ONA reveals the 2024 Online Journalism Awards finalists (2024)

August 9, 2024

Celebrating excellence in visual storytelling, collaborations, AI innovation, social media engagement, climate reporting and 18 more categories

The Online News Association (ONA) is pleased to announce the finalists in the 2024 Online Journalism Awards, the premier global prizes that have set the standards for excellence and innovation in digital journalism for 25 years.

Volunteer screeners and judges representing a diverse cross-section of the industry reviewed and selected 162 finalist projects from over 1,280 entries. The Washington Post’s Eating Lab, The Trace and WBUR’s The Gun Machine, STAT’s Denied by AI: Consequences for Sick and Vulnerable Americans, BBC’s They Call Us Meat and Scientific American’s TikTok account are among the finalist projects highlighted today. For the General Excellence award, the finalist organizations across four newsroom sizes include The Air Current, Bellingcat, The Boston Globe, CalMatters, Civil Eats, Honolulu Civil Beat, The Markup, The Marshall Project, Mission Local, LA NACION, The New York Times, ProPublica, PublicSource, The Texas Tribune and The Washington Post.

Six awards come with a total of $53,000 in prize money, thanks to generous support from The University of Florida College of Journalism and Communications, 3M, the University of Oregon School of Journalism and Communication’s Agora Journalism Center, McKinsey Publishing, John S. and James L. Knight Foundation and SmartNews. These awards honor science reporting, community-centered journalism, investigative data journalism, service journalism, climate change reporting and general excellence.

Watch the winners announcement

Winners in 18 of the 23 categories of the 2024 OJAs will be announced Friday, Aug. 16, 1-2 p.m. EDT, during a virtual awards event co-hosted by Imaeyen Ibanga, Presenter at AJ+ and ONA board member, and LaSharah Bunting, ONA CEO and Executive Director. All are welcome to attend; RSVP now.

• 3M Truth in Science Award
• Breaking News
• Digital Video Storytelling
• Excellence in Audio Digital Storytelling
• Excellence in Collaboration and Partnerships
• Excellence in Newsletters
• Excellence in Social Media Engagement
• Excellence in Technology Reporting
• Excellence in Visual Digital Storytelling
• Explanatory Reporting
• Feature
• Online Commentary
• Sports, Health and Wellness
• Student Journalism Award
• The Al Neuharth Innovation in Investigative Journalism Award
• The University of Florida Award in Investigative Data Journalism
• Topical Reporting: Climate Change
• Topical Reporting: Race, Ethnicity, Gender and Identity

RSVP for the 2024 virtual winners announcement event

Winners in the remaining categories will be announced Friday, Sept. 20, in Atlanta at the Online Journalism Awards Ceremony and Luncheon, a special event during the 2024 Online News Association Conference (ONA24).

• Excellence in AI Innovation
• Excellence in Social Justice Reporting
• Gather Award in Community-Centered Journalism
• General Excellence in Online Journalism
• Knight Award for Public Service

The ceremony will also celebrate the 2024 recipients of three individual honors: Impact Award, ONA Community Award and James Foley Award for Conflict Reporting.

Tickets to the ceremony and luncheon are available through the ONA24 registration portal, either as an add-on to a conference pass or as a standalone purchase.

Bundle a ticket to the OJAs with ONA24 registration

Full list of 2024 finalists

Get to know the 2024 Online Journalism Awards finalists:

General Excellence in Online Journalism, Large Newsroom

• The Boston Globe
• LA NACION
• The New York Times
• The Washington Post

General Excellence in Online Journalism, Medium Newsroom

• CalMatters
• ProPublica
• The Marshall Project
• The Texas Tribune

General Excellence in Online Journalism, Small Newsroom

• Bellingcat
• Honolulu Civil Beat
• The Markup

General Excellence in Online Journalism, Micro Newsroom

• The Air Current
• Civil Eats
• Mission Local
• PublicSource

3M Truth in Science Award, Large Newsroom

• Eating Lab, The Washington Post
• Don’t waste food, Reuters
• The Bat Lands, Reuters
• Why the haze has reached Singapore’s shores again, The Straits Times, SPH Media

3M Truth in Science Award, Small/Medium Newsroom

• Electricity Saved My Brain, Science News
• Lithium Liabilities, Howard Center for Investigative Journalism at the Cronkite School of Journalism ASU
• The new weight loss drugs are revolutionizing our understanding of desire. Food cravings could be just the beginning, STAT

