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Celebrating the best in investigative business journalism

Barlett & Steele Awards

2024 Gold Winners

Global/National Publications

2024

Gold

Prison to Plate

By: Margie Mason and Robin McDowell

This series was able to link some of the biggest American food corporations to prison labor, often in direct violation of their supply chain policies. The reporters spent two years filing public records requests in all 50 states and drove across the country tailing trucks and prison work vans to unearth how money was flowing to corporate giants through the use of prison labor and sometimes at the expense of prisoners’ lives.

Publication: Associated Press

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Regional/Local Publications

2024

Gold

Overpayment Outrage

By: A collaboration of 30 reporters, photographers, and producers

This investigation helped uncover the immense toll Social Security repayment demands has on some of the nation’s most vulnerable families – the very people the Social Security system was designed to protect. It displayed exceptionally deep reporting to demonstrate the heavy-handed approach the Social Security Administration (SSA) takes in dealing with recovering overpayments to recipients – even when the overpayment was the mistake of the agency and had happened years prior.

Publication: Cox Media Group and KFF Health News

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Outstanding Young Journalist

2024

Gold

EasyKnock and Sale-Leasebacks

By: Caitlin Thompson

The investigation revealed an obscure business model that often targets financially strapped homeowners who are unable to access traditional loan assistance. The company EasyKnock, the leader in sale-leasebacks, promises to help people “unlock” the equity in their property, but Thompson’s detailed reporting found that some homeowners were left with that promise unfulfilled. Through court, property, and eviction records, in addition to cold-calling homeowners, Thompson was able to create a database of properties in the 10 most populous counties of Texas to calculate how much equity the homeowners were truly receiving during their business with EasyKnock and how that differed from the company’s promises.

Publication: NPR

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2025 Awards

The Barlett and Steele Awards, named in honor of renowned investigative business journalists Donald L. Barlett and James B. Steele, were expanded in 2022! The awards now have two categories: one for news organizations with a national or global audience and one for publications with a regional or local focus. Additionally, an award will be given to an Outstanding Young Journalist that will recognize the work of a journalist under 35 years of age who demonstrates outstanding ability in investigative business reporting.

Global/National Publications

News organizations with a national or global audience and/or a newsroom with more than 100 editorial staff.

Gold – $3,000

Silver – $2,000

Bronze – $1,000

Regional/Local Publications

Organizations with a regional or local focus and/or a newsroom with 100 or fewer journalists.

Gold – $3,000

Silver – $2,000

Bronze – $1,000

Outstanding Young Journalist

A journalist under 35 years of age who demonstrates outstanding ability in investigative business reporting.

Gold – $3,000

Requirements for entry:

Entries will be accepted between June 1st, 2025 and July 31st, 2025 for articles originally published or broadcast between July 1st, 2024 and June 30th, 2025. Applications will be accepted only online and from editors or the contest coordinator designated by your news organization. Entries from freelance journalists are welcome but must be accompanied by a letter from an editor or director.

Each media outlet may submit no more than two entries per category (two for either the national or regional category and two for outstanding young journalist, for a total of four entries max per media outlet).

There are no entry fees for the 2025 Barlett and Steele Awards.

Entries must include:

Either active links or PDFs of published work. Any links behind paywalls must include instructions on how they can be accessed by judges.
No more than three works of journalism (articles, videos, podcasts, etc.). Videos and podcasts should be no longer than 20 minutes each. All materials must be in English, or have an English-language translation/captions.
Nomination letter that addresses any obstacles encountered in reporting, any reforms or impact as a result of publication, and any corrections or challenges to accuracy. For the Young Journalist Award, the nomination should include relevant biographical details of the nominee.
Contact information for the editor or director submitting the entry.

Vetting

Entries for the Barlett & Steele Awards will undergo an initial vetting round by the faculty of Arizona State University’s Walter Cronkite School of Journalism and Mass Communication, with a panel of distinguished financial journalists making the final decision for each award. Winners will be announced in October 2025 with an award ceremony to be held in November in downtown Phoenix.

If you have any questions about the entry or award process please contact us.