The Center for Integrity in News Reporting (CFINR) announced the winners and finalists of its Third Annual National Awards honoring impartial and objective news reporting from across the United States. The awards were presented at a dinner ceremony at the Andrew W. Mellon Auditorium in Washington, D.C., with New York Times foreign affairs columnist and three-time Pulitzer Prize winner Thomas Friedman delivering the keynote address.
CFINR Founder & ChairmanSix winners each received a $25,000 cash prize, for a total of $150,000 in awards across the broadcast television, cable television, digital, investigative, print, and White House Correspondents' Association reporting categories. CFINR added the Investigative Reporting category this year, and it drew nearly 100 entries on its own.
The 2026 awards drew 397 entries from journalists and news organizations in at least 35 states — a 213 percent increase over last year and a 289 percent increase over the program's first year. Eligible work was published or aired between January 1 and December 31, 2025.
"These journalists demonstrate that impartial and objective news reporting is not only possible — it is being practiced every day, in newsrooms large and small, across the country," said Rufus Friday, executive director of CFINR. "The growth in submissions tells us something important: there is a deep and broad commitment within the profession to the values that earn public trust. Tonight we honored the very best of that work."
CFINR Founder and Trustee Walter E. Hussman Jr., the long-time media executive and newspaper publisher whose family's Statement of Core Values helped inspire the Center's mission, said the awards are an answer to a measurable problem. According to Gallup, American trust in mass media has fallen from roughly 70 percent in the early 1970s to just 28 percent in 2025.
"The lack of trust in news reporting is a serious problem," Hussman said. "The mission of the Center is not to attribute blame, but to find solutions — and the best place to start is within the profession itself, by encouraging a return to the time-tested values of news reporting that earned the trust of readers, listeners, and viewers in the first place."
Now in their third year, the CFINR National Awards recognize journalism guided by the principle long associated with publisher Adolph Ochs: "to give the news impartially, without fear or favor."
The contest is journalist-driven and accessible. There are no entry fees and no nomination process. Reporters and editors submit work directly, and entries are evaluated as news reporting — not opinion, commentary, or advocacy.
Judging is conducted under the supervision of the Newspaper Managers Association, the national organization of the state press associations. This year's eight judges were Brian Allfrey (Utah Press Association), Emily Bradbury (Kansas Press Association), Layne Bruce (Mississippi Press Association), William Cotter (Pennsylvania NewsMedia Association), Lisa Hills (Minnesota Newspaper Association), Michelle Rea (New York Press Association), Tim Regan-Porter (Colorado Press Association), and Ashley Kemp Wimberley (Arkansas Press Association).
"I am truly inspired by the quality of fair and impartial journalism displayed in this contest year after year," said judge Ashley Kemp Wimberley, executive director of the Arkansas Press Association. "It is especially heartening to see such solid reporting from news outlets large and small, all across the country. Reporting that builds trust with readers, viewers, and listeners is a necessity to maintain the strength of our industry."
In his keynote address, Friedman, a three-time Pulitzer Prize winner in his 45th year at The New York Times, told the audience about the meaning of objectivity in journalism.
"Objectivity, the state of mind supposedly free from bias and favoritism that we prize rightfully so highly in journalism, surely cannot rest on your biography," Friedman said. "Objectivity must rest on how you commit to covering a story and the independence you manifest in [what] you report, and what you write."
2026 WINNERS AND FINALISTS
"Undocumented: Texas' Immigration Impact in a New Trump Era"
KXAN spent the first 100 days of President Trump's second term producing Undocumented, a multi-platform investigation of immigration enforcement in Texas. The newsroom crowdsourced information through an anonymous tip line and gathered insights from the public, examining ripple effects on the state's economy, schools, healthcare systems, courts, and public safety services. The project included a Spanish-language edition and a documentary video presentation. Reporting team: Josh Hinkle, David Barer, Dalton Huey, Christopher Adams, Kelly Wiley, Matt Grant, Arezow Doost, Avery Travis, Richie Bowes, Chris Nelson, Jordan Belt, Robert Sims, Sandra Sanchez, Grace Reader, Dylan McKim, and Adam Schwager.
