X – A comic that chronicles the experiences of unhoused people.”
WEEKLY NEWSPAPER Beat Reporting
Winner: Annemarie Cuccia, Street Sense Media, Encampment reporting
MAGAZINE DIVISION
MAGAZINE Non-Breaking News
Winner: Rebecca Kirkman, Baltimore Magazine, “Nursing where needed.”
Finalist: Rebecca Kirkman, Baltimore Magazine, “Flower Power.”
Finalist: Ellen Wexler, Moment Magazine, “Trayon White is running for DC mayor. Has the city forgiven his antisemitic comments?”
MAGAZINE Features
Winner: Wendy Kantor, Jenny Sullivan and Greg Hamilton, Arlington Magazine, “A rare cancer, a promising treatment and a backup plan.”
Finalist: Mac Carey, Washingtonian, “Meet the guy who bought Pat Sajak’s radio station.”
Finalist: Natalie Gontcharova, Amy Ayres and Mike Ramm, Northern Virginia Magazine, “Ukrainians fleeing the war turn tragedy into innovation.”
Finalist: Tamara Lytle, Jenny Sullivan and Greg Hamilton, Arlington Magazine, “Admissions Madness.”
MAGAZINE Commentary and Criticism
Winner: DeNeen L. Brown, Washington Post, “The case for leaving America to escape racism: I’m finally plotting my exit.”
Finalist: Sarah Posner, Moment Magazine, “Opinion: Look who’s blowing shofars.”
MAGAZINE Feature Photography
Winner: Astri Wee, Ashburn Magazine, “Firefighter and Pageant Queen.”
MAGAZINE Column
Winner: Dan Freedman, Moment Magazine, “Falafel: The crunch that binds or ball of confusion?”
Finalist: John Tirpak, Air and Space Forces Magazine, “Fast-tracking the Wedgetail”
TELEVISION DIVISION
TELEVISION Non-Breaking News
Winner: Staff, ABC News Live, “Studios Impact and Nightline – Aftermath: The Dobbs Effect.”
Finalist: Larry Miller, Stephanie Wilson, and WUSA9-TV Staff, WUSA9-TV Washington, DC, “What’s your home worth? A WUSA9 Special.”
Finalist: Staff, ABC News Live, “ABC News Live Prime with Linsey Davis: Spotlight Supreme Court.”
TELEVISION Breaking News
Winner: Staff, WUSA9-TV Washington, DC, “Silver Spring apartment explosion.”
Finalist: Staff, ABC News, “The fall of Roe.”
Finalist: Staff, WUSA9-TV Washington, DC, “Van Ness shooting.”
TELEVISION Features
Winner: Debra Alfarone, Fritz Farrow, Craig Wilson and Mary Anne Keane, CBS News, “The forgotten history of St. Emma.”
Finalist: Sue Kopen Katcef, Maryland Public Television, “Historic church continues to honor its past to Maryland native Frederick Douglass.”
Finalist: Eric Flack, Ruth Morton and James Hash, WUSA9-TV Washington, DC, “Officer Billy Evans: Still standing.”
Finalist: Adam Longo and Mike Fuhr, WUSA9-TV Washington, DC, “Best of Mic’d Up.”
TELEVISION Sports
Winner: Adam Longo, Darren Haynes and Eric Flack, WUSA9-TV Washington, DC, “Washington Commanders turmoil.”
TELEVISION Business
Winner: Scott Taylor, Gary Scurka and Trevor Taylor, WJLA TV 7 NEWS, “Food Truck controversy on the National Mall.”
TELEVISION Photojournalism
Winner: Daniel Kucin Jr., NBC (WMC-TV), “Tiger King.”
TELEVISION Investigative Journalism
Winner: Staff, NBC News, the Pulitzer Center and the Southeast Asia Globe; “How the race for a Covid vaccine enriched monkey poachers and endangered macaques.”