Breaking News, Large Newsroom

• Bridge Collapse in Baltimore, The New York Times
• Canadian wildfire smoke, The Washington Post
• Francis Scott Key Bridge Collapse, The Washington Post

Breaking News, Small/Medium Newsroom

• Crises for Chicago’s Migrants, Block Club Chicago
• Historic flooding inundates Vermont, VTDigger
• Prosecutors and Campus Protests, The Appeal

Digital Video Storytelling, Long Form, Large Newsroom

• Run For Your Life, Bloomberg news
• Shadow Men: Inside Wagner, Russia’s Secret War Company, The Wall Street Journal
• The Discord Leaks, The Washington Post

Digital Video Storytelling, Long Form, Small/Medium Newsroom

• After the Crash, Mother Jones
• The Night Doctrine, ProPublica, The New Yorker

Digital Video Storytelling, Short Form, Large Newsroom

• Gaza’s Deadliest Days, Al Jazeera Digital
• How Big Business Broke Recycling (And Blamed You), PBS Digital Studios, PBS SoCal
• On Their Own: Growing Up in War-Torn Gaza, NBC News Digital

Digital Video Storytelling, Short Form, Small/Medium Newsroom

• What is in utero gene editing?, STAT

Digital Video Storytelling, Series, Large Newsroom

• 52 Documentary: 22 Episodes of Inspiring Women’s Journeys, Voice of America
• Start Here, Al Jazeera Digital

Digital Video Storytelling, Social Media, Large Newsroom

• My name is Zaid, CNN
• Start Here, Al Jazeera Digital

Digital Video Storytelling, Social Media, Small/Medium Newsroom

• Adapting ProPublica’s Investigative Reporting for Social Video Audiences, ProPublica
• Money Behind Bars, The Marshall Project
• The Pudding’s Social Media Video, The Pudding

Excellence in AI Innovation

• They Call Us Meat, BBC
• YESEO, YESEO
• We Asked AI to Map Our Stories. Here are the Results., THE CITY

Excellence in Audio Digital Storytelling, Daily/Weekly News

• Post Reports, The Washington Post
• The Decibel, The Globe and Mail

Excellence in Audio Digital Storytelling, Limited Series

• A Place to Sleep, Albany Democrats-Herald
• Embedded: Buffalo Extreme, NPR
• The Gun Machine, The Trace, WBUR

Excellence in Audio Digital Storytelling, Ongoing Series

• Imperfect Paradise, LAist Studios
• Mayhem at OpenAI, The New York Times

Excellence in Audio Digital Storytelling, Use of Audio Storytelling

• Noise Could Take Years Off Your Life. Here’s How, The New York Times
• Quantifying the Diva-ness of 138 National Anthem Performances, The Pudding

Excellence in Collaboration and Partnerships

• Lethal Restraint, Associated Press, FRONTLINE, Howard Centers for Investigative Journalism at University of Maryland, Arizona State University Walter Cronkite School of Journalism
• Tráileres, trampa para migrantes, Noticias Telemundo, Centro Latinoamericano de Investigación Periodística (CLIP), International Consortium of Investigative Journalists, Pie de Página, Chiapas Paralelo, En un 2×3 Tamaulipas, Plaza Pública, Contracorriente, Bellingcat
• Unprepared, The Texas Tribune, ProPublica, FRONTLINE

Excellence in Newsletters, Portfolio

• Boston Globe newsletters portfolio, The Boston Globe
• PA Local, Spotlight PA
• WSJ Email Challenges, The Wall Street Journal

Excellence in Newsletters, Single Newsletter

• Civil Eats: The Deep Dish, Civil Eats
• Climate Coach, The Washington Post
• Make It Make Sense, Southern California Public Radio/LAist
• Tech Things With Joanna Stern, The Wall Street Journal

Excellence in Social Justice Reporting, Portfolio

• Alone and Exploited, The New York Times
• Missing in Chicago, City Bureau, Invisible Institute
• The secret terror inside US prisons, Business Insider
• Uprooted: How public universities in Virginia and across the nation expanded by displacing Black communities, Virginia Center for Investigative Journalism at WHRO, ProPublica

