Related Finalists
2024 Features (Large Newsroom) Finalists
See finalists listed in alphabetical order.
Jennifer Berry Hawes & Liz Moughon
ProPublica
Segregation Academies: Decades After Desegregation, Private Schools Still Divide
- Segregation academies still operate across the South. One town grapples with its divided schools.
- In a town full of segregation academies, one Black family grapples with the best school choice for their daughter
- Cookie & Zo’e: A Georgia family wrestles with school choice 60 years after the start of desegregation
Comments From the Judges:
“I really appreciated how this piece blends history, the recent development of expanding voucher programs, and the voices of students, parents and school officials in a seamless look at the state of segregation in the Black Belt, told through one Alabama community. The piece about Cookie and Zo’e was moving and engaging, recasting the larger story through one family’s decision, with the echoes of history resonating in unexpected ways. Great nuance.”
“Wow, excellent topic, superior reporting, and top-notch writing. This is one of the finest examples of education reporting I’ve seen in many years. If that’s not enough, the impact of what this story describes is placed inside both a regional and national trends that stretch back decades, allowing a reader to see both the forest and the trees of this issue. The Cookie and Zo’e story is a deep dive into this issue through one family.”
Talia Richman
The Dallas Morning News
The Show Went On
Comments From the Judges:
“This feature covered a lot of ground, from the personal to the national. The public records requests paid off by revealing a script to be used to answer questions about changing the casting in a high school play. It succeeded in giving readers a [peek] into Max’s emotions and thoughts as his story went national. Good details included being present when the students [were] picking out costumes and how a big football player was used during opening night as security.”
“This story captured national attention because of the intrusion of politics into what seemed like a place where it didn’t belong: A high school musical. This is a gorgeously reported story that captures the pain and consequences of applying political agendas to student lives. This has popped up around the country as things like high school plays and musicals that once drew little notice are now a center of controversy.”
Jeremy Schwartz
ProPublica & The Texas Tribune
She Campaigned for a Texas School Board Seat as a GOP Hard-Liner. Now She’s Rejecting Her Party’s Extremism.
- She campaigned for a Texas school board seat as a GOP hard-liner. Now she’s rejecting her party’s extremism.
- Former far-right hard-liner says billionaires are using school board races to sow distrust in public education
- Texas is the largest GOP stronghold without pro-school voucher legislation. Gov. Abbott is on a crusade to change that.
Comments From the Judges:
“This is a [terrific report], [an] important story that gets behind the headlines and reveals an agenda at work that has nothing to do with supporting children or public education — and everything to do with gaining power for extremists. The second story which digs into the use of school boards to thwart public education is extremely important reporting on an issue that is happening — yes, in Texas — but also in many other places. This kind of detailed reporting and clear explanatory journalism is just what this moment demands. Superb.”
“This story is super clear in presentation of what could be confusing issues and shifting allegiances. Including that Gore watched the school board meeting while on vacation was a nice touch. Including followup stories shows that the reporter kept attention on these issues by following other tendrils of the issues raised in the original profile. The story about Gov. Abbott’s push for school vouchers is especially insightful, tracing the evolution, as well as the money donated, to this cause.”