Finalist: Mark Hyman and Larry Deal, WJLA-TV ABC 7, “Vanishing Town.”
Finalist: Nathan Baca, Rebecca Knier and Samara Martin-Ewing, WUSA9-TV Washington, DC, “Stalked and Murdered.”
TELEVISION Commentary and Criticism
Winner: Randolph Sturdivant and Reese Waters, WUSA9-TV Washington, DC, “Best of Mic Drop.”
TELEVISION Series
Winner: Rick Yarborough, Shawn Yancy and Steve Jones, NBC Washington, “Gun Violence: A call to action.”
Finalist: Jess Arnold and Nicolas Rhule, WUSA9-TV Washington, DC, “Kids in Crisis.”
Finalist: Casey Nolen, Dion Wiggins and WUSA9 Staff, WUSA9-TV Washington, DC, “Squatters claim new home.”
Finalist: Patricia Villone, Andre Matthews and Ara Laughlin; CTV News @PGCTV, “Lakeland 4-Part Series.”
TELEVISION Beat Reporting
Winner: Kaitlyn McGrath, WUSA9-TV Washington, DC, “ECO9 Reporting”
Finalist: Abby Llorico, WUSA9-TV Washington, DC, “Verify”
RADIO DIVISION
RADIO Non-Breaking News
Winner: Margaret Barthel and Tyrone Turner, WAMU 88.5, “At one Fairfax County school, a focus on social and emotional learning.”
Finalist: Anne Flaherty, ABC News, “ABC News Audio – Start Here: Long Covid.”
Finalist: Tamika Smith and Tyrone Turner, WAMU 88.5, “’My kids are in pain now and need relief now’: local families cope with sickle cell.”
Finalist: Nancy Marshall-Genzer, Marketplace, “Pediatricians brace for the end of federal COVID-19 vaccine funding.”
RADIO Breaking News
Winner: Staff, WTOP-FM, “ROE V. WADE: OVERTURNED.”
Finalist: Tom Hall, Malarie Pinkard-Pierre and WYPR Staff; WYPR Baltimore, “Special Coverage: The high court strikes down abortion rights.”
Finalist: Sheilah Kast, Maureen Harvie and Melissa Gerr; WYPR, “Local reactions to Roe repeal.”
RADIO Features
Winner: Aja Drain, WAMU 88.5, “This plantation museum is bringing stories of enslaved people out of the shadows.”
Finalist: John Lee, WYPR-FM, “The battle is on to cut back annoying gnats running amok in Eastern Baltimore County.”
Finalist: Jacob Fenston, WAMU 88.5, “Community Forklift is struggling to find a new home.”
Finalist: Sheilah Kast, Maureen Harvie and Melissa Gerr; WYPR, “A neuroscientist investigates mortality after a terminal diagnosis.”
RADIO Sports
Winner: Ayan Sheikh and Esther Ciammachilli; WAMU 88.5, “This women’s curling league wants to demystify the sport beyond the Olympics.”
Finalist: Esther Ciammachilli, Tyrone Turner and Ayan Sheikh; WAMU 88.5, “Wrestling is back in D.C. public high schools, and girls are joining in.”
Finalist: Staff, WTOP-FM, WTOP-FM Sports
RADIO Editorial/Opinion
Winner: Staff, City Cast DC, “Kojo Nnamdi’s take on D.C. statehood.”
RADIO Business
Winner: Sheilah Kast, Melissa Gerr and Maureen Harvie, WYPR, “Melalogic app hopes to shine light on Black skin concerns.”
Finalist: Héctor Alejandro Arzate, WAMU 88.5, “This family fled the Armenian Genocide. Their Arlington rug store turns 100 this year.”
Finalist: HJ Mai, NPR, “What kinds of jobs will be created by offshore wind farms?”
Finalist: Staff, City Cast DC, “Union Station’s $10 billion facelift”
RADIO Photojournalism
Winner: Daniel Kucin Jr., WTOP, “Fumble!”