Excellence in Social Justice Reporting, Single Story

• A New Police Force Chased a 17-Year-Old Boy to His Death. Then It Vanished, Mother Jones
• Indian companies are bringing one of the world’s most toxic industries to Africa. People are getting sick, The Examination, The Museba Project (Cameroon)
• They Followed Doctors’ Orders. The State Took Their Babies, Reveal from The Center for Investigative Reporting
• The Scandal That Never Happened, Freelance, ProPublica

Excellence in Social Media Engagement, Large Newsroom

• Democracy dies in d̶a̶r̶k̶n̶e̶s̶s̶ social media: How to cover an election and get viral, LA NACION
• NBC Debunks, NBC News
• One Day in Gaza | Close Up, Al Jazeera Digital

Excellence in Social Media Engagement, Medium Newsroom

• Friends of the Court, ProPublica
• Scientific American TikTok, Scientific American

Excellence in Social Media Engagement, Small Newsroom

• Council on Foreign Relations’ Instagram, Council on Foreign Relations
• Proud City: Pride Month in Chicago, Block Club Chicago

Excellence in Technology Reporting, Large Newsroom

• How Elon Musk Dominated the Night Sky, The New York Times
• The Musk Industrial Complex, Reuters
• Uncovering bias in two leading AI systems, Bloomberg News
• Western machine tools evade sanctions to fuel China’s nuclear program, Nikkei, Nikkei Asia

Excellence in Technology Reporting, Medium Newsroom

• AI Is a Lot of Work, The Verge, New York Magazine
• Denied by AI: Consequences for Sick and Vulnerable Americans, STAT
• Inside Elon’s Universe, Fortune Media
• Kate Knibbs covers the Generative AI Media Muck, WIRED

Excellence in Technology Reporting, Small Newsroom

• Digital Book Banning, The Markup
• Missed Shots, South Side Weekly

Excellence in Visual Digital Storytelling, Large Newsroom

• 1,374 Days: My Life With Long Covid, Pentagram, Decimal
• Inside the Deadly Maui Inferno, Hour by Hour, The New York Times
• Lethal Restraint, FRONTLINE (PBS), The Associated Press, Howard Center for Investigative Journalism at the University of Maryland
• Unearthing the Future, The Washington Post

Excellence in Visual Digital Storytelling, Medium Newsroom

• In Harm’s Way, The Marshall Project
• Mass incarceration devastated S.F. Japantown. For the first time, we know how much, San Francisco Chronicle
• The Year After a Denied Abortion, ProPublica

Excellence in Visual Digital Storytelling, Small Newsroom

• The Pudding’s Portfolio, The Pudding
• Rest of World – Visual Storytelling, Rest of World
• “We’ve Become Addicted to Explosions” The IDF Unit Responsible for Demolishing Homes Across Gaza, Bellingcat

Explanatory Reporting, Large Newsroom

• Black Boxes: How Police Undermined the Promise of Body Cameras, ProPublica, The New York Times Magazine
• Unprepared, The Texas Tribune, ProPublica, FRONTLINE (PBS)

Explanatory Reporting, Medium Newsroom

• The 19th investigates: Who can you trust with your child’s safety?, The 19th
• The U.S. Government Defended the Overseas Business Interests of Baby Formula Makers. Kids Paid the Price, ProPublica

Explanatory Reporting, Small Newsroom

• Indian companies are bringing one of the world’s most toxic industries to Africa. People are getting sick, The Examination, The Museba Project (Cameroon)
• Toxic Texas Air, Public Health Watch

Feature, Large Newsroom

• Abused by the Badge, The Washington Post
• Nightmare in Mission Hill, The Boston Globe
• They Started Playing Football as Young as 6. They Died in Their Teens and Twenties With C.T.E., The New York Times
• Welcome to Our Home, The Finnish Broadcasting Company

Feature, Medium Newsroom

• Lost Patients of Northern State Hospital, The Seattle Times
• Megan Greenwell’s The Night 17 Million Precious Military Records Went Up in Smoke, WIRED
• She was told her twin sons wouldn’t survive. Texas law made her give birth anyway, The Texas Tribune
• Why a mom turned to supervising illegal opioid use at her home, WBUR, NPR

Feature, Small Newsroom

• Electricity Saved My Brain, Science News
• Richest Little City, Spotlight PA
• The Catch, Long Lead
• The Lost Children of North Minneapolis, The Trace, The Sahan Journal

Gather Award in Community-Centered Journalism, Overall Excellence, Medium/Large Newsroom

