2025 Beat Reporting (Large Newsroom) Finalists
Karina Elwood
The Washington Post
Education in Virginia
- Virginia’s top prosecutor targets drugs, crime — and Northern Va. schools
- A trans girl was banned from her track team. Now she’s competing with the boys.
- For $65,000 a year, a teacher-less AI private school comes to Virginia
- Fearing deportation, a beloved music teacher gives a final lesson
- The fight over transgender policies in Northern Virginia schools, explained
Comments From the Judges:
“These articles offer a capable accounting of the culture-war battles in Virginia schools last year. The story on the transgender athlete and the one on the Venezuelan music teacher were both very well done, full of rich and interesting details. The AI private school story was so odd that I wanted to keep reading. Strong reporting on a range of fascinating topics.”
“The story about Eliza is one of the best stories I’ve read all year. And the kicker. Wow. The story about Jesús humanizes a national issue in a very real way. The explainer about transgender policies in Northern Virginia schools was also top-notch. It’s clear from this extremely strong entry that Elwood has a gift for telling human stories and explaining complicated policy, often in the same story.”
Christopher Huffaker
The Boston Globe
Christopher Huffaker’s Education Data Beat Reporting
- Massachusetts is the most highly educated state. But its perch atop the education hierarchy is in jeopardy.
- Since COVID, larger share of Mass. parents trade public schools for private
- New England schools are failing — and ‘nobody seems to care’
- BPS bus safety concerns mount as tragedy prompts calls for change in Boston’s school transportation system
- Massachusetts welcomed migrant families with open arms. But is the state prepared to teach their children?
Comments From the Judges:
“Huffaker’s submitted entries are powerful, and the impact shown through the cover letter is admirable. The data he presents – cleanly and succinctly – is integral to the storytelling. He writes in ways ordinary readers with no prior exposure to the datasets he pulls from can understand. Super impressed with his work.”
“This submission really stood out to me for its willingness to challenge long-held assumptions with hard questions and deep reporting. For years, Massachusetts in particular and New England in general have basked in the confidence that their schools were vastly superior to those elsewhere. These articles served as a wake-up call that this is no longer necessarily the case, and help explain what changed. The one comparing the Vermont and Louisiana districts was especially well done.”
Tyler Kingkade
NBC News Digital
Tyler Kingkade’s Education Beat Reporting
- Parents say school-issued iPads are causing chaos with their kids
- One photo, a deluge of threats: Inside the Arizona high school turned upside down by right-wing activists
- Education Department staff warned that Trump buyout offers could be canceled at any time
- Inside the Univ. of Virginia gun incident that drew DOJ’s ire
- Researchers have a radical plan to thwart Trump’s war on science: Talking to people
Comments From the Judges:
“Kingkade has produced a convincingly broad set of stories, showing he can cover the national education beat responsibly and comprehensively. These stories hit the heartbeat of concerns education has been battling, and he consistently produces engaging and important stories.”
“Excellent example of beat reporting that shows the reporter’s range of skills across breaking news, features and trend stories. The reporter’s work incorporates a lot of different voices, including getting boots on the ground with local teachers who found themselves at the center of a culture wars misinformation campaign. This kind of reporting is exemplary because it goes beyond the easy headline and brings readers into the messy realities that schools are dealing with in this era.”
Marcela Rodrigues
The Boston Globe
Marcela Rodrigues’ Coverage of ICE Raids and Schools
- Under ICE crackdown, thousands of students have left Mass. public schools
- After ICE detention, Milford teen Marcelo Gomes grapples with public spotlight and threat of deportation
- What if ICE takes me? Fears prompt immigrant parents to have difficult conversations with kids.
- Children of migratory farm workers lose access to vital education services amid Trump $6 billion funding freeze
- Amid ICE crackdown, immigrant children find solace on East Boston soccer fields
Comments From the Judges:
“Excellent example of a reporter who knows the beat, has deep sources and established trust with vulnerable communities. The stories are rich in human details but also clearly explain how federal, state and local issues intersect.”
“Rodrigues has pulled together a masterful palette of stories covering the challenges and joys immigrants are experiencing. I cried as I read her stories. The cover letter makes clear the talent Rodrigues brought to the table, and it’s clear she uses her talents and gifts in framing and crafting these stories. Very, very well done.”