RADIO Investigative Journalism
Winner: Amanda Michelle Gomez and Kaela Roeder, WAMU 88.5, “D.C. gets federal funds to help homeless students. But many schools are shortchanged.”
Finalist: Amanda Michelle Gomez and Sarah Y. Kim, WAMU 88.5, “D.C. is falling short of its taxi accessibility requirements. What went wrong?”
RADIO Commentary and Criticism
Winner: Staff, City Cast DC, “Go-Go is D.C.’s official music. Should it be?”
Finalist: J. Wynn Rousuck, Tom Hall and Rob Sivak, WYPR Baltimore, “WYPR Midday: Rousuck’s Reviews.”
RADIO Column
Winner: Staff, City Cast DC, “How to find decent rent in this city.”
RADIO Series
Winner: John Lee, WYPR-FM, “Climate change in your backyard.”
Finalist: J.J. Green, WTOP-FM, “War in Ukraine: Battle for the soul of Europe.”
Finalist: Tom Hall, Malarie Pinkard-Pierre and Robert Sivak, WYPR Baltimore, “WYPR Midday, Conversations with the Candidates: Maryland Election 2022.”
RADIO Beat Reporting
Winner: John Lee, WYPR-FM, Baltimore County beat
NEWSLETTER/TRADE DIVISION
NEWSLETTER/TRADE PUBLICATION Non-Breaking News
Winner: Donna Borak and Andrew Satter, Bloomberg Industry Group, “New York City’s property taxes are crushing homeowners.”
Finalist: John Murph, Washington Lawyer, “After Fall of Roe, will LGBTQ rights follow?”
Finalist: Daniel Moore, Bloomberg Industry Group, “Race for US lithium hinges on fight over mine in Nevada.”
Finalist: Bryant Harris and Joe Gould, Defense News, “How a Republican rift on Ukraine could complicate future aid packages.”
NEWSLETTER/TRADE PUBLICATION Breaking News
Winner: Jen Judson, Defense News, “US Army makes largest helicopter award in 40 years.”
Finalist: Matthew Bin Han Ong, Alice Tracey and Paul Goldberg, The Cancer Letter, “Saving Ukraine’s cancer patients.”
NEWSLETTER/TRADE PUBLICATION Features
Winner: Sarah Sicard, Military Times, “The quiet artistry of bringing the dead home from war.”
Finalist: Dan Bauman, The Chronicle of Higher Education, “The college that drowned itself in red ink.”
Finalist: Theresa Agovino, HR Magazine, “Out of Sight.”
Finalist: William Roberts, Washington Lawyer, “Crowdsourcing digital war crimes evidence.”
NEWSLETTER/TRADE PUBLICATION Editorial/Opinion Writing
Winner: Paul Goldberg, The Cancer Letter, “For your freedom and ours.”
Finalist: Tobias Naegele, Air and Space Forces Magazine Editorials
NEWSLETTER/TRADE PUBLICATION Business
Winner: Theresa Agovino, HR Magazine, “The Big reveal.”
Finalist: Stephen Losey and Joe Gould, Defense News, “Fake parts: A Pentagon supply chain problem hiding in plain sight.”
Finalist: Andrew Satter and Josh Block, Bloomberg Industry Group, “Steven Davis and the rise and fall of Dewey and LeBoeuf.”
Finalist: Stephenie Overman, Virginia Business, “Fighting Back. Small businesses get creative battling inflation.”
NEWSLETTER/TRADE PUBLICATION Investigative Journalism
Winner: Geoff Ziezulewicz and James R. Webb, Navy Times, “The conditions at Walter Reed Barracks.”
Finalist: Bryant Harris, Defense News, “Largest defense firms donate millions to election-denying lawmakers.”
Finalist: Paul Goldberg, The Cancer Letter, “Tennessee hospitals violate anti-kickback, false claims laws.”
