The Mississippi Free Press awards board keeps swelling! As of August 2025, our team has added 13 national and regional (southern U.S.) journalism honors for 2024 journalism, bringing us up to 108 national and U.S. and regional awards and finalist honors since we launched in late March 2020, plus a number of coveted leadership and other special awards nationally and inside Mississippi. Here is the full list to date with links to specific work honored (read winners’ bios here). We will update this page from the top as more honors come in.
In addition, the teenage journalists of our Mississippi Youth Media Project students and team mentors won eight national Report for America Awards for their 2024 elections-coverage analysis and digital flipbook, for a combined total of 120 journalism honors since 2020. We appreciate this recognition from our peers across the nation for our impactful journalism.
LION Publishers Awards
Finalist, Public Service: Ashton Pittman, Liam Pittman, Heather Harrison
Mississippi Trusted Elections Project
(Final winners will be announced in September 2025 in St. Louis, Missouri.)
LION Announcement: “The 2024 Mississippi Trusted Elections Project examined serious issues with the state’s election systems and compiled the only comprehensive public lists of polling places and changes to polling locations. After years of ongoing reporting by the newsroom, the Mississippi Legislature passed a law in 2025 prohibiting polling place changes within 60 days of an election. The publication engaged with voters in person and virtually as part of this project, which took a systemic approach to investigating the roles and (in)actions of state and local officials across all 82 counties.”
AAN Publishers Awards
The national AAN Publishers Awards were announced July 11, 2025, in Madison, Wisconsin.
1st Place, Music Writing: Aliyah Veal
• Mississippi John Hurt Festival Persists Months After Unexplained Museum Fire
• 50 Years of Hip-Hop: Five Jackson Rappers Create Collaborative Album, Go on Tour
• Mississippi Blues Delta Festival Brazil Celebrates Genre’s Roots, Legacies
Judges: “Fantastic storytelling in the John Hurt Festival story!”
2nd Place, Investigative Reporting: Nick Judin, Jackson’s Water Crisis
• Decrepit Water Pipes Put Jackson, Miss., on the Edge of Catastrophe. State Regulators Didn’t Act.
• Mississippi Lawmakers Trying to Take Over Jackson Water Funds, Federal Manager Warns
• Nick Judin’s full Jackson Water Crisis Archive
Judges: “In an incredible act of public service for the residents, businesses, schools and nonprofits of Jackson who had struggled with water pressure and contamination issues for years, Mississippi Free Press and ProPublica presented a clear and comprehensive picture of the problem and the breakdowns in government action and policy preventing it from being solved.”
Honorable Mention, Cannabis Coverage: Heather Harrison
• Mississippi Revokes Medical-Cannabis Testing Lab’s License After Investigation
• Medical Cannabis Advocates Urge Easier Access For Mississippi Patients
• Prescription-Pain-Pill Use Fell As Medical-Cannabis Use Grew, Report Says
Judges: “It’s a major haul to cover a new industry, and last year Heather managed to do her due reportorial diligence and then some, covering all of the hurdles that so many states have endured—from testing scandals to a lack of patient access. As a bonus, her significant submission package also managed to include something positive, a subject-focused feature on how cannabis has coincided with a drop in pain pill use. As the industry in Mississippi grows, we look forward to seeing how her coverage evolves with it.”
2025 Society of Professional Journalists Diamond Awards
The Arkansas Pro Chapter of the Society of Professional Journalists held its annual Diamond Journalism Awards ceremony on July 26, 2025, in Little Rock, Arkansas. The regional competition rewards outstanding journalism from news outlets in Arkansas and six bordering states.
Election Coverage, 1st Place: Heather Harrison, Illan Ireland, Torsheta Jackson, Ashton Pittman, William Pittman, Nick Judin, Mississippi Free Press, Elections Zone 2024:
• Some Jackson Voters Faced Long Wait Times, Parking Woes and Accessibility Issues on Election Day
• She Was Ready to Vote for the First Time. Confusion Over Mississippi’s Residency Requirements For College Students Stopped Her.
• Mississippi Counties Change 54 Voting Precincts, But Incorrect Information May Send Some Voters to the Wrong Place on Election Day
• Ron Eller, 2024 Republican Candidate for Mississippi’s 2nd Congressional District: The MFP Interview
• Mississippi Supreme Court Candidates’ Records Sharply Diverge on Medical Cannabis, Unelected Judges and More
Commentary, 1st Place: Donna Ladd, Democracy Essays:
• As Fascism Looms, the Free Press Must Stand and Report in the Breach
• Of Childless ‘Psychopath’ Women and ‘Replacement’: JD Vance’s Birthrate and Immigration Obsessions Have Shared History
• From ‘Rat-eaters’ to ‘Cat-eaters’: U.S. Bigots Have Long Abused Hard-Working Immigrants
Environment/Science, 1st Place: Illan Ireland (Mississippi Free Press) collaborating with Phillip Powell and Cassie Stephenson of the Arkansas Times and Tennessee Lookout
As Climate Threats to Agriculture mount, Could the Mississippi River Delta Be The Next California?
