We Don’t Do It for the Awards, But We Did Win 23 This Year

This year, Truthdig was recognized for investigating radioactive runoff in West Virginia, government corruption in Latin America and the race to enter the United States through the southern border. We reported on the rise of death cafes and the role of theater in exposed gender-based violence in Italy, weighed in on the BBC’s treatment of Frida Kahlo and reflected on the years since John F. Kennedy’s assassination.

For all this and more, Truthdig’s staff and contributors won 23 awards from local and national contests. We are honored to have been recognized by our peers throughout the year and look forward to bringing you more award-winning, independent journalism in 2025.

News, investigations and opinion

For their work investigating the impacts of government corruption in Latin America, Marc Cooper won second place in the Foreign Correspondent’s category with “Chile’s Utopia Has Been Postponed,” and Jared Olson won second place in Hard News Features with “The Deadly Battle Over Land and Water in Honduras” from the Southern California Journalism Awards.

Lillian Perlmutter’s investigative series, “At the Border in 2024,” won an EPPY for Best News or Event Feature. Judges lauded the work for combining “high journalistic standards with excellent storytelling to tackle an issue of significant importance. Its potential to influence public opinion and advocacy on migration and border policies ensures its relevance and impact.”

Erin Aubrey Kaplan earned second place in both the Online Columnist and Activism Journalism categories of the Southern California Journalism Awards, the latter highlighting her piece, “A Decade of Black Lives Matter.”

Justin Nobel won a third place Headline Award in Online Investigative Reporting for Digital-Only Website, “Inside West Virginia’s Chernobyl.”

Arts and culture

Truthdig contributors won big for their arts and culture coverage at this year’s National Arts & Entertainment Journalism Awards. Steffie Nelson took first place in the Online Visual Arts, Architecture or Literature Feature category for “Preparing to Meet Your Maker, Plus Cake: The Life of a Death Cafe.”

Jim Knipfel won second place for his memorial, “Remembering First Amendment Icon Jim Larkin,” as well as second place for his book criticism.

Ed Rampell earned second place for his Film Personality Feature, “​Sixty Years After JFK’s Assassination, Oliver Stone Reflects.”

Carrie Rickey won third place in Television Commentary for “Becoming Frida.”

And Beatrice M. Spadacini also won third place for her coverage of how Italian theater is exposing the root causes of gender-based violence.

Multimedia

It was a highlight year for Truthdig contributor Michael Nigro, whose Dig, “Fragments of Ukraine,” won first place for Multimedia Package and second place for Photo Essay from the Southern California Journalism Awards, as well as the Best News or Event Feature Video EPPY award from Editor & Publisher Magazine and a second place Headliner Award for news video. Judges described the work as “compelling for its depth and emotional resonance, connecting viewers with the human element behind logistical challenges in a way that informs, engages and elicits empathy on a global issue.”

The Truthdig team of Sharon Romeo, creative director; Pablo Ortega, marketing manager; and Myke Allen and Andrew Clippingdale, animation, won Best Promotional/Marketing Campaign for the cartoon, “A Truthdig Carol,” which judges said “creates a memorable, emotionally resonant narrative well-suited to Truthdig’s mission of fostering an informed public.” The animation also won first place for Animation/Moving Graphic from the Southern California Journalism Awards.

Spadacini and Stefano Schirato won for Best Photojournalism on a Website for “The Moms Vs. The Multinational,” which judges noted combined “strong, evocative imagery with a narrative that highlights the human cost of environmental degradation, drawing viewers into the story with impactful visuals that underscore the urgency of the community’s struggles.”

Organization awards

Truthdig won a first-place Southern California Journalism Award for its Short-Form News Section, “Ear to the Ground.” Special notice was given to Tana Ganeva’s piece about prison conditions, which judges described as “riveting.”

Soo Kim and James Dwyer won Best Home Page Design for truthdig.com.

As an organization, Truthdig was awarded second place in the category of News Organization Exclusive to the Internet.