For a distinguished example of investigative reporting by an individual or team, presented as a single article or series, in print or in print and online, ten thousand dollars ($10,000).
Two Prizes of $10,000 each:
Awarded to Walt Bogdanich and Jake Hooker of The New York Times for their stories on toxic ingredients in medicine and other everyday products imported from China, leading to crackdowns by American and Chinese officials.
Awarded to the Chicago Tribune Staff for its exposure of faulty governmental regulation of toys, car seats and cribs, resulting in the extensive recall of hazardous products and congressional action to tighten supervision.
Also nominated as a finalist in this category were: Miles Moffeit and Susan Greene of The Denver Post for their reports on how destruction of evidence in criminal cases across the nation can free the guilty and convict the innocent, prompting official efforts to correct breakdowns.
For a distinguished example of explanatory reporting that illuminates a significant and complex subject, demonstrating mastery of the subject, lucid writing and clear presentation, in print or in print and online, ten thousand dollars ($10,000).
Awarded to Amy Harmon of The New York Times for her striking examination of the dilemmas and ethical issues that accompany DNA testing, using human stories to sharpen her reports.
Also nominated as finalists in this category were: Beth Daley of The Boston Globe for her evocative exploration of how global warming affects New Englanders, from ice fishermen to blueberry farmers, and the Staff of the Oregonian, Portland, for its richly illustrated reports on a breakthrough in producing the microprocessors that are a technological cornerstone of modern life.
For a distinguished example of reporting on significant issues of local concern, demonstrating originality and community expertise, in print or in print and online, ten thousand dollars ($10,000).
Awarded to David Umhoefer of the Milwaukee Journal Sentinel for his stories on the skirting of tax laws to pad pensions of county employees, prompting change and possible prosecution of key figures.
Also nominated as finalists in this category were: Chris Davis, Matthew Doig and Tiffany Lankes of the Sarasota (Fla.) Herald Tribune for their dogged exposure, in print and online, of predatory teachers and the system that protects them, stirring state and national action, and Jeff Pillets, John Brennan and Tim Nostrand of The Record, Bergen County, N.J., for their probe of how plans to build a luxury community atop old landfills became entangled in questionable state loans and other allegations of favoritism.
For a distinguished example of reporting on national affairs, in print or in print and online, ten thousand dollars ($10,000). Awarded to Jo Becker and Barton Gellman of The Washington Post for their lucid exploration of Vice President Dick Cheney and his powerful yet sometimes disguised influence on national policy.
Also nominated as finalists in this category were: The New York Times Staff for its stories about CIA interrogation techniques that critics condemned as torture, stirring debate on the legal and moral limits of American action against terrorism, and Howard Witt of the Chicago Tribune for his wide ranging examination of complicated racial issues in America, from the courtroom to the schoolyard.
For a distinguished example of reporting on international affairs, in print or in print and online, ten thousand dollars ($10,000). Awarded to Steve Fainaru of The Washington Post for his heavily reported series on private security contractors in Iraq that operate outside most of the laws governing American forces.
Also nominated as finalists in this category were: The New York Times Staff for its valorous and comprehensive coverage of America’s military efforts to reduce sectarian violence in Iraq, and The Wall Street Journal Staff for its in-depth reports on the dismantling of democracy in Russia under the leadership of Vladimir Putin.