Finalist: John Holland, Bloomberg Industry Group, “SEC enriches fraudsters, lawyers as secrecy shrouds tips program.”
NEWSLETTER/TRADE PUBLICATION Commentary and Criticism
Winner: Vivia Chen, Bloomberg Industry Group, “Vivia Chen Unfiltered.”
Finalist: Luis Miguel Meléndez, Washington Lawyer, “Amen to the passing of the establishment clause?“
NEWSLETTER/TRADE PUBLICATION Art/Photo Illustration
Winner: Katie Goldberg, The Cancer Letter, “Illustrating clinical trials and drug development in 2022.”
NEWSLETTER/TRADE PUBLICATION Infographic
Winner: Jacqueline Ong and Katie Goldberg, The Cancer Letter, “Survey Data, Diagnoses, and Clinical Trials.”
NEWSLETTER/TRADE PUBLICATION Front-Page Design
Winner: Brian Taylor, National Defense Magazine
Finalist: Katie Goldberg and Jacqueline Ong, The Cancer Letter
Finalist: Dash Parham, Eric Lee and Mike Tsukamoto, Air and Space Forces Magazine
NEWSLETTER/TRADE PUBLICATION Column
Winner: Mike Gruss, Defense News
NEWSLETTER/TRADE PUBLICATION Series
Winner: Tobias Naegele, Air Force Magazine/Air and Space Forces Magazine, “The Air Chiefs.”
Finalist: Paul Goldberg, Jacquelyn Cobb and Matthew Bin Han Ong, The Cancer Letter, “A ‘new normal’ in clinical trial D=design: Streamlined, limited data collection.”
NEWSLETTER/TRADE PUBLICATION Beat Reporting
Winner: Rachel S. Cohen, Air Force Times, Rachel S. Cohen portfolio
Finalist: Bryant Harris, Defense News, “Document reveals $14 billion backlog of US defense transfers to Taiwan.”
Finalist: Courtney Albon, Sightline Media Group, C4ISRNET, “US Space Force plan for rapid satellite launches may finally take off.”
ONLINE DIVISION
ONLINE Non-Breaking News
Winner: Amy Silverman, Center for Public Integrity, “Million-dollar question: How to find safe homes for those with complex needs.”
Finalist: Amanda Michelle Gomez, DCist, “Inside the local mutual aid effort supporting the migrants Texas bused to D.C.”
Finalist: Allison Hageman, Washington City Paper, “D.C.’s hidden flood risk is in areas far from bodies of water.”
Finalist: Geoff Ziezulewicz, Navy Times, “No hot water, A/C, or doors with locks for troops who live in Walter Reed barracks.”
ONLINE Breaking News
Winner: Dan McCue, Natalie McCormick and Eden Metzger, The Well News, “Abortion ruling a galvanizing moment in American life.”
Finalist: Staff, DCist, “Van Ness shooter.”
ONLINE Features
Winner: Dan McCue, The Well News, “When swing was king at the embassy.”
Finalist: Rebecca Koenig, EdSurge, “The journeys adult students take back to local universities.”
Finalist: Yvette Cabrera, Center for Public Integrity, “Nuclear buildup sickened his community. Then it caught up with him.”
Finalist: Arnesa A. Howell, Howard Magazine, “More Black women are starting to take charge of their mental health. Here’s why.”
ONLINE Sports
Winner: Brittany Ghiroli, The Athletic, “A minor league announcer reported an assault, and ‘In the end, it hurt me’.”
Finalist: Emily Siegel, Andrew Lehren and Mary Pilon, NBC News, “They’re banned from coaching Olympic sports. Why are they instructing children?”
ONLINE Editorial/Opinion Writing
Winner: David Hilzenrath, Julia Delacroix and Brandon Brockmyer, Project on Government Oversight, “Accounting’s big lie – and how to fix it.”