Environment/Science, Finalist: Illan Ireland, Protecting Mississippi’s Vital Waterways:
• Mississippi Reopens Oyster Season After A Five-Year Hiatus
• The U.S. Would Stop Fighting Climate Change Under Project 2025
• ‘Just Sitting Ducks’: Latest Corps-Backed ‘One Lake’ Plan Could Increase Flood Risk For Some Homeowners
• Advocates Could Use A Turtle to Fight A Huge Pearl River Engineering Project
Finalist, Diamond Journalist of the Year: Shaunicy Muhammad
Finalist, Investigative Reporting: Nick Judin for Jackson water investigations including this collaboration with ProPublica
The Arkansas Pro Chapter of the Society of Professional Journalists held their annual Diamond Journalism Awards ceremony on July 24, 2024, in Little Rock, Arkansas. The regional competition rewards outstanding journalism from news outlets in Arkansas and six bordering states.
Finalist, General News: Nick Judin, Stacey Spiehler, Ashton Pittman
• As Students Protest for Palestine, The Ghosts of UM’s Past Rise Again
• ‘Just Racist, Period’: White House Condemns UM Counterprotest Antics
• RNC Uses Video From UM Protest Where Frat Member Made Gestures at Black Student in Anti-‘Woke’ Message
MarketBeat
MarketBeat, a national news site for business investors, announced that Mississippi Free Press editor, CEO and co-founder Donna Ladd was named Mississippi’s Most Inspirational Woman in a 50-state survey, and in the top 50 of inspirational women nationally.
“Women are leading in male-dominated industries—but they’re still the exception, not the rule.
… But their presence highlights the broader issue: progress is real, but the pipeline still has serious gaps,” Market Beat wrote in its announcement.
Women for Progress
Jackson, Mississippi-based Women for Progress named Capital City reporter Shaunicy Muhammad as a finalist in its 2025 Women in Media Awards in February 2025.
2024 Society of Professional Journalists Diamond Awards
1st Place, Profiles: Donna Ladd
Hodding Carter III: Hellraiser, Journalist, Mentor, 1935-2023
1st Place, Special Topics–Business: Heather Harrison
Medical Cannabis Industry Faces Growing Pains in Mississippi
• ‘Nightmare Scenario’: MSDH Places Hold On Rapid Analytics-Tested Medical-Cannabis Products
• Olive Branch Medical-Cannabis Dispensary Fights Advertising Ban
• ‘Building an Industry’: Medical Cannabis Investors Focus On Lab Testing For Patient Safety
1st Place, Special Topics–Environmental/Science: Donna Ladd
‘One Lake’ or ‘No Lake’? Debate Over Pearl River Flooding Options Means Unlikely Allies, Opponents
1st Place, Visual Journalism–General News Photography: Shaunicy Muhammad
‘Human Error’ Caused Hinds County Election Day Ballot Shortages, Commissioners Say
1st Place, Visual Journalism–Graphics/Illustrations: William Pittman
State Has Wrong or Missing Addresses for 92 Voting Precincts, MFP Investigation Finds
Finalist, Enterprise/In Depth Reporting: Christian Middleton & Donna Ladd
The Case of Harry Mitchell: One Family’s Fight for Justice
• Heart of Darkness: 1991 Lafayette County Cold Case Spurs Black Family’s Struggle for Justice
• Gone But Not Forgotten: Who Was Harry Mitchell?
• Stop Shifting Blame, Ignoring Opinion | Black Families Who Lose Loved Ones to Violence
Finalist, Features: Aliyah Veal
‘Red and Bootjack’ Marker Shines Light on Duck Hill Lynching, Remembers Victims
Finalist, Arts & Entertainment Coverage: Aliyah Veal
• ‘Astronaut Behind the Music’: Jackson Artists Share Wisdom on Advancing in the Industry
• ‘Sounds Like Family’: Jackson Rappers Unify for Collaborative ‘Thanksgiving’ Album
• ‘Home Is Home’: Married Couple Returns to Jackson, Launches Film-Production Studio
Finalist, Special Topics–Health: Ashton Pittman & Heather Harrison
Reproductive Health in Mississippi After Dobbs
• Fact Check: Senator Falsely Claims Protecting Birth Control Allows ‘Morning-After Abortions’
• Mississippi Attorney General Wants Info On Out-of-State Abortions, Gender-Affirming Care
• Block Abortion Pills Nationwide, Mississippi Leaders Urge 5th Circuit
• After Judge Blocks Abortion Pill Mifepristone, Mississippi’s Most Powerful Women Rejoice
Finalist, Charlotte Tillar Schexnayder Public Service Award: Ashton Pittman, William Pittman & Shaunicy Muhammad
Trusted Elections: From Problems to Solutions
• Mississippi Officials Made 164 Voting Precinct Changes Since November 2022.