• Get to Know Your Judges: Cleveland Judge Guide, The Marshall Project
• Lost Patients of Northern State Hospital, The Seattle Times

Gather Award in Community-Centered Journalism, Overall Excellence, Micro/Small Newsroom

• Languages of Misinformation, The Markup
• Missing in Chicago, City Bureau, Invisible Institute

Knight Award for Public Service

• Lost Rites, NBC News Digital
• State of Disrepair: Inside Idaho’s Crumbling Schools, ProPublica, Idaho Statesman

Online Commentary, Package of Columns

• David Ignatius, The Washington Post
• The Occupation Style Guide with Sana Saeed, Al Jazeera Digital

Online Commentary, Personal Narrative

• Goodbye to All That Harassment, The Verge
• My Life With Long Covid, The New York Times

Sports, Health and Wellness, Large Newsroom

• Abortion: On the Brink, ABC News
• They Started Playing Football as Young as 6. They Died in Their Teens and Twenties With C.T.E., The New York Times

Sports, Health and Wellness, Small/Medium Newsroom

• Electricity Saved My Brain, Science News
• The Obesity Revolution, STAT

Student Journalism Award

• The Memphis Massacre, University of Memphis, Institute for Public Service Reporting, WKNO-FM
• The Price of Plenty, The University of Florida, Missouri School of Journalism

The Al Neuharth Innovation in Investigative Journalism Award, Large Newsroom

• Alone and Exploited, The New York Times
• Girl Influencers, The New York Times
• Memory, Inc: The Fatal Cost of Assisted Living, The Washington Post
• Slaughter in Sudan, Reuters

The Al Neuharth Innovation in Investigative Journalism Award, Medium Newsroom

• Denied by AI: Consequences for Sick and Vulnerable Americans, STAT
• Fast and Fatal, San Francisco Chronicle

The Al Neuharth Innovation in Investigative Journalism Award, Small Newsroom

• Amazon Underworld, InfoAmazonia, La Liga Contra el Silencio, Armando.Info
• As City Battles Housing Shortage, CHA Lets Hundreds Of Empty Homes Decay, Block Club Chicago
• Ethics Violations Plague Eric Adams Campaign Fundraising, THE CITY

Topical Reporting: Climate Change

• In Harm’s Way, The Marshall Project
• Scientists Warned of a Salton Sea Disaster. No One Listened, Undark
• The Survivor Species, The Washington Post

Topical Reporting: Race, Ethnicity, Gender and Identity, Large Newsroom

• Black Boxes: How Police Undermined the Promise of Body Cameras, ProPublica, The New York Times Magazine
• ‘Naked’ And Defiant: Diary Of An Iranian Protester, Radio Free Europe/Radio Liberty
• Slavery’s Descendants, Reuters
• Christine Emba on masculinity, The Washington Post

Topical Reporting: Race, Ethnicity, Gender and Identity, Medium Newsroom

• The Killing of Richard Oakes, San Francisco Chronicle
• Uprooted: How public universities in Virginia and across the nation expanded by displacing Black communities, Virginia Center for Investigative Journalism at WHRO, ProPublica

Topical Reporting: Race, Ethnicity, Gender and Identity, Small Newsroom

• America’s Most Popular Autism Therapy May Not Work — and May Cause Serious Harm, The 74 Media
• California Dreaming, The Fuller Project
• How AI reduces the world to stereotypes, Rest of World

University of Florida Award in Investigative Data Journalism, Large Newsroom

• Dying Early: America’s Life Expectancy Crisis, The Washington Post
• The food industry pays ‘influencer’ dietitians to shape your eating habits, The Washington Post

University of Florida Award in Investigative Data Journalism, Small/Medium Newsroom

• Misplaced Trust, Grist, The Pulitzer Center, The Data-Driven Reporting Project
• Missing in Chicago, City Bureau, Invisible Institute
• Thirsty Valley, ProPublica, The Desert Sun

Thank you, judges

Judges for the OJAs are senior-level professionals working in digital journalism. In 2024, judges were selected through an application process or by invitation from ONA’s Board of Directors. Many judges have served as volunteer screeners in past years to build clear understanding of the review process and what makes a journalism project stand out as OJA-worthy.

The judging panels for the 2024 awards included:

• Adam Griffiths, Ex-Chief Product Officer/Creative Director
• Adrian Cheung, Senior Producer, The Globe and Mail
• Aimee Rinehart, Program Manