The Marshall Project is a finalist for an impressive 10 Online Journalism Awards across eight categories, including “General Excellence in Online Journalism.” The awards, granted by the Online News Association, honor excellence in digital journalism by news organizations around the world.
"We are so proud and honored to be nominated for 10 projects," said Susan Chira, editor-in-chief of The Marshall Project. "I'm particularly delighted to be recognized for the wide range of entries, including investigations, our groundbreaking survey of political views of people behind bars, data journalism, documentary and animated films, and our print magazine now circulating in more than 500 prisons and jails. It's a testament to our entire staff."
The Marshall Project’s nominations for the 2020 Online Journalism Awards include:
“General Excellence in Online Journalism” for small newsrooms.
“Digital Video Storytelling” for “Tutwiler,” our short documentary following a group of pregnant women incarcerated in Alabama that examines an innovative doula program inside the facility, produced in partnership with FRONTLINE.
“Digital Video Storytelling” for “We Are Witnesses: Chicago,” the third installment of The Marshall Project’s award-winning short film series, comprised of 15 testimonies from Chicagoans affected by the justice system, including crime victims, police officers, judges, families, prison guards and more. The series was produced in partnership with Kartemquin Films and Illinois Humanities.
“Excellence and Innovation in Visual Digital Storytelling” for “The Zo.” Our animated series, illustrated by Molly Crabapple and narrated by Michael K. Williams, reveals how disorienting rules and impossible tasks are used to control people in prison. The project was published in partnership with Topic, First Look Media’s online streaming service.
“Excellence in Newsletters” for our special pop-up series with The New York Times’s Race/Related newsletter, exploring how families keep in touch with their loved ones behind bars during the holidays and the hidden costs of incarceration.
“Explanatory Reporting” for our landmark survey of the political views of incarcerated people across the country, “What Do We Really Know About the Politics of People Behind Bars?” which was published in partnership with Slate.
“Explanatory Reporting” for our series of stand-out data analyses debunking myths that drive the United States immigration system, such as the misbelief that undocumented immigration increases local crime rates.
“Feature” for “Detained,” our immersive documentary investigating the rise and expansion of America’s immigration detention system.
The Gather Award in Engaged Journalism for “News Inside,” our publication for incarcerated readers, delivering our reporting to over 500 correctional facilities across the country.
- The Al Neuharth Innovation in Investigative Journalism Award for “Think Debtors Prisons Are a Thing of the Past? Not in Mississippi,” our year-long investigation with Mississippi Today revealing that the state of Mississippi confines people with felony convictions to prison-like facilities known as “restitution centers,” where they work low-wage jobs for private employers by day and are sent to locked facilities at night in order to pay off fines, court fees and restitution.
The Online News Association will announce the winners of the 2020 Online Journalism Awards at virtual awards events throughout ONA20 Everywhere, which takes place between October 1 and October 16. See the full list of all of this year’s nominations for the Online Journalism Awards.