Winners
The inaugural competition for the Dan Rather Medals for News and Guts generated outstanding work from student and professional journalists across the country. The entries covered a range of topics – from city, county and federal organizations to school administration to for-profit companies. What they shared in common was a demonstrated commitment to reporting the tough stories of 2023 that needed to be told.
Los Angeles Times reporters Brian van der Brug and Paige St. John received the professional prize for a series of articles that are a part of the “Legal Weed, Broken Promises” investigative series, which exposes the hidden toll from California's booming cannabis market, including violence, community disruption, widespread worker exploitation and the uninvestigated deaths of scores of workers.
Indiana Daily Student reporter Evan Gerike won the collegiate prize for his story ”The program is doomed: Players say Indiana volleyball coach Steve Aird created a culture of fear,” which explores the harassment and personal attacks student players received at the hands of Aird.
Investigative Reporter Ian Urbina, in partnership with the Los Angeles Times and CBC podcasts, received the professional prize for his seven-part immersive podcast series, “The Outlaw Ocean Project,” which explores the lawlessness of the seven oceans that are populated by traffickers, pirates, mercenaries, repo men, vigilante conservationists, elusive poachers, seabound abortion providers, clandestine oil dumpers, slaves and stowaways.
The School of Journalism and Media gave a fourth award posthumously to investigative reporter Jeff German of the Las Vegas Review-Journal, who was killed outside his home last September in retaliation for his work. A 40-year veteran Las Vegas journalist, he was widely respected for his tenacity