SJV Water and Center for Collaborative Investigative Journalism
The Central California Town That Keeps Sinking
This entry rose to the top of a very competitive field because it so beautifully illustrates three key aspects of news partnerships: one, the partners chose areas of strength that complemented each other, which allowed them to achieve reporting together that would have been challenging or impossible separately, as a one-person newsroom being supported by eight staff members at CCIJ. Two, their partnership exponentially increased the impact of the reporting, with the story being co-published by The New York Times and translated for republishing opportunities in Mexico, Central America, South America, and Africa. Finally, the scale of the data investigation, which involved sifting through more than 1 million records, was combined with photographs, animation and graphics to create a compelling and clear narrative for a complex subject.
Honorable Mentions:
- Bridge Michigan (partnerships for public service)
- Injustice Watch, the Better Government Association and DataMade (The Circuit)
- Circle of Blue, Bridge Michigan, Michigan Radio and Detroit Public Television (The Great Lakes News Collaborative)
- Wisconsin Watch and Milwaukee Neighborhood News Service (News414)