Good news: The Society of Environmental Journalists just announced the winners of its 10th Annual Awards for Reporting on the Environment—and we won! Mother Jones took first place in the large market beat reporting category for our coverage of the 2010 BP oil spill. Here’s what the judges had to say:
An impressive devotion of resources to cover a major story. The journalists wove intriguing narratives into their stories, which reflected both a depth of knowledge and aggressive reporting. In the best journalistic tradition, they did not take ‘no’ from authorities, but pursued the stories and the human face of the disaster. A very nimble response to the story of the year, with smarts to weave together existing, related work that greatly broadens our understanding of the full threat posed by the BP spill. The Mother Jones team gave us the basic science we need to know, along with vivid reporting on the emotions of people who live in the Louisiana communities affected by the BP spill – all of it combined to give the public a comprehensive picture of one of the worst environmental disasters of our times.
Kudos to our crack BP spill reporting team: Josh Harkinson, Mac McClelland, Kate Sheppard, and Julia Whitty. Huzzah!
