Outstanding Explanatory Reporting, Large: SEJ 23rd Annual Awards for Reporting on the Environment

First Place

"The Protein Problem" by the AP's Health & Science team for The Associated Press / www.apnews.com (Nov. 16, 2023)

Screenshot of first-place project, Explanatory Reporting, Large

Project editors: Darrell Allen, Alicia Chang, Janelle Cogan, Jonathan Fahey, Matt Ford, Enric Marti, Jonathan Poet, Howie Rumberg, Pia Sarkar, Patrick Sison, Emily Swanson, Maye-E Wong, Kathy Young
Developers and designers: Linda Gorman, Peter Hamlin, Koko Nakajima
Data: Camille Fassett, Nicky Forster
Writers: JoNel Aleccia, Dee-Ann Durbin, Aniruddha Ghosal, Christina Larson, Krista Larson, Scott McFetridge, David McHugh, Victoria Milko, Laura Ungar
Photographers: Dita Alangkara, Noah Berger, Rebecca Blackwell, Leo Correa, David Goldman, Aurélien Morissard, Han Guan Ng, Eraldo Peres, Michael Probst, Manish Swarup, David Zalubowski
Video journalists: Terry Chea, Lucas Dumphreys, Yesica Fisch, Shelby Lum, Daniel Niemann, Brittany Peterson, Fadlan Syam, Emma H. Tobin, Angie Wang, Olivia Zhang
Polling: Hannah Fingerhut, Linley Sanders
Audience engagement: Bridget Brown, Dave Clark, McKinnon de Kuyper, Sophia Tulp, Kyle Viterbo

Judges' comments: "The Protein Problem by the Associated Press is an engaging and deep exploration of how to feed the world while reducing greenhouse gases linked to agriculture. An AP team of more than 30 reporters, photographers and videographers visited five continents to deliver very readable and well researched stories making the connection between climate change and food on the dinner table. The project provided a look at innovative practices to lighten agriculture's burden on the environment. Reporters caught up with Texas cattle ranchers, Mongolian nomadic herders, Chinese fish farm operators, Brazilian forest managers, among others, to look into ways to ease the problem. Beef got an even-handed look as a popular food accounting for the world’s largest single agricultural contributor to climate change. Just one of many characters in this project, Texas rancher Meredith Ellis is managing her herd to produce less gases through intensive pasture rotation. And she uses researchers to document the changes. 'What I'm looking to do is to make a major impact and completely refine the beef industry,' Ellis said. In Mongolia and Senegal, the AP team visited nomadic herders who follow old-ways practices that may provide clues to more sustainable livestock grazing. Lively writing, great photos and videos and smart graphics made these accessible and thoughtful stories on a complex topic."

Second Place

"The Human Limit" by Sainya Bashir, Rachel Chason, Jahi Chickwendiu, Kevin Crowe, Simon Ducroquet, Juliet Eilperin, Annie Gowen, Anant Gupta, Hayley Hammond Niko Kommenda, Atul Loke, John Muyskens, Erin Patrick O’Connor, Shannon Osaka, Joshua Partlow, Veronica Penney and Carolyn Van Houten for The Washington Post

Team roles:

Story links:

"Climate-Linked Ills Threaten Humanity" (Sept. 5, 2023)
"Heat’s Hidden Risk" (Sept. 6, 2023)
"The Inequality of Heat" (Sept. 22, 2023)
"Where Malaria Is Spreading" (Oct. 23, 2023)
"An Invisible Killer" (Nov. 13, 2023)

Judges' comments: "The judges agreed that this powerful exploration of various threats to human health arising from climate change was notable for its depth and analysis. The stories about urban heat effects and other phenomena are crystal clear and persuasive in explaining the insidious and growing threats to human health from rising temperatures. From flooding in Pakistan to the tragic death of a man suffering from schizophrenia who perished while wandering parts of Phoenix, the package makes for terrifying and persuasive reading."

