Several WPLN staffers have received recent accolades, and the WPLN / ProPublica investigation into the arrests of children and teenagers in Rutherford County is drawing national attention as an example of 2021’s most impactful journalism.
The investigation was selected for the Al Nakkula Award for Police Reporting from the University of Colorado and the Denver Press Club. WPLN Senior Reporter/Producer Meribah Knight will speak to classes and accept the award in late April.
The project was also presented with the John Jay/Harry Frank Guggenheim Award for Excellence in Criminal Justice Journalism. The judges said, “In what was a competitive field of submissions this year, our jurors decided [the investigation] met our prize criteria for outstanding work that has advanced public understanding of criminal justice issues.”
The reporting — which is ongoing by Knight and Ken Armstrong with ProPublica — was also named a finalist from several organizations:
- The 2022 Goldsmith Prize for Investigative Reporting named the WPLN/ProPublica investigation one of six finalists for making an impact on public policy.
- The Scripps Howard Award for Excellence in Local/Regional Investigative Reporting recognizes the work for going the extra mile to expose previously undisclosed or misunderstood information.
- The National Magazine Awards named the investigation as one of seven finalists in the Feature Writing category, alongside The New York Times Magazine and The Atlantic, among others. Originally limited to print magazines, the awards now recognize magazine-quality journalism published in any medium.
“These honors call attention to Meribah and Ken’s revelatory reporting, which has changed the conversation about juvenile justice in our region,” says Special Projects Editor Tony Gonzalez. “We’re proud to be considered alongside such incredible journalism, and we’re energized to press forward with more of this reporting.”
“Thank you to the incredible teams at WPLN News and ProPublica for enabling me and Ken to be able to do this investigative work,” says Knight. “This has truly been a team effort thanks to our editors and many others who helped along the way.”
A project of the ProPublica Local Reporting Network, the November 2021 investigative report sprang from an incident in which 11 children were arrested in the county for allegedly watching other kids scuffle and not stepping in to stop the fight. When Knight and Armstrong looked into it, they discovered that the children had been arrested for a crime that does not exist — and that many others were treated similarly over many years. The story sparked outcry from community members and Tennessee legislators.
Staff honors
So far in 2022, these WPLN staff members also have received honors:
Senior Health Care Reporter Blake Farmer won a first-place Award for Excellence in Health Care Journalism in audio reporting (small division) for his coverage of ICU nurse burnout.
Political Reporter Blaise Gainey has been chosen for a Statehouse Reporting Fellowship by the National Press Foundation in Austin. Experts will help statehouse and regional reporters prepare for the 2022 midterm elections and beyond by providing nuanced information and instruction on redistricting, copycat legislation, campaign finance, disinformation and more.
Environmental Reporter Caroline Eggers wrote an essay about how journalists are covering the science of climate change and weather events in The Investigative Reporters & Editors Journal. Her story and photo are featured on the cover of the quarterly publication.
Morning Host Nina Cardona has been selected to participate in a DEIB facilitator workshop put on by Headway, a public media-focused training organization led by Celeste Headlee.
This Is Nashville‘s Digital Lead Anna Gallegos-Cannon has been selected as one of 20 fellows for this year’s Gwen Ifill Mentorship Program. The program is designed to address the lack of diversity in leadership positions in newsrooms across the country.
With the work WPLN News does each day, we are grateful to have community support on our side, engaged in and supporting work that is so vital to our community.
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