Two Oklahoma Watch reporters received honors in the the First Amendment Awards sponsored by the Fort Worth chapter of the Society of Professional Journalists.
Education reporter Jennifer Palmer won in general news for her story, “Oklahoma Nearly Tops Nation in Holding Back Early-Grade Students.”
Judges commented, “The story shines because of a reporter’s digging to first uncover and then explain a wholly unexpected finding. The story is clearly written and supplemented with helpful graphics and video.”
Multimedia reporter Whitney Bryen was a finalists in the category “Defending the Disadvantaged” with her story “Getting Pregnant, Getting Fired: Discrimination Cases Persist Despite 40-Year-Old Law.” Judges described the piece as “strong coverage of a heartbreaking story.”
Oklahoma Watch competed against news outlets in Texas and Oklahoma with print and online circulation of more than 100,000.