"KXAN's Undocumented project delivered a deep dive into the real-life impact of immigration policies and proposals for the parties involved. The reporting was rigorous, multi-platform, and made room for sources across the spectrum." — Judges' comments
NBC News, in partnership with Stanford University, examined the deepening fault lines in American attitudes toward vaccination. Reporting team: Aria Bendix, Abby Brooks, Valerie Castro, Nigel Chiwaya, Lauren Dunn, Erika Edwards, Mustafa Fattah, Alex Ford, Stephanie Gosk, Jason Kane, Marina Kopf, Nathan Lo, Berkley Lovelace Jr., Patrick Martin, Joe Murphy, Tom Namako, Justine Orgel, Charlie Reimann, Eric Salzman, Jocelyn Shek, Lauren Stoffel, Anne Thompson, Jane Weaver, and Jiachuan Wu.
Williams and Staples reported on hate-group activity and the response of communities and institutions in Tennessee.
"RiskyRX"
Over 10 months of reporting, CNBC documented the growth of so-called alternative funding programs (AFPs) — companies that promise dramatic prescription drug savings to cash-strapped employers, including municipalities, school districts, retirement plans, unions, and small businesses. Patients are told they can receive medications at little or no cost, but the suppliers are often unverified and operate outside the FDA-regulated supply chain. The series included a broadcast investigation and a CNBC.com investigative report.
"RiskyRX was a solid and balanced series. The reporter did a thorough job of interviewing patients, Homeland Security, several federal agencies, and even an AFP itself to make sure she covered all sides of the story with a fair representation of facts about a serious issue for low-income patients and employers." — Judges' comments
"Thanksgiving Tragedy — DC Soldiers Ambushed"
Meredith reported on the Thanksgiving-period attack on members of the U.S. military in Washington, D.C., and the public response that followed.
"Missing Madison Ballots: A Votebeat Investigative Series"
In an investigation of 193 absentee ballots in Madison, Wisconsin, that were never counted, Shur exposed systemic failures in oversight, tracking, and transparency — even as the city clerk hosted a "cookie extravaganza" after the snafu came to light. The reporting placed the clerk on leave and was a key factor in the state election agency's decision to order Madison election officials to follow specific procedures to prevent recurrence.
"Shur's reporting is clear, well-sourced, and easy to follow. It takes on an important issue and walks the reader through what happened in a way that makes sense, without overcomplicating it. Shur relied on official records, statutory analysis, and on-the-record interviews, consistently distinguishing verified facts from interpretation and bringing accountability into focus without trying to force a conclusion." — Judges' comments
"City Awards ARPA Grants Despite Stark Warnings"
Ferguson documented the city's award of grants despite high-risk warnings, the city's withholding of related public records, and the New Bedford Light's lawsuit to compel release.
"Breaking Point: America's Infrastructure at Risk"
A national investigation of bridge and road infrastructure produced by Hearst Television's Investigative and Data teams, with localized reporting across the company's stations including WISN Milwaukee, KSBW Salinas/Monterey, WMUR New Hampshire, WESH Orlando, and KCRA Sacramento. Reporting team: Reid Bolton, Nicki Camberg, John Cardinale, Annie Jennemann, Kelly Kosuda, Damali Ramirez, Katrina Ventura, and Susie Webb.
