During a ceremony at Walter Lippmann House at Harvard University on April 30, 2026, the Nieman Foundation presented three of its annual journalism awards.
The Winners
- The I.F. Stone Medal for Journalistic Independence:
Alfredo Corchado, executive editor of the Puente News Collaborative, in recognition of his work directing Puente’s innovative, partnership-driven approach to reporting along both sides of the U.S.-Mexico border. - The Worth Bingham Prize for Investigative Journalism:
“Exposed and Expendable,” an exhaustive investigation by New York Times reporter Hannah Dreier that revealed the serious health risks firefighters face when working without masks. - The Taylor Award for Fairness in Journalism:
“Alligator Alcatraz,” a four-part series by the Miami Herald and Tampa Bay Times that exposed falsehoods spread by state and federal officials about Florida’s most controversial migrant detention center.- Taylor Award Finalists:
“Exposed and Expendable,” a series by New York Times reporter Hannah Dreier that showed how a decades-long U.S. Forest Service ban on the use of protective masks by wildland firefighters exposed workers to toxic smoke that caused serious illnesses and led to early deaths; and “On the Hook: Investigating Towing Practices in Connecticut,” a joint investigation by The Connecticut Mirror and ProPublica that uncovered predatory state towing practices that targeted low-income residents, sometimes with devastating results for those unable to pay hefty fines and recover their vehicles before they were sold for profit.
- Taylor Award Finalists:
After the awards were presented, New York Times reporter Hannah Dreier, Miami Herald investigations and data reporter Shirsho Dasgupta, and Alfredo Corchado spoke with moderator Jenifer B. McKim, a 2008 Nieman Fellow. McKim heads the GBH News Center for Investigative Reporting and the Equity and Justice Unit.
