2022 Features (Large Newsroom) Finalists
Nicole Carr
ProPublica & Frontline
White Parents Rallied to Chase a Black Educator Out of Town. Then, They Followed Her to the Next One.
- White parents rallied to chase a Black educator out of town. Then, they followed her to the next one.
- Why the Black educator forced out over bogus critical race theory claims agreed to share her story
- School board candidates who criticized the hiring of a Black DEI educator lose their elections
Comments From the Judges:
“This story got to the uncomfortable, messy truth beyond the headlines and how it impacts the lives of real human beings who can’t escape online mobs and disinformation. The reporter did a fine weaving of an absolutely memorizing narrative that brought readers along and kept them reading for the length of the story. One of the best education stories of the entire year.”
“This story put a personal face on the anti-CRT efforts that helped unpack the intentions of educators who value inclusion and cultural sensitivity. I could feel (a small part) the lack of safety the story’s subject felt and the vitriol of those opposed to CRT really came through. I appreciated how this story wasn’t bogged down with national political tropes. This personal story really did the talking and provided an intimate account of how lies and misinformation about CRT are having real-world consequences.”
Adam Clark
NJ Advance Media
Portraits of a Crisis
- Saving Charlie
- N.J. lawmakers pledge to improve mental health care. Here’s how.
- The life & death of a ‘perfect human’
Comments From the Judges:
“Mental health issues among young people is one of the most important stories of our era. This story tackled an incredibly challenging issue — suicide — in a way that brought light to the human challenges and policy issues. It correctly balanced the heartbreaking details with the nuances that illuminate what can be done to help save lives.”
“As the writer states, this was a unique form of storytelling about suicide in that the subject of the story is still alive. In a way, I felt that conveyed more urgency to the issue of mental health in youth. I also appreciated the writer explaining how he got connected to the mother. It offered a behind-the-scenes aspect that also further highlighted the mother’s crisis. He weaved the first-person account into the story well, it was not distracting, but rather enhanced the story.”
John Woodrow Cox
The Washington Post
An American Girl
Comments From the Judges:
“Masterful storytelling and harrowing descriptions throughout that really conveyed the juxtaposition of being a normal American student who also survived a school shooting. Unfortunately, this topic has been all too common and stories can be easy to gloss over. But this original reporting concept forces it to remain front and center, and tells a little girl’s story with such care and reverence.”
“This one stood out for me because of how the story is framed from a child’s perspective in a respectful way. It’s painful to see Caitlyne forced into a group of survivors who speak out for gun control and have to grow up unnecessarily. The reporter did an excellent job telling her story and chronicling how the aftermath of the Uvalde shooting affected those around her.”
Finalists