• Hinds County Moved Two Polling Places Hours Before Polls Opened
• State Has Wrong or Missing Addresses for 92 Voting Precincts, MFP Investigation Finds
• Judge Extends Voting to 8 p.m. as Nine Hinds County Voting Precincts Run Out of Ballots
• Hinds County Ballot Shortages Draw Congressional Scrutiny
• ‘Human Error’ Caused Hinds County Election Day Ballot Shortages, Commissioners Say
• Voting Rights Advocates Demand Answers on Hinds County Ballot Shortages
Finalist, Emerging Journalist of the Year: Torsheta Jackson
• ‘Iron Shield’: Madison Teenager Writes Support Song for Sister Enduring Leukemia
• Mississippi Coalition to End Corporal Punishment Offers Alternative Solutions
• Two Jackson Public Schools Merge, Creating the District’s First 7-12 Institution in Years
• JPS Superintendent Proposes Closing or Consolidating 16 Jackson Schools
• UM Preschool Curriculum Promotes Empathy and Equity Through Social-Emotional Learning
• Alternate-Route Education Programs Target Mississippi’s Teacher Shortage
• More Hard Work Than Miracle: Mississippi’s Reading Gains Have a 20-Year History
2024 AAN Publishers Awards
Work by Mississippi Free Press reporters won or placed in the following categories at the 2024 AAN Publishers Awards. The national awards were announced at a ceremony during the annual AAN conference in Charleston, South Carolina.
1st Place, Environmental Coverage: Donna Ladd
‘One Lake’ Or ‘No Lake’? Debate Over Pearl River Flooding Options Means Unlikely Allies, Opponents
JUDGES: “Great reporting on a big, complex issue. Highlighted environmental concerns well, traced funders and also showed the conflict of social need/flood/real estate development, etc.”
2nd Place, Arts Feature: Aliyah Veal
Red And Bootjack’ Marker Shines Light On Duck Hill Lynching, Remembers Victims
JUDGES: “The writing in this piece crackles. You are brought into the scene and asked to face it head on. Yet the storytelling is so vivid and alive and urgent that it propels readers through to story to understand the history and why the filmmakers must make this movie now. Beautiful job ensuring this event is not forgotten.”
3rd Place, Columns: Donna Ladd
Challenging Mississippi’s Status Quo
• Little Whites Girls Like Me Needs to Know Real History, Too
• Stop Shifting Blame, Ignoring Black Families Who Lose Loved Ones to Violence
• Hodding Carter III: Hellraiser, Journalist, Mentor
JUDGES: “Ladd’s compelling columns elegantly weave together her own story, the stories of her subjects and the history of her state with a great flare for detail and colorful turns of phrase.”
Honorable Mention, Cannabis Coverage: Heather Harrison
Mississippi’s Medical Cannabis Industry Faces Growing Pains
• Olive Branch Medical-Cannabis Dispensary Fights Advertising Ban
• Medical Cannabis Advocates Urge Easier Access For Mississippi Patients
• ‘Nightmare Scenario’: MSDH Places Hold On Rapid Analytics-Tested Medical-Cannabis Products
JUDGES: “Strong writing and reporting, with an excellent use of personal narrative from patients and business people to help add vibrancy and personality to the legislative and legal news.”
Mississippi Business Journal’s 2024 CEO Awards
The Mississippi Business Journal honored the Mississippi Free Press’ Founding Editor and CEO Donna Ladd as a recipient of the CEO Awards of Mississippi for 2024. In its seventh year, this award recognizes outstanding chief executives of Mississippi businesses across a wide variety of sizes and fields. The awards were presented at a celebratory breakfast at the Old Capitol Inn in Jackson on June 13.
Report for America Local News Awards
Report for America awarded MFP Education Equity Reporter Torsheta Jackson first place in the Solutions-Based Reporting category of their Local News Awards for her story “Alternate-Route Education Programs Targets Mississippi’s Teacher Shortage.”
2024 Poynter Journalism Prizes
The Robert G. McGruder Diversity Award, for the accomplishments of media professionals who encourage diversity in hiring and coverage: The Mississippi Free Press
JUDGES: “There are so many nonprofit newsrooms that have launched and do not take into account diversity and how to build trust in communities that have felt ignored. The Mississippi Free Press built their newsroom with community and its diversity in mind. They are a beacon of hope in our industry and a true example to follow for other news organizations.”
2024 Women’s History Month Awards
Presented by Circle of Hope Depression Awareness at St. Paul’s AME Church, Madison, Miss.
Laura McGee Award: Kimberly Griffin
Hazel Brannon Smith Award: Donna Ladd
2023 Lion Publishers Awards
Public Service Award: Ashton Pittman, Liam Pittman, Donna Ladd
• Civil-Rights Groups Demand Accurate Polling Site Information for Mississippi Voters After MFP Investigation
• Mississippi Election Officials Have Made 98 Polling Place Changes Since 2020, Investigation Finds
• MFP Trusted Elections Project Again Interrogates Mississippi Voting-Precinct Systems
JUDGES: “Since 2020, Mississippi Free Press reporters have documented dozens of polling-place changes that go unreported by local and state election officials, leaving many voters with inaccurate information when they head to the polls. This work gained the notice of key voting-rights organizations in 2022, which cited these stories while urging the Mississippi Secretary of State to make changes to ensure voters have access to accurate information. In 2022, this work revealed that 97 polling places had changed since 2020, though local election officials failed to report many of those changes to the secretary of state.”
2023 Society for Professional Journalists Diamond Awards
1st Place, Robert S. McCord Freedom of Information Award: Nick Judin and Donna Ladd
Fighting for Public Access to the Mississippi Legislature
JUDGES: “The Mississippi Free Press’ coverage of and challenge to this artful and dangerous removal of the public business from the public eye is nothing less than inspiring. This is something that state government reporters and other journalists nationwide should be watching. It’s particularly important in this time when one party dominates so many state legislatures, and we know knowledge on how to retain power is being traded around the nation.The Mississippi Free Press could have just gone on getting some stories as best it could. But instead it fought a battle that needed to be fought.”
