Honored with the Excellence in Local News Award from the New Jersey Press Foundation, recognizing commitment to quality local journalism and innovative use of data and public records in reporting.
Award Background
The Excellence in Local News Award celebrates journalists and news organizations that demonstrate outstanding dedication to serving their communities through accurate, impactful reporting that holds power accountable and informs public discourse.
Recognition Areas
The award acknowledged contributions in several key areas:
Investigative Reporting
- In-depth coverage of local government operations
- Use of public records to uncover important stories
- Data analysis revealing patterns and trends
- Following stories beyond press releases
Data Journalism
- Innovative use of databases and spreadsheets
- Visualization of complex information
- Analysis of government spending and performance
- Making data accessible to readers
Community Service
- Coverage of issues affecting local residents
- Explaining complex policy matters clearly
- Providing accountability in local government
- Giving voice to community concerns
Technical Innovation
- Building tools to process and analyze public records
- Creating interactive graphics and maps
- Developing databases for investigative projects
- Open sourcing methods for other journalists
Impact on Local Journalism
The work recognized by this award demonstrated that local news organizations can compete with larger outlets by:
- Leveraging technology for deeper reporting
- Building expertise in data analysis
- Developing specialized knowledge of local issues
- Creating reusable tools and methodologies
Notable Projects
Projects contributing to this recognition included:
- Analysis of municipal spending patterns
- Investigation of development approvals
- Mapping of public health data
- Tracking of local election financing
Significance for Civic Technology
This award illustrated the connection between civic technology and journalism, showing how technical skills can strengthen democratic accountability through better reporting.
The recognition helped validate the importance of:
- Journalists learning coding and data skills
- News organizations investing in data infrastructure
- Collaboration between technologists and reporters
- Open source tools for newsrooms
Continuing Impact
The methodologies and tools developed during this work have been shared with other journalists and news organizations, contributing to stronger local accountability journalism across New Jersey and beyond.
This award reinforced the importance of combining traditional journalism values with modern technical capabilities to serve the public interest.