2021 Beat Reporting (Small Newsroom) Finalists

Linda Jacobson
The 74

Covering American Education’s Most Turbulent Year

• 12 months after pandemic closed schools, 12 million students still lack reliable internet
• ‘A lot of them choose work’: As teens pile on jobs to help their families, schools strive to keep tabs on students they haven’t seen in a year
• Miami’s Carvalho brings rock star status to top L.A. schools job, but observers warn of ‘Political black hole’ that awaits
• Can right answers be wrong? Latest clash over ‘White supremacy culture’ unfolds in unlikely arena: Math class
• Social-emotional learning or ‘White supremacy with a hug’? Yale official’s departure sparks a racial reckoning

Comments from the Judges

“I liked the range of topics in this entry, all timely, but the writing put it over the top for me. This lead, for example, grabbed me and wouldn’t let go – ‘The day her teenage daughter’s hair began to fall out, Eva Garcia knew the stress had become too much.’”

“The reporter does an impressive job of telling the important stories of higher education through sources throughout the country. The article about the students without internet connections is particularly well-told with great examples, such as the student without service living near Google’s headquarters.” 

Asher Lehrer-Small
The 74

ELLs’ Absenteeism, Blue State/Red State Learning Divides, TA to BA and More

• One fate, two fates. red states, blue states: New data reveal a 432-hour in-person learning gap produced by the politics of pandemic schooling
• Exclusive Data: Absenteeism surged among English Learners during pandemic 
• Genocide ‘In my own backyard’: North Carolina educators ignored state’s eugenics history long before critical race theory pushback
• Inside the ‘TA to BA’ educator fellowship: How one Rhode Island initiative is elevating experienced paraprofessionals — and creating a more diverse teacher force
• Ask the Doctor: With Delta Variant rampant, how can parents protect young kids from COVID this summer and fall?

Comments from the Judges

“Original and effective use of data and a clear commitment to come at stories from a unique angle and dig deeply to provide useful information.”

“The writer’s use of data to tell compelling narratives was impressive. The piece about North Carolina and eugenics is a story that should be told by more newsrooms nationwide and the 74 did a great job unearthing important information and using voices to bring the article to life.”

Jon Marcus
The Hechinger Report

Jon Marcus: Higher Education Beat Coverage

• The pandemic is speeding up the mass disappearance of men from college
• As enrollment falls and colleges close, a surprising number of new ones are opening
• A surprise for America’s many career switchers: They need to go back to school
• Will that college degree pay off? Now you can finally see the numbers
• Racial gaps in college degrees are widening, just when states need them to narrow

Comments from the Judges

“Jon Marcus does an excellent job of capturing large, complex national trends and conveying them in ways that are understandable and engaging for readers.”

“What impressed me most about this package is that it told me some things I didn’t know. The content is data based, but the writer puts a human face on it. It’s easy to read and interesting.” 

SEE THE FULL LIST OF 2021 CATEGORY FINALISTS