1st Place, Garrick Feldman Community Journalism Award: Nick Judin
Unsafe Conditions in Mississippi Delta Housing
JUDGES: “Judin’s work is the kind of incisive and insightful reporting one hopes for from local reporting. I was deeply impressed by Nick’s empathetic writing and aggressiveness in chasing the story.… There’s a good chance that his writing has made positive changes in the lives of the renters he covered, and making such a positive impact is a rare but vital role for local journalism to play.”
1st Place, Profiles: Aliyah Veal
“One Mother’s Solutions For Gun Violence”
JUDGES: “A sensitive and in-depth profile of a mother who organized assistance for others across the nation whose loved ones were victims of senseless shootings.”
1st Place, Special Section (Microsite): Aliyah Veal, DeAnna Tisdale Johnson, Acacia Clark, Kristin Brenemen, Donna Ladd Hinds County/Public Safety Focus of “(In)Equity and Resilience: Black Women, Systemic Barriers and COVID-19”
JUDGES: This is a remarkably strong entry full of both tragedy and inspiration. Every article is strong … (including) Aliyah Veal’s three articles on the unfathomable homicide rate in Jackson, with dramatic, depressing articles of dilapidated housing; on the inspirational former inmate who set up a foundation to provide housing and other support for women transitioning from prison; and her rich profile of Not Another Child founder Oresa Napper-Williams. Finally, powerful, moving work by Deanna Tisdale Johnson depicting the tragic death of Oren D’Lonte Anderson and his life that ended in violence, a life filled with love and trouble. Overall, this is such impressive journalism about people, events, and communities that are too often ignored by the mainstream media. Congratulations to all reporters, editors, researchers, and photographers who produced such important work! The deep look at poverty, crime, and housing problems in Hinds County stood head and shoulders above the other entries in the depth and breadth of its reporting along with its powerful visual presentation. It was all the more impressive in having been reported and written by young journalists.
1st Place, Arts & Entertainment Reporting: Aliyah Veal
‘As The South Goes, America Goes’: New MMA Works Trace, Interpret ‘Great Migration’
JUDGES “Veal’s article covers both the beauty of the art and the cultural importance with great, clear writing, and by picking just enough direct quotes to let the people she covers say the important things that move the story forward.”
1st Place, Features: Grace Marion
“Where The Funding Ends: Long-Neglected Batesville Park At Center Of Race Division”
JUDGES: “This writer makes the reader care about the issues surrounding Patton Lane Park by digging into the subject from multiple angles. The story succeeds by including historical context, diverse sources, local government meetings and beautiful images that support the story. … [O]verall a feature with real purpose. “
1st Place, Education Reporting: Ashton Pittman
“Sharing LGBTQ Identity A Fireable Offense, Mississippi High School Warned Teacher”
JUDGES: “Compelling and well-executed. The article is to the point and clearly showcases the issues present within the news piece.”
1st Place, Environment Reporting: Kayode Crown
Jackson Water Crisis and Quality
JUDGES: “The series provides a comprehensive look at Jackson’s devastating water crisis.”
1st Place, Sports Writing: Torsheta Jackson
“Legacy of the Black Cowboy in Tunica”
JUDGES: “Excellent writing in a story that takes the reader into a movement that would otherwise be hard to know about while also uncovering history otherwise hidden. Covers history and current events succinctly in a way that frames the story historically, which can be hard to do with a word limit.”
1st Place, Business Reporting: Kayode Crown
Business, Equity and Ethics in Mississippi
JUDGES: “Writer Kayode Crown provides a regular supply of well-written, well-sourced, well-documented and well-illustrated work to put a spotlight on issues important to Mississippi and surrounding states.”
Finalist, Charlotte Tillar Schexnayder Public Service Award: Ashton Pittman, Liam Pittman, Donna Ladd
Mississippi Trusted Elections Project, commentary and impact
Finalist, Diamond Journalist of the Year: Nick Judin
Finalist, Outstanding New Journalist: Aliyah Veal
Finalist, Enterprise/Indepth Reporting: Ashton Pittman
“Christian Dominionist War on Abortion” (Series)
Finalist, Investigative Reporting: Nick Judin
Unsafe Conditions in Mississippi Delta Housing
Finalist, Health Reporting: Nick Judin
Health and Equity in Mississippi
Finalist, Photo Spread/Essay: Lukas Flippo
“Latinx LGTBQ Mississippians Hold ‘Queerceanera’”
2023 American Journalism Online Awards (NYU)
1st place, Best News-Based Twitter Thread Award
New York University’s Arthur L. Carter Journalism Institute awarded Ashton Pittman the Best News-Based Twitter Thread Award for his 2022 thread supporting his and Liam Pittman’s extensive timeline of Brett Farve’s connections to the Mississippi TANF/welfare scandal, particularly the USM volleyball stadium.
