for being first to report that authorities investigating Flintâs water crisis used search warrants to look at the state-owned mobile devices and computers of former Gov. Rick Snyder as well as those of other state employees. https://bit.ly/2XJ8mPj
Washington science writer Seth Borenstein knew the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency was not going to notify anyone when it posted new data on the nationâs air quality for 2018, but he knew where it would be posted. He also knew that the Trump administration was poised to replace an Obama-era clean-air rule with a new regulation that was friendlier to coal-fired power plants, so he kept checking for the agencyâs data.
When the data finally showed up, Borenstein teamed with New York-based Health and Science data journalist Nicky Forster to evaluate the data, put it in context and run it by scientists. Forster even pointed out errors that the EPA was forced to correct.
Their persistence made AP the first to report that the annual number of days of poor air quality in the U.S. had increased for the second year in a row, after decades of improvement. The story ran on the eve of the EPAâs announcement of its loosened regulation, undermining the rationale for the new standards with the governmentâs own numbers. Trumpâs new rule, experts told the AP, could turn what is so far a modest backslide into a deadly trend.
For diligent reporting and sophisticated analysis to hold a federal agency accountable for its data and regulatory policy, Borenstein and Forster earn this weekâs Best of the States award.
for dominating agency coverage â video and photos â of clashes between Hong Kong police and anti-extradition protesters who gathered around Hong Kongâs Legislative Council complex on June 12.
Only AP was live when the first scuffle broke out between police and protesters early that morning. And when more violent clashes erupted, only APâs Wober captured dramatic ground footage as protesters started throwing objects at police who eventually used tear gas, rubber bullets and other measures to disperse the crowds. The dramatic unmatched 30-minute clip was widely used by major clients, including Hong Kongâs own South China Morning Post.
Photographers Yu and Cheung, meanwhile, worked tirelessly from late the previous night, as protesters staked out positions, and through the next day as the protests grew and were eventually shut down. Prominent photo play included the front of Time magazine and The Times of London.https://bit.ly/2XmPRDjhttps://bit.ly/2FiU6W3https://bit.ly/2x7tzXu
for impressive teamwork and collaboration, using APâs footprint to tell the story of African immigrants arriving at the U.S.-Mexico border in record numbers. When the migrants started showing up in remote areas of Texas, the immigration beat team deployed Selsky, a former Africa bureau chief. He found many of the African migrants being put on buses to Maine, where Whittle and Amendola picked up the story, covering Congolese and Angolan asylum seekers at a Portland gymnasium converted into a shelter. Selsky also coordinated relevant reporting from Europe, Africa and Latin America. https://bit.ly/2XVjbhc
for a compelling, sensitively handled interview with a woman who said sheâd been raped on the campus of Marshall University, revealing the extent of personal damage inflicted when the man, who was convicted of battery, was allowed to remain on campus. Alicia Gonzales, who allowed Izaguirre to use her name, described how her friends warned her about the manâs whereabouts. She would retreat to her dorm room to avoid him, and on the occasions when she did see him, he and his friends taunted her. She now has a federal lawsuit against the university. https://bit.ly/2FkYWSN
for using their years of experience in Dubai to get around restrictions, sending exclusive video, photos and text as the crew of an oil tanker that had been attacked in the Gulf of Oman arrived in the city-state. Advised by correspondent Nasser Karimi that there was only one flight the crew could take from Iran, Gambrell and Abuelgasim rushed to Dubaiâs airport, leaving their gear in the car to avoid the attention of authorities. When the sailors arrived the pair sprang into action, shooting photos and video with their iPhones as the crew left the airport.https://bit.ly/2L0D96thttps://bit.ly/2ZwjjUM
As states that permit sales of only medical marijuana transition to legalizing recreational use of pot, Portland reporter Gillian Flaccus noticed a trend in Oregon: most medical pot dispensaries were closing. She asked why, and what were the effects on patients?
Teaming with Los Angeles-based data reporter Angel Kastanis, the AP set out to answer that question. Kastanis had spent six months compiling a first-of-its-kind national data set on medical marijuana patients, and Flaccus used it to produce an exclusive all-formats package showing that when states legalize pot for all, medical marijuana patients often are left with fewer, and costlier, options.
Flaccusâ story was one of the most popular on AP with strong reader engagement. And Kastanis plans to update the data set twice a year, allowing AP and its subscribing data customers to track industry trends.
For making the AP the go-to source for data trends on medical marijuana and shining a light on the unexpected negative consequences for patients of legalizing recreational pot use, Flaccus and Kastanis earn APâs Best of the Week honors.
Two weeks before the 25th anniversary of the killings that led to O.J. Simpsonâs âTrial of the Century,â special correspondent Linda Deutsch was summoned from retirement to try to coax an interview from the fallen football star. Simpson hadnât submitted to an interview since being released from prison in 2017, and he turned down an interview request from Deutsch last year. But Deutsch tried again, this time by phone. O.J. didn't want to talk, but he relented after Deutsch reminded him that if he spoke to her, APâs story would reach all media.
Simpson wouldnât discuss the crime, but he provided a glimpse into a life now very much outside the public eye, telling Deutsch âlife is fine,â a quote that stung any who believed he got away with murder.
Deutschâs story, including two photos of Simpson at home that were exclusive to the AP, was the dayâs top-read AP story online, and the centerpiece of a multi-story package looking back at Simpsonâs trial, its key figures and its impact.
For a timely, exclusive interview with a man who remains the focus of intense public interest, Linda Deutsch receives APâs Best of the States award.
Vatican correspondent Nicole Winfieldâs five-month investigation revealed the stunning allegations: A high-ranking Catholic priest had a sexual relationship with a Houston woman for more than a year, counseled her husband on their marital problems, pressed for hundreds of thousands of dollars in donations from the couple and continued to hear her confession.
But the cardinal overseeing the churchâs handling of sexual abuse allegations in the United States approved the priestâs transfer to a church two hours away.
The fallout from Winfieldâs revelations was swift: The priest was suspended and church officials reopened their inquiry into the handling of parishioner Laura Pontikesâ accusations.
To tell the sensitive story, Winfield â and a team that included Raleigh-based national writer/video journalist Allen Breed, New York global enterprise photographer Wong Maye-E and Houston correspondent Nomaan Merchant â meticulously planned coverage in each format, including on-camera interviews with Pontikes and her husband, and photos and video of the cardinal and the accused priest.
For an investigation that cast doubt on a top church officialâs handling of a case involving startling allegations of abuse, Winfield, Breed, Wong and Merchant wins APâs Best of the Week award.
â... Due to the distractions caused by the unfounded AP article last week, I am stepping down as President of YOUR college effective immediately.â
Rear Admiral Jeffrey Harley, head of the elite U.S. Naval War College, pushed the button on that all-staff missive Monday after the Navy announced it was reassigning him in the wake of exclusive reporting by Jennifer McDermott and Michelle R. Smith â reporting that produced two APNewsBreaks in 72 hours.
Their first NewsBreak moved Friday, confirming the military was investigating allegations that Harley spent excessively, abused his hiring authority and otherwise behaved inappropriately, including keeping a margarita machine in his office. Three days later, the AP team was first again with word that the Navy was removing Harley from his post pending the outcome of its probe.
Both stories gained huge traction with customers and on social media. The scoops by McDermottâs and Smith were âjust the tip of the iceberg,â one source said, and theyâve since led to new tips.
For dogged and diligent reporting that exposed questionable leadership at the heart of the Navyâs brain trust, McDermott and Smith win this weekâs Best of the States prize.
As tensions between Iran, its neighbors and the United States ratcheted up last week, APâs staff in Baghdad, Dubai and Tehran turned out aggressive, yet cautious coverage, bringing facts and unique perspectives to the tense and escalating situation in the Persian Gulf, often well ahead of the competition.
Those stories included reports of âsabotagedâ oil tankers off the coast of the UAE, and AP broke the news that Iran had quadrupled its uranium enrichment.
Meanwhile, APâs Tehran team produced an all-formats piece on the mood of people on the cityâs streets that could not be matched by competitors, and AP was first to report an FAA warning that Iran could misidentify commercial flights in the region.
AP was also aggressive on related developments, ensuring that clients had video and text coverage of tweets by President Donald Trump and Iranian officials.
For smart judgment, planning and effective use of APâs resources to break news and bring facts to a region on edge, the team of Jon Gambrell, Qassim Abdul-Zahra, Mehdi Fattahi, Bassem Mroue, Nasser Karimi and Vahid Salemi wins AP's Best of the Week, with the support of their colleagues and contributors in the region.
Thereâs a real difference between straight aerial photography and the birdâs-eye view that APâs audience had of the destruction after a series of tornados touched down in western Ohio late on Memorial Day. Using a drone, Cincinnati photographer John Minchillo and video journalist Angie Wang provided those images from a rare perspective â both still photos and video â showing residents coping with the wreckage and sorting through their gutted homes.
The resulting video coverage was our overall top U.S. video story for the week, and Minchilloâs still photos were widely played, including front pages of the Washington Post and Wall Street Journal. Two of his photos appeared in NBCâs The Week in Pictures.
From small details to sweeping landscapes of destruction, their dedication, teamwork and speed of delivery make John Minchillo and Angie Wang this weekâs Best of the States winners.
for healthy skepticism over a South Korean newspaperâs report of a major purge in North Korea. That saved AP from the embarrassment suffered by some other media as North Korean state media began showing images of the supposedly purged officials with leader Kim Jong Un. The Seoul bureau recognized the danger signs, producing a story that acknowledged the report while also sounding a note of caution. Several South Korean media outlets noted how AP emphasized the suspect nature of the initial report. https://bit.ly/2HYvGTN
It was a story that took months of planning and coordination across a half-dozen countries and two continents: the 75th anniversary of the D-Day invasion that marked the turning point for the Allied victory in World War II. The Associated Press has had a presence on the beaches of Normandy since the actual invasion in 1944, but APâs teams in Europe knew that the 2019 event would require an extra effort â it was likely the last major anniversary that veterans who fought in the battle would be alive to tell their stories.
Staffers in Europe and the U.S. went to work months in advance of this crucial anniversary to lay out detailed plans of the distinctive coverage, bringing together reporters in all formats and in multiple countries.
Thanks to the cross-continent teamwork and significant planning and customer outreach, the play was superb. Dozens of customers used the video packages, and the photos and text stories have been mainstays on front pages since the package rolled out, culminating with standout spot coverage of the anniversary.
For outstanding effort, sensitivity and creativity that gave APâs audiences unparalleled D-Day anniversary coverage, Schaeffer, Leicester, Combaldieu, Camus, Turnbull and Santana â in coordination with their many colleagues â share APâs Best of the Week honors.
for an AP analysis of federal data showing that the governmentâs costs to buy out homes in flood-prone areas have been rising over the past decade. With the data made available for localizations by major AP customers, the richly reported and photographed story centered on a small Missouri town that just happened to be in danger of flooding yet again at the time of publication. Play showed that APâs customers were hungry for content that went beyond the spot coverage of the epic flooding inundating the countryâs midsection.https://bit.ly/2wzF35R
for wrenching stories from survivors of sex abuse carried out by Boy Scout leaders. Changes in statute-of-limitation laws in various states have triggered a new wave of litigation against the Boy Scouts by men who said they were abused by unit leaders decades ago. What was missing from those stories were detailed accounts from abuse survivors â a gap filled by a powerful all-formats package that received tremendous play. https://bit.ly/2EU7ekq
Execution coverage often focuses on the condemned inmate or the manner of death. So, faced with covering his eighth execution â a Florida serial killer â Tallahassee correspondent Brendan Farrington told the extraordinary personal story of a victim who escaped and helped police find the man after he raped her decades ago. That woman had chosen to witness the manâs execution.
Farrington doggedly tracked down the woman, now a sheriffâs deputy, who finally agreed to an interview on the eve of the execution. Her compelling story resonated with readers everywhere.
For his persistence and sensitivity in telling a personal and emotional victimâs story in what could have been a rote story on a serial killerâs execution, Farrington wins this weekâs Best of the States award.
for thoughtfully deploying resources to cover multiple pockets of protest across the capital after protesters supporting losing presidential candidate Prabowo Subianto clashed with police. The team used Iris Bambuser and LiveU to capture unmatched images of the chaos and shot from various angles to show the scene with tear gas filling the streets and helicopters dropping water to extinguish fires.https://bit.ly/2Mkondlhttps://bit.ly/2wgY4tv
for using police and court records, and victim interviews to show that at least eight women and teenagers since 2012 contacted authorities to accuse a man of stalking or harassing them, but none of their complaints resulted in prison time for the man. The AP published its findings a day before a Utah judge sentenced the man to serve up to five years in prison. https://bit.ly/2YZMOxR
for a story describing how a growing number of female legislators around the country have gone public with painful testimony of being raped, as their states debate restrictions on abortion. https://bit.ly/2X1BtNs