2022 Beat Reporting (Large Newsroom) Finalists

Mike Hixenbaugh

NBC News Digital

Race, Gender and Civil Rights in Schools 

• Banned: Books on race and sexuality are disappearing from Texas schools in record numbers
• Taunted for being Black, a student fought back, civil rights complaint says. The 30-second fight derailed her life.
• How a far-right, Christian cellphone company ‘took over’ four Texas school boards
• A teacher in Uvalde, Texas, describes ‘the longest 35 minutes of my life’
• Southlake, Texas, rejected diversity lessons in schools. But a federal probe may demand them.

Comments From the Judges:

“He is a masterful storyteller, often tugging on the reader’s emotions all the way through and then ending with something even more heart-wrenching. Much of his work, too, is groundbreaking, including the piece about the cellphone company bankrolling conservative school board members in several Texas school districts.”

“Mike Hixenbaugh delivered deeply reported stories that provided compelling insight into the culture wars tearing apart US schools and the country. He broke news, using public records and an extensive network of sources across the country. The rest of the national media — and even local publications — would catch up only days, weeks, even months later. He combined investigative reporting with rich, even heartbreaking, narratives.” 

Hannah Natanson

The Washington Post

LGBTQ in Schools

• This Florida teacher married a woman. Now she’s not a teacher anymore.
• These teens always had abortion rights. Now they face a ‘post-Roe’ world
• After Roe, teens are teaching themselves sex ed, because the adults won’t
• LGBTQ clubs were havens for students. Now they’re under attack.

Comments From the Judges:

“Hannah put readers in the middle of the nation’s culture wars in education in one compelling story after the other. The story about the Florida teacher who quit her job because she felt she could no longer be herself and teach was written beautifully from beginning to end. It had poignancy. It had relevance. It was rooted in the news, and brought the issue home in an intimate way, as did every story in this package.”

“Exceptional in tone, scope, sweep and writing. Each of these stories was fascinating and well written. I am enthralled with the communities Hannah uncovers. My goodness, the work required to find these pockets of resistance! Please note how this reporter countered political/religious stances with research showing those stances are untethered to reality. This reporter finds powerful rebuttals to ascendant reactionary views.”

Teresa Watanabe

Los Angeles Times

Teresa Watanabe: Sustained Excellence in Beat Reporting 

• How John Eastman’s role in Jan. 6 still haunts the California university where he taught
• UC housing crisis forces students into multiple jobs to pay rent, sleeping bags and stress
• California banned affirmative action in 1996. Inside the UC struggle for diversity
• UC and CSU deliver thousands of rejection letters. Arizona State wants to fill the void
• Fears rise that UC strike could have long-lasting consequences on vaunted research, teaching

Comments From the Judges:

“Teresa’s reporting was excellent, well-researched and thorough. Two of her pieces — one about the UC housing crisis and another about John Eastman and Chapman College – were true standouts. Her work in general stood out – as very good higher education coverage.”

“I was impressed by the depth of the reporting in Teresa Watanabe’s higher education stories. Stories are very well researched, and the use of statistics and data is convincing. The Eastman piece was nuanced reporting on the debate over free speech and academic freedom. The story about a university system built to uplift first generation students now hampered by a housing crisis was the best piece in this package. And the on deadline story on the strike was a well done daily.”