JUDGES: “When Super Bowl-winning quarterback Brett Favre was implicated in the largest public fraud case in Mississippi history, Ashton Pittman of the Mississippi Free Press traced the path of over $5 million of the more than $100 million misused funds in a Twitter thread. Multimedia elements included texts between Favre, Mississippi Gov. Phil Bryant, and other state officials as they negotiated the use of welfare funds to build a volleyball facility at Favre’s alma mater, where his daughter played volleyball. By mastering the medium of Twitter threads, Pittman unpacked a complex state story with a compelling angle of public interest that elevated his reporting to a national audience.”
(Editor’s note: The Mississippi Free Press does not endorse any conclusions of guilt that may be implied in the judges’ language or in reporting and statements by other publications that Bryant and/or Farve “negotiated the use of welfare funds” to build the volleyball court. We have not reached that conclusion in our or from other outlets’ reporting of communication trails. Neither man has been charged with a crime.)
2023 Izzy Award
The Park Center for Independent Media at Ithaca College has chosen the Mississippi Free Press as a 2023 recipient of the Izzy Award for outstanding achievement in independent media for exposing corruption and giving voice to marginalized communities. The Izzy is named for dissident journalist I.F. Stone, known for questioning McCarthyism, the Vietnam War, racial injustice, and government deceit. The Izzy Awards was formally presented at a virtual ceremony on April 27.
2023 Green Eyeshade Awards
2nd Place: Aliyah Veal, DeAnna Tisdale Johnson, Donna Ladd & Kristin Brenemen,
“Inequity and Resilience: Black Women, Systemic Barriers and COVID-19”:
Hinds County: Crime, Safety and Solutions
2023 Women for Progress Awards
Two Awards: Mississippi’s Women for Progress organization recognized Publisher & CRO Kimberly Griffin and Editor & CEO Donna Ladd with two separate awards at their annual Women in Media awards luncheon “celebrating women changing the dialogue in Mississippi.”
2023 Editor & Publisher’s 25 Under 35
Editor & Publisher Magazine named MFP News Editor Ashton Pittman to its 25 Under 35 Class of 2023.
2023 Distinguished Leading Business Women
Top 10 Finalist: The Mississippi Business Journal has named MFP Publisher and Chief Revenue Officer Kimberly Griffin as one of the 50 Distinguished Leading Business Women in Mississippi . At the MBJ’s annual event honoring these women, Kimberly received the additional honor of being named a top 10 finalist to the 2023 Business Woman of the Year.
2022 Lion Publishers Awards
1st Place, Community Engagement Award
“(In)Equity and Resilience: Black Women, Systemic Barriers and COVID-19 Project”
Team: Azia Wiggins, Torsheta Jackson, Aliyah Veal, DeAnna Tisdale Johnson, Kristin Brenemen, Robin Martéa, Acacia Clark, Kimberly Griffin, Donna Ladd
JUDGES: “I’m very impressed with this project, how it was created, the focus and the potential impact. With a thorough and organized approach, the Mississippi Free Press has been able to build trust with the community and then offer a platform for them to share the specific challenges they face every day.”
Finalist, Public Service Award
“Ridgeland Mayor Demands LGBTQ+ Book Purge, Threatens Library Funding” (series) – Nick Judin
Finalist, Revenue Campaign of the Year
“Solutions for Mississippi” spring fundraising campaign – Team: Kimberly Griffin, Cristen Hemmins, Donna Ladd
2022 Institute for Nonprofit News Awards
Winner, Emerging Nonprofit Leader of the Year: Kimberly Griffin
JUDGES: “Developing a nonprofit newsroom, especially in a state with such diverse audiences, can be incredibly challenging, but Kimberly’s leadership has helped this startup become a national leader in nonprofit newsrooms.”
Finalist, Nonprofit Newcomer of the Year: Azia Wiggins
2022 Society for Professional Journalists Diamond Awards
Winner, Diamond Journalist of the Year: Kayode Crown
See Kayode’s reporting archive here.
JUDGES: “Kayode produces meticulously researched and reported work with a narrative flow that keeps the reader hooked. He gravitates to meaty and meaningful stories—a broken jail and a broken justice system, lead poisoning, people detained for months without representation. He appears dedicated to shining the light in places that may otherwise not receive any.
Winner, Charlotte Tillar Schexnayder Public Service Award: Nick Judin – What the Jackson Water Crisis Revealed”
JUDGES: “Nick Judin stands out for his relentless coverage, which not only included hard news and legislative reporting but also beautifully researched and written human-centered stories. While many factors led to action for the citizens of the City of Jackson, I can’t help but believe Nick’s dogged commitment to the issue and to a community that has long felt forgotten contributed to that progress.”
Winner, Robert S. McCord FOI Award: Christian Middleton, Grace Marion
“Drug Unit Travails Hidden from Public View” (Full series here, here and here.)
JUDGES: “Excellent use of both public records and old-fashioned watchdog reporting to uncover a disturbing issue that might otherwise have gone unnoticed. This is a perfect example of why access to public records is important to a democracy, and a perfect example of why journalists need to report from public records. Fantastic work!”
Winner, Special Section
Team: DeAnna Tisdale Johnson, Azia Wiggins, Torsheta Jackson, Aliyah Veal, Kimberly Griffin, Kristin Brenemen, Donna Ladd
“Black Women, Systemic Barriers and COVID-19 Project”
JUDGES: An outstanding project by a team of journalists using superior written and visual journalism to trace historic roots of a public health phenomenon, educate on the consequences of systemic inequities, and illuminate solutions, all in an engaging digital package. Exceptional work.
Winner, Pandemic Reporting–Print/Online: Ashton Pittman
“Delta Dangers to Mississippi, and U.S., Children”
JUDGES: “Comprehensive look at the pandemic and children. Well researched and reported.”
Winner, Environmental Reporting: Kayode Crown
“Lead Contamination of Black Jackson Children” (+solutions followup)
JUDGES: “A lot going on in this story. The news hook of an outside attorney suing on behalf of hundreds of local kids leads the story, but then there is this killer quote buried down low: ‘And so, in Flint, even if everybody drank as much water as they could, they were only drinking bad water for 14 or 15 months,’ the attorney added. ‘In Jackson, they’ve been drinking bad water, in some instances, for their whole lives.” Good reporting trying to put all the pieces of this tragedy together under one headline.’”
Winner, Commentary: Leo Carney
“Racism and Police Violence in Today’s Mississippi”
JUDGES: “These columns are moral without being sentimental, packed with reporting and history to back up pointed commentary speaking truth to power and to fellow citizens.”
Winner, Sports Writing: Roger Amos
“Stickball World Series Back After COVID Halt”
JUDGES: “Excellent piece on cultural heritage, exposing the rich pride and traditions carried out by Native Americans in Mississippi. Also enjoyed the use of multimedia video.”
Finalist, Garrick Feldman Community Journalism Award: Torsheta Jackson, Donna Ladd, Kristin Brenemen
“Black Women, Covid-19 and Education in Noxubee County”
JUDGES: “The strength of Torsheta and Donna’s BWC Project is in its approach. They returned to the roots of community journalism—listening to the people and honoring their experience. The stories dug into the community’s past, unapologetically unearthing and naming the systemic racism that still plagues Black women in Noxubee County today. But possibly the best contribution of this work—they know there’s more reporting to do, and they aim to continue to do it.”
Finalist, Education Reporting: Torsheta Jackson, Donna Ladd, Kristin Brenemen
“BWC Project: Education Disparities and Solutions in Noxubee County”
Finalist, Science Reporting: Aliyah Veal
“Using Tech to Reverse Inequities”
JUDGES: “Each story told the story of a different social issue and how technology was being used to address it. Good job on a solid series of articles that displays the intersection between science and humanity.”
Finalist, Health Reporting: Nick Judin
“Solutions for Health Equity in Mississippi”
JUDGES: “A solid solutions story about COVID-19 vaccine outreach efforts aiming for communities where trust, for many, has been lost.”
Finalist, Breaking News: Ashton Pittman
“Covid Strikes Mississippi Children”
JUDGES: “I found these entries to be compelling and told with a point of view that tried to answer the question of why. And in an uncertain time, I found that act compelling.”
Finalist, Ongoing Coverage: Kayode Crown
“One Jail’s Tale of Abuse and Decay”
JUDGES: Good reporting on an astonishingly bad situation. Good background from start to finish.
Finalist, Feature Writing: Stacey Cato
“Black Women Firefighters on Gulf Coast”
JUDGES: “This was a great look into pioneers in firefighting. The reporter asked great questions and was able to reveal a great deal.”
Finalist, Business Reporting: Christian Middleton
“Business Boondoggles in Rural Mississippi Entry”
Additional 2022 Awards:
Mississippi Business Journal
Winner, 50 Leading Businesswomen Awards, 2022: Kimberly Griffin
Editor & Publisher Magazine
Winner, Editors Extraordinaire, 2022: Donna Ladd
Green Eyeshade Awards
Third Place, Deadline Reporting: Ashton Pittman
_____________
2021 Institute for Nonprofit News Awards
Winner, Startup of the Year: Mississippi Free Press
JUDGES: “Mississippi Free Press is doing super impressive work on all fronts – journalism that doesn’t just inform Mississippians but also leads the way for national readers and media outlets. They have created a statewide presence in a short period of time and they clearly have very strong growth in revenue size and diversity. Their projects are innovative and approach the audience as partner, and they are performing genuinely leading edge work on building a young, diverse audience.”
Finalist, Best Investigative Reporting: Ashton Pittman
“The Fabric Is Torn in Oxford’: UM Emails Investigation”
See all national 2021 INN winners and finalists here, with judges’ comments.
2021 Lion Publishers Awards
Finalist, Investigative Report of the Year (Small Tier): Ashton Pittman
“The Fabric Is Torn in Oxford’: UM Emails Investigation”
See all national 2021 Lion Award winners and finalists here.
2021 SPJ Diamond Awards (honors 2020 work)
Winner, Diamond Journalist of the Year: Ashton Pittman
See Ashton’s MFP reporting archive here
JUDGES: This is an amazing writer who knows how to get to the heart of a story and make it mean something to the reader. It doesn’t seem to matter that the topic is. Ashton tackles it with a keen eye for detail and dedication to holding those accountable when needed. Great work!
1st Place, Robert S. McCord Freedom of Information Award: Ashton Pittman, Donna Ladd and Christian Middleton
Bringing Racist, Sexist UM Emails, Climate Report to Public view (collection link)
UM Emails Interactive Timeline
JUDGES: “A truly amazing series of reports. There were so many back-stories that at times it was hard to know the players. Yet, in the end, it all fit together. The public had a right to know what was going on at the University of Mississippi and the Mississippi Free Press delivered. Nicely done.”
1st Place, Investigative Reporting: Ashton Pittman
“The Fabric Is Torn in Oxford’: UM Emails Investigation”
JUDGES: “These stories present a troubling pattern at a major institution.”
1st Place, Public Service:
Ashton Pittman, William Pittman, John McGee, Jarius Smith, Aliyah Veal, Taylor Hathorn, Jamar Muhammad, Julian Mills, Allie Jordan, Donna Ladd
Mississippi Trusted Elections Project: Stories + Infographics
JUDGES: “An extraordinary series of stories documenting efforts by Mississippi officials to change polling locations of thousands of voters with very little communication. Only when confronted by the truth from the newspaper’s reporters, did state officials make any effort to correct problems. This is a great public service. Kudos to the team that obviously worked tirelessly to help guarantee the right to vote!”
1st Place, Health, Science & Environment Writing, Print/Online: Aliyah Veal
• Grocery Shopping While Black: Fighting Food Insecurity In Mississippi During COVID-19
• Feeding Local: Mississippi CSAs, Farms Beacons Of Light During COVID-19 Pandemic
• ‘Food Defines Us’: Utica Arts Organization Mobilizes To Solve Food Insecurity In Community
• Mississippi Is Hungry: Fertile Ground Documentary Explores Food Access In Capital City
• Gleaning, Saving Expired Food From Homes And Farms Can Feed Mississippi’s Hungry
JUDGES: “This series of stories skillfully outlines a problem affecting Mississippi and many other areas of the country. The key is offering solutions that can be implemented. After all, what is more important to health than the right type of food. Well done!”
1st Place, Breaking News: Ashton Pittman
• “Confusion, Two-Hour Waits After 2,000 Black, Hispanic Voters Relocated In Ridgeland”
• UM Appoints Acting Ombuds As Weary Faculty See Effort To ‘Stamp Out’ Anti-Racism Voices
• Mississippi Nursing Home Employee Positive for COVID-19
JUDGES: “Strong deadline writing from the Mississippi Free Press makes it the clear winner in this category.”
1st Place, Ongoing Coverage: Ashton Pittman
• ‘You White People Don’t Get It’: Mississippi’s Long, Ugly Road To Changing Its State Flag
• ‘I Looked Like a Villain’: Why a Mississippi Flag Defender Changed His Mind
• ‘A Glorious Day’: Mississippi Lawmakers Approve Bill Changing State Flag
• ‘Today, I Hear Their Hurt’: Mississippi Governor Signs Bill to Change State Flag
• Mississippi Votes to Adopt New State Flag, Affirmatively Shedding Confederate Symbol
JUDGES: “Solid reporting and writing on the long and complex journey to change the Mississippi state flag. Good historical perspective in the first few segments detailing the outright venom against those who wanted things to change. Additional stories detailed how times changed and the state wanted to move on. Fair, balanced and important. Nice work.”
1st Place, Features, Online: Ashton Pittman
“‘Good Trouble’ in a White-flight Suburb”
1st Place, Arts & Culture Writing, Print/Online: Aliyah Veal
• “Operation Road Trip: The Sad, Uplifting and Cathartic Mississippi Blues Trail”
• ‘Come Hell Or High Water’: Black Resilience And Inheritance In Turkey Creek
• ‘Black Boy Saved My Life’: Writers Explore Richard Wright’s Influence On Memoir’s 75th Anniversary
JUDGES: “Aliyah Veal is a strong writer who can tell a powerful story about black Mississippi culture that often flies under the media radar. Really loved her exhaustive story about the Blues Trail and the people keeping it alive today.”
1st Place, Community Journalism: Mauricio J. Quijano
• From Mississippi ICE Raid To COVID-19: Immigrant Family Goes Through Hell To Earn A Living In Poultry Plants
• Honduran Mother Seeks Medical Help For Son In Mississippi Amid Legal Limbo
• ‘La Valdez’ Essential For Immigrants As COVID-19 Spreads
• Mississippi’s Undocumented Face COVID-19 Challenges
JUDGES: “An important and well-reported series of stories about people that we don’t hear enough about—especially during the pandemic.”
1st Place, Politics: Ashton Pittman
• Governor’s ‘Restart Mississippi’ Appointees Gave Big Money To His Campaigns
• Mississippi Rep ‘Sorry’ for Call to ‘Succeed From the Union’ After Talk With House Speaker
• Nursing Home PAC Spent Big Lobbying Mississippi Officials, Giving To Campaigns
JUDGES: “Well-researched and well-written series of stories, which outline the problem of PACs and suggest ways to possibly solve them.”
