Center for Public Integrity wins three EPPY Awards

Introduction

Three separate Center for Public Integrity projects — focused on politics, telecommunications and climate change — were honored this week with EPPY Awards from Editor & Publisher.

The news continues a run of success for the Center in the EPPY competition. Last year five different Center investigations were awarded EPPYs.

“It’s a tremendous honor to receive even one EPPY award. To win three is truly fantastic,” said Center for Public Integrity CEO John Dunbar. “It’s a testament to the hard work of some very talented journalists.”

The EPPY for “Best investigative/enterprise feature with under 1 million unique monthly visitors” went to “Carbon Wars,” a series of stories examining the fossil fuel industry’s efforts to protect its lucrative franchises in the wake of worry worldwide over climate change. The project was directed by Jim Morris, the Center’s managing editor for environment. Contributors included Jie Jenny Zou, Kristen Lombardi, Jamie Smith Hopkins, Rachel Leven and Fatima Bhojani.

“The Fight over 5G,” which examined battles nationwide over installation of the latest wireless technology, won the EPPY for “Best business reporting with under 1 million unique monthly visitors.” This investigation was authored primarily by Allan Holmes, the Center’s project manager for business in politics. Ryan Barwick also contributed.

The Center’s federal politics coverage garnered the EPPY for “Best news/political Blog with under 1 million unique monthly visitors.” Stories about special interest tax breaks, controversial veterans’ charities, lobbying by Russian banks and politicians ignoring federal fines comprised the winning entry. The coverage was directed by Dave Levinthal, the Center’s federal politics editor. Among the contributors were Carrie Levine, Sarah Kleiner and Chris Zubak-Skees.

Center reporters also contributed to a fourth EPPY, “The United States of Climate Change,” a project led by the Weather Channel, which tied for winner’s honors in “Best Investigative/Enterprise Feature with 1 million unique monthly visitors or over.”