Finalist: Bo Smolka, The Baltimore Banner, “When the baby will die, depriving a woman of choice is just cruel.”
Finalist: Danielle McLean, CNN Opinion, “I’m a transgender player in women’s hockey. And that’s exactly where I belong.”
ONLINE Business
Winner: Rachael Levy, Marisa Taylor and Sarah N. Lynch, Reuters, “Elon Musk’s botched animal experiments.”
Finalist: Corbin Hiar and Kelsey Brugger, EandE News, Corporate climate reporting
Finalist: Staff, Center for Public Integrity and Transmitter Media, “The wealth vortex.”
ONLINE Photojournalism
Winner: Alejandro Alvarez, WTOP.com
ONLINE Investigative Journalism
Winner: Staff of NBC News, The Washington Post, International Consortium for Independent Journalists and Arab Reporters for Investigative Journalism, “The Pentagon knows its contractors for staffing overseas military bases have engaged extensively in trafficking workers. But punishment is scant.”
Finalist: Bloomberg Staff, Bloomberg News, “Mortgage Inequality.”
Finalist: jonetta barras, The DCLine.org, “DC’s child welfare system trends to destruction. Will city leaders embrace change?”
ONLINE Commentary and Criticism
Winner: D. Watkins, Salon, D. Watkins cultural criticism.
Finalist: Celia Wexler, NBCNews.com THINK, “Pope Francis claims pets replacing children in families is ‘selfish.’ That’s rich.”
Finalist: Zac Weisz, National Journal, “Why the U.K. Conservative Party could do something Republicans can’t.”
ONLINE Feature Photography
Winner: Tyrone Turner, DCist, “Twon was one of us:’ Dozens gather to remember 14-year-old killed on Halloween.”
Finalist: Dee Dwyer, DCist, “This health clinic fills a gap in care for pregnant people in Wards 7 and 8.”
Finalist: Dave Dildine, WTOP.com
ONLINE Photography Story
Winner: Dee Dwyer, DCist, “Voices of Wards 7 and 8, Youth Edition: ‘Some adults won’t just believe in us’.”
ONLINE Infographic
Winner: Bloomberg Staff, Bloomberg News, “Five US states will decide if the 2024 election can be stolen.”
ONLINE Column
Winner: Mary C. Curtis, Roll Call, Collection of columns by Mary C. Curtis
Finalist: jonetta barras, The DCLine.org, “The underbelly of DC’s violence crisis.”
Finalist: John Rydell, Maryland Matters, “Remembering the George Wallace shooting 50 years later.”
ONLINE Series
Winner: Staff of Center for Public Integrity with The Seattle Times, Street Sense Media and WAMU/DCist, “Unhoused and Undercounted.”
Finalist: Staff, Columbia Journalism Investigations, Center for Public Integrity and Type Investigations, “Harm’s Way.”
Finalist: Staff, Insider , “Red, White, and Gray: How America’s gerontocracy is weakening democracy.”
Finalist: Jaclyn Diaz, National Public Radio, “The Trans Prison Experience.”
ONLINE Beat Reporting
Winner: Pamela King and Robin Bravender, POLITICO’s EandE News, “How the courts are undercutting climate action without ever mentioning climate.”
Finalist: Staff, Center for Public Integrity with ICT, “Unequal Burden.”
Finalist: Jenni Bergal, Stateline, Transportation Safety Stories.
Finalist: Nicole Hertvik, DC Theater Arts, “From Omicron to toxic leadership: DC-area theaters reopen amid a host of challenges.”
ALL DIVISIONS/BLOG
Winner: Staff, WTOP, WTOP.com site
Finalist: Lillian Agosto Maldonado, Mundos Paralelos, “Mundos Paralelos, una revista digital que presenta la identidad boricua.”
Finalist: Cecilia Mencia and Norah Vawter, DCTRENDING.com, a Washington, DC Art and Culture Magazine.