2020 News (Large Newsroom) Finalists

Fairfax County Schools
Hannah Natanson
The Washington Post

Comment from the judges: “Authoritative writing, holding school officials and learning platform providers accountable while providing solid explanatory journalism about what went wrong when the pandemic closed schools, switched to online learning, then had to shut that down.”

The Pandemic and Illinois Schools: A Digital Divide, Vulnerable Students and Hidden Data
Jennifer Smith Richards, Jodi S. Cohen and Haru Coryne
Chicago Tribune and ProPublica Illinois

Comment from the judges: “A comprehensive series examining how the pandemic exposed weaknesses in online learning, and the inequities that underpin them.”

Trump’s Words, Bullied Kids, Scarred Schools
Hannah Natanson, John Woodrow Cox and Perry Stein
The Washington Post

Comment from the judges: “Incredible investigative piece documenting the rise of bullying and discrimination, with many gut wrenching examples, that occurred during the Trump administration.”