Third Place

"Beyond the Poles: The Far-Reaching Dangers of Melting Ice" by Rebecca Hersher, Connie Hanzhang Jin, Ryan Kellman, Lauren Sommer, Pragati Shahi and Daniel Wood for NPR (April 19, 2023)

Team roles:

Lauren Sommer, correspondent
Rebecca Hersher, correspondent
Pragati Shahi, correspondent
Ryan Kellman, photographer and visuals editor
Daniel Wood, graphics and visuals journalist
Connie Hanzhang Jin, graphics reporter

Story links:

"Beyond the Poles: How Melting Ice Affects Everyone"
"Fire and Ice": The planet's ice is fundamentally tethered to weather patterns that stretch across the globe. Scientists are finding that as the climate changes, that connection could be helping fuel disasters.
"Why Texans Need To Know How Fast Antarctica Is Melting"
"The Meltdown": Melting glaciers are leaving behind large, unstable lakes around the world. Millions of people live downstream, in places increasingly threatened by deadly flash floods. What will it take to protect them?
"Sea Change: How Melting Ice Is Disrupting the World’s Oceans"

Judges' comments: "The judges admired the way this series connected the dangers of melting ice to local problems. With dispatches from rising seas in Texas, wildfires in the Western U.S. and Greenland's ice sheets, the series brought home the local effects of what many readers could have written off as faraway phenomenon. The series made clear how the consequences and potential chaos of melting ice sheets would be dealt unevenly. Vivid multimedia elements provided an engaging onscreen read."

First Honorable Mention

"Roots of an Outbreak" by Caroline Chen, Robin Fields, Kathleen Flynn, Irena Hwang, Al Shaw and Lisa Song for ProPublica

Team roles:

Caroline Chen, Reporter, ProPublica: Caroline reported from Guinea, Madagascar and Australia and wrote those three stories. She also worked with Irena Hwang and Al Shaw on the modeling described in this entry.
Irena Hwang, Data Reporter, ProPublica: Irena did data analysis and worked with Al Shaw to use an epidemiological model to analyze patterns of forest loss around the sites of previous Ebola outbreaks. To do this, they worked closely with the model authors to understand their code, then customized it. Irena, Al and Caroline sat down with numerous ecologists and epidemiologists to learn how the biology and ecology of viruses influenced their model’s parameters, and to ensure they were using data sets accepted as the gold standard. With the help of one of ProPublica’s data science advisers, they developed a method to test tens of thousands of infection scenarios and combined that with our own analysis of years of satellite images. The model revealed that many sites of prior outbreaks are at higher risk for new spillover than before.
Al Shaw, Deputy Editor - News Apps, ProPublica: In addition to Al’s work described above, Al developed the news app that allowed readers to cut down an imaginary forest and see how that affects spillover risk.
Lisa Song, Reporter, ProPublica: Lisa helped Caroline with reporting on the story based in Meliandou, Guinea. And Lisa reported and wrote a second story from a different part of Guinea about a dubious World Bank offset program that devastated villages and helped a mining company justify the deaths of endangered chimps.
Robin Fields, Reporter, ProPublica
Kathleen Flynn, Photojournalist, Freelance: Kathleen went to Guinea, Madagascar and Australia to capture stunning photographs, cinemagraphs and video footage. She produced a companion video for Caroline’s story on the bat scientist in Australia.

Story links:

"On the Edge: The Next Deadly Pandemic Is Just a Forest Clearing Away. But We’re Not Even Trying To Prevent It." (Feb. 27, 2023)
"Seeding Hope: They Set Out To Save Rainforests — And Stumbled Upon a Way To Help Prevent the World’s Next Deadly Pandemic." (March 7, 2023)
"How Forest Loss Can Unleash the Next Pandemic" (March 16, 2023)
"The Scientist and the Bats: Funders Thought Watching Bats Wasn’t Important. Then She Helped Solve The Mystery Of A Deadly Virus." (May 22, 2023). Same-day companion video: "This Scientist Tracked Bats for Decades and Solved a Mystery About a Deadly Disease"
"Out of Balance: The World Bank Group Enabled the Devastation of Villages and Helped a Mining Company Justify the Deaths of Endangered Chimps With a Dubious Offset." (June 15, 2023)

Judges' comments: "These well crafted and powerful stories explain how humans have done relatively little to prevent 'spillover' epidemics and outbreaks in which diseases spread from animals to humans. Very memorable was the story of Peggy Eby, a wildlife ecologist who toiled for decades before getting funding for bat research that provided clues to how deforestation can lead to pandemics. Excellent photos and videos made this project very accessible to readers."

