2024 Investigative & Public Service (Large Newsroom) Finalists
Jenn Abelson, Jessica Contrera & Nate Jones
The Washington Post
Abused by the Badge
- Abused by the badge: A school cop was accused of sexual misconduct with kids.
- He kept his job for years.
- DOJ moves to prevent child sex abuse by school police after Post investigation
- A school cop admitted to sexually abusing two students. He got probation.
- Abused by the badge: A Washington Post investigation found hundreds of law enforcement officers in the United States have sexually exploited kids. Many avoid prison time.
Comments From the Judges:
“Excellent reporting and presentation. Kudos for partnering with a university to track and analyze police misconduct data. Important insights into a world where local power protects predators, and young women are not to be believed. The series reveals the truly appalling power dynamics that allow SROs to prey on children. Excellent context. More SROs are being added to campuses as the threat and body counts of school shooting[s] escalate. Scared student? Go to your trusted SRO – but he may be a predator. Impact. DOJ changed guidance – will it last?”
“I particularly admire the data collection. It’s a smart use of data that already existed and was just waiting to be scrutinized. This data, paired with the other records obtained by the reporters, really brings this story to life. It makes it bulletproof. The impact of this story was great, and frankly surprising. … This isn’t a one-off story — reporters didn’t just expose the routine nature of SRO misconduct. They followed those officers into the courtroom. By doing so, you see exactly how officers are given a slap on the wrist for serious wrongdoing.”
Mara Klecker, Jeffrey Meitrodt & MaryJo Webster
Minnesota Star Tribune
Failing Grades
- Failing grades: Part I, Part II and Part III
- Regulators make it easy for Minnesota’s failing charter schools to stay open
Comments From the Judges:
“Strong lede, punchy and hits hard. Direct, clear writing to unroll the many problems with Minnesota’s charter schools, while also being balanced. Dogged reporting in the face of denials, no comments and withholding of documents by regulators. Very good use of graphics. Impressive reporting in spite of efforts by the state and nonprofit overseers to hide data. The reporters painted a damning portrait through the data they were able to receive, and also wide-ranging interviews. Excellent job pointing out the process for a charter school’s success — and reporting that the state doesn’t require schools to go through those steps.”
“This is a great package with the video, deep writing, visual storytelling and data visualizations. It is also heavily sourced, and makes a compelling case about the failures of charter schools in Minnesota. I found the video particularly compelling. It added a true human element to a policy story that I’ve read many times. Seeing the human toll of school closures/moves, as well as the technicalities that come with it, made the issue tangible. I especially dig how a reporter from Minneapolis reported on the ground in Providence.”
Chris Quintana, Kenny Jacoby, Lamar Salter & Alexa Juliana Ard
USA TODAY
Post-Grad Football Lures Players With a Second Shot at Glory. They Rarely Get It.
- Post-grad football lures players with a second shot at glory. They rarely get it.
- Players paid thousands for a new chance at college football. Where did the money go?
- ‘I lost a lot of opportunities:’ post-grad football attendees reveal how they were misled.
Comments From the Judges:
“I’m obsessed with this story. Young adults just trying their shot at the American Dream are front and center. I learned about a new predatory scheme through this story, which may have never been on my radar. Now I care about the close-but-not-quite college athletes who are swindled out of money for a chance to play college athletics — an opportunity that basically doesn’t exist. The fact that these program operators know their customers are “at-risk” youth adds fuel to the fire. The story is based on interviews with 100 program participants, which shows the lengths this reporting team went to tell a complete, accurate picture of these fraudulent football programs.”
“This package shined a light on a system that doesn’t get much attention. I didn’t know much about these types of teams until reading these stories. Innovative and exhaustive reporting. Clear writing and structure. Solid video capturing the story. An excellent probe into another unregulated, quasi-academic area. Important piece to get on the record, as a warning to prospective athletes. Strong confrontational interview with Etienne.”