"LA Firestorms: Uncovering How the Government Failed the Public"
When devastating urban fires killed dozens of people, destroyed thousands of buildings, and leveled two communities in January 2025, the Los Angeles Times marshaled its newsroom to cover the catastrophe and its aftermath. The reporting exposed systemic failures in firefighting, evacuations, and cleanup — including the LAFD's decision not to deploy more than a thousand firefighters and dozens of engines ahead of the Palisades blaze, the nine-hour delay before evacuation orders reached western Altadena, where all 17 Eaton fire deaths occurred, a minute-by-minute reconstruction of the chaotic escape from the Palisades, and the Times' own soil-testing initiative that found hazardous metals on properties FEMA had declined to retest. Reporting team: Tony Briscoe, Terry Castleman, Rebecca Ellis, Nathan Fenno, Sean Greene, Melody Gutierrez, Noah Haggerty, Ian James, Melody Petersen, Paul Pringle, Dakota Smith, Hayley Smith, Paige St. John, and Alene Tchekmedyian.
"In a rapidly evolving crisis, the newsroom combined urgent service journalism with sustained investigative work, drawing on firsthand reporting, dispatch logs, public records, witness accounts, radio traffic, and independent soil testing. The resulting coverage was a comprehensive, balanced effort to establish the facts, document institutional performance, and ensure that the experiences of affected residents were fully represented. Through rigorous documentation, broad sourcing, careful verification, and clear explanations of complex public issues, these journalists demonstrated how fair, evidence-driven reporting serves the public interest." — Judges' comments
"Our Broken Organ Transplant System"
A New York Times investigation documenting systemic failures in the U.S. organ transplant system. Reporting team: Grace Ashford, Robert Gebeloff, Mark Hansen, Danielle Ivory, Brian M. Rosenthal, Julie Tate, and Jeremy White.
"Congressional Perks"
Kane investigated benefits and privileges available to members of Congress.
"Data center promises and withdrawals in Oldham County"
Investment in data centers has become a defining issue for communities across the country. While often pitched as major economic development projects, they can be deeply divisive, with local residents raising concerns about everything from electricity rates to noise pollution. Gerstner covered a data center project in a small Kentucky town from its beginning, giving voice to all major stakeholders — those who oppose the project and those who support it.
"Gerstner's coverage of a data center project in a small Kentucky town is a sterling example of coverage that is impartial and objective about its subject. The reporter plays this issue straight down the line, covering the project from its beginning and giving a voice to all major stakeholders. When read in total, one understands both sides of the argument, and that is reporting with integrity at its best." — Judges' comments
"41 Seconds"
Bartelme reconstructed a 41-second window with significant public consequences in South Carolina.
"Bourbon Street Terror Attack"
Coverage of the New Year's Day terror attack on Bourbon Street and its aftermath. Reporting team: Ben Myers, Blake Paterson, John Simerman, Josie Abugov, Mike Smith, Sam Karlin, Stephanie Riegel, and Jeff Adelson.
Pager's coverage of the first year of President Trump's second term is anchored by a series of deeply sourced stories spanning campaign donors, foreign policy, the Justice Department, and national security, including reporting on a $130 million donation from Timothy Mellon to pay U.S. troops, the Oval Office confrontation with Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky, Justice Department compensation decisions, the U.S.-India relationship, and internal deliberations on Venezuela.
"This is elite White House reporting. These stories consistently take readers inside the most important decisions of the presidency and explain clearly what's actually happening. The reporting is deeply sourced, fair, and disciplined, with a real commitment to getting it right. Pager simplifies complex topics, producing clear, organized reporting that informs and engages. He is a shining example of integrity in news reporting — this is exactly the kind of work this award is meant to recognize." — Judges' comments
"Exclusives on President Trump's Second Term"
Faulders' exclusives include reporting on the administration's consideration of a Qatari aircraft gift and the return to U.S. custody of Kilmar Abrego Garcia after a mistaken deportation, plus on-air reporting from the White House.
ABC News White House correspondents Bruce and Scott were recognized for sustained accountability reporting from the briefing room and beyond.
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The Center for Integrity in News Reporting is a nonprofit organization founded by media executive and newspaper publisher Walter E. Hussman Jr. dedicated to advancing impartial and objective news reporting and rebuilding public trust in journalism. Learn more at www.cfinr.org.
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