Second Honorable Mention

"Banning Renewable Energy" by Stephen Beard, Suhail Bhat, Andrea Brunty, Josh Morgan, Ramon Padilla, Carlie Procell, Yoonserk Pyun, Shawn Sullivan, Josh Susong, Elizabeth Weise and Karina Zaiets for USA TODAY (Feb. 4, 2024)

Team roles:

Elizabeth Weise, national correspondent, USA TODAY: Reporter on these stories
Suhail Bhat, assistant data editor, USA TODAY: Reporter on these stories
Josh Morgan, USA TODAY photojournalist
Stephen Beard, Ramon Padilla, Carlie Procell, Karina Zaiets and Shawn Sullivan, USA TODAY graphics journalists
Andrea Brunty, USA TODAY designer and visual journalist
Yoonserk Pyun, USA TODAY data journalist
Josh Susong, USA TODAY senior editor

Story links:

Judges' comments: "With a clear-eyed analysis of hyperlocal trends, the series was especially commendable for its use of public records to tell the story of why the green energy transition won't happen as quickly as it could. Using easy-to-understand graphics and timelines, the series tackled myths around wind turbines and solar panels, giving readers a strong understanding of the trends and barriers their communities face in meeting climate goals."

Third Honorable Mention

"Elemental" by Adam Baheej-Adada, Em Chabridon, Amanda Coulson-Drasner, Kiyo Dörrer, Kirsten Funck, Henning Goll, Neven Hillebrands, Elke Opielka, Alexander Paquet, Malte Rohwer-Kahlmann, Michael Trobridge and Frederik Willmann for DW (Deutsche Welle)

Team roles:

Kiyo Dörrer, head of Planet A and climate reporter, DW: Conception of series, coordination, script editing and reporting
Amanda Coulson-Drasner, climate reporter, DW: reporting, video editing
Elke Opielka, climate editor, DW: Supervising editor
Malte Rohwer-Kahlmann, climate editor and reporter, DW: Script editing
Michael Trobridge, climate editor, DW: Script editing
Neven Hillebrands, camera operator, DW: Filming
Henning Goll, camera operator, DW: Filming, video editing
Frederik Willmann, video editor, DW: Video editing
Adam Baheej-Adada, reporter and motion designer, DW: Animation
Kirsten Funck, fact-checker, DW: Fact-checking
Alexander Paquet, fact-checker, DW: Fact-checking
Em Chabridon, graphic designer, DW: Thumbnails

Story links:

"Sulfur: Why We Need To Talk About This Hidden Poison Gas" (Sept. 22, 2023)
"Lithium: Why Our Future Depends on Lithium" (Nov. 3, 2023)
"Neodymium: How This Super Magnet Almost Started A Trade War" (Dec. 15, 2023)
"Silicon: Why Silicon Valley Needs a New Name" (Jan. 12, 2024)
"Carbon: Why Don't We Just Tax Carbon Emissions? (March 15, 2024)

Judges' comments: "This is a comprehensive and insightful look at elements that are often mentioned in our daily lives though many people might not fully understand their roles and functions. Fascinating and informative and an interesting form of presentation. The package explained the importance and functions of elements like lithium, carbon, silicon and neodymium in colorful and innovative ways, while the creators also adopted an inclusive approach that the judges found impressive and appealing."

The Society of Environmental Journalists' annual Awards for Reporting on the Environment honor the best environmental journalism in 10 categories, bringing recognition to the stories that are among the most important on the planet. Prizes are $500 for first-place winners and $250 for second-place winners in all categories. Plus, the Nina Mason Pulliam Award for the "best of the best" environmental reporting will award $10,000 to one entry selected from the first-place winners of SEJ's Awards for Reporting on the Environment. Sponsored by the Nina Mason Pulliam Charitable Trust, this prestigious award will be announced live on January 28 — please save the date and stay tuned for details.

SEJ's 2024 Esteemed Judges and Screeners
SEJ's 2024 Awards Committee

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