2nd Place, Education Reporting: Christian Middleton and Donna Ladd
• The Past Isn’t Dead: UM’s Winding Road To A Fight Over A Statue And A Cemetery
• ‘Ole Miss’ Vs. ‘New Miss’: Black Students, Faculty On How To Reject Racism, Step Forward Together
• ‘Recycled McCarthyism’: Auditor, UM Target Tenured Racism Scholar For ‘Strike,’ Activism
• UM Closely Guards Climate Survey Providing Window Into Social Issues, Sexual Violence
• UM Fires History Professor Who Criticizes ‘Powerful, Racist Donors’ And ‘Carceral State’
3rd Place, Explanatory Reporting: Christian Middleton and Donna Ladd
• The Past Isn’t Dead: UM’s Winding Road to a Fight Over a Statue and a Cemetery
• ‘Southern Soil Was Invaded’: UM Rebel Statue, Dedicated To White Supremacy, Moving Across Campus
• UM ‘Cemetery Committee’ Operated Quietly, But Now Private Renovation Funds Paused
• One Grove To The Next? Why UM’s Confederate Controversy May Not Be Over
• UM Football Team, Young Activists Protest Police Brutality, Racism 65 Years After Emmett Till’s Murder
3rd Place, Business Writing: Aliyah Veal
• Grocery Shopping While Black: Fighting Food Insecurity In Mississippi During COVID-19
• Feeding Local: Mississippi CSAs, Farms Beacons Of Light During COVID-19 Pandemic
• To Thrive Again In West Jackson: Social Entrepreneurs Helping Black Families Build Intergenerational Wealth
• From Alpacas To Cocktails, Mississippi Agritourism Popular For Outdoor Entertainment
3rd Place, Data Visualization: William Pittman
• Relocated Polling Places Map
• ACCOMPANYING STORY
• Madison County Voting Precincts
• ACCOMPANYING STORY
• Mississippi’s Confederate Memorials
JUDGES: “This chronicles voting places and relocations, active voters, absentee voter ballots requested, sent and caste. One graphic shows locations of Confederate memorials in the state with no explanation of relevance to voting—unless I missed it.”
2021 Ancil Payne Award for Ethics in Journalism
Finalist: Ashton Pittman and Donna Ladd
“The Fabric Is Torn in Oxford’: UM Emails Investigation”
Columbia Graduate School of Journalism
Winner, Alumni Award: Donna Ladd
2021 SPJ Green Eyeshade Awards
Here is a full list and links to all MFP stories and collections winning Green Eyeshade awards for 2020 work:
1st Place, Business Reporting: Aliyah Veal
• Grocery Shopping While Black: Fighting Food Insecurity In Mississippi During COVID-19
• Feeding Local: Mississippi CSAs, Farms Beacons Of Light During COVID-19 Pandemic
• To Thrive Again In West Jackson: Social Entrepreneurs Helping Black Families Build Intergenerational Wealth
• From Alpacas To Cocktails, Mississippi Agritourism Popular For Outdoor Entertainment
• HBCUs Partner To Launch Economic Development Initiative For The Mississippi Delta
3rd Place, Investigative Reporting: Ashton Pittman
“The Fabric Is Torn in Oxford’: UM Emails Investigation”
3rd Place, Political Reporting: Ashton Pittman
• Governor’s ‘Restart Mississippi’ Appointees Gave Big Money To His Campaigns
• Nursing Home PAC Spent Big Lobbying Mississippi Officials, Giving To Campaigns
• Madison County Moves 2,000 Black, Hispanic Voters To Crowded Precinct With Little Warning
• Confusion, Two-Hour Waits After 2,000 Black, Hispanic Voters Relocated In Ridgeland
• Mississippi Officials Moved Three Times More Polling Places Than Reported for 65,000 Voters
• Mississippi Officials May Ask Voters to Remove Masks for Photo ID Check; Face Coverings Not Required at Polls
• Bipartisan Bill Would Allow All Mississippians to Vote In-Person Absentee Starting Oct. 5
• ‘You White People Don’t Get It’: Mississippi’s Long, Ugly Road To Changing Its State Flag
• ‘I Looked Like a Villain’: Why a Mississippi Flag Defender Changed His Mind
• Mississippi Rep ‘Sorry’ for Call to ‘Succeed From the Union’ After Talk With House Speaker by Ashton Pittman
___________
In addition to the awards for the MFP team above, several former Jackson Free Press team members won awards for Jackson Free Press journalism in the first year of the MFP’s tenure. They are below. The MFP acquired JFP archives earlier in 2022, and you can view Jackson Free Press awards since 2002 here.
Awards to MFP Staffers for JFP Work in 2020
SPJ Green Eyeshade Awards:
1st Place, Public Service in Non-Daily Journalism: Nick Judin, “Reporting for Safety in Pandemic Mississippi”
1st Place, Politics Reporting, Non-dailies: Nick Judin, “And the Politics Play On” (Collection)
1st Place, Disaster Coverage, Non-dailies: Nick Judin, “Science and Safety of Coronavirus in Mississippi”
1st Place, Feature Writing, Non-dailies: Nick Judin, “The Faces of Coronavirus in Mississippi”
1st Place, Serious Commentary, Non-dailies: Donna Ladd, “Editor’s Notes from COVID Safety to Cruel Ancestors”
SPJ Diamond Awards:
1st Place, Commentary, Print/Online: Donna Ladd, “Righting racism during COVID-19”
Read Publisher Kimberly Griffin’s acceptance speech (and watch it) in October 2022 in Austin, Texas, for the Lion Publishers Award for Community Service.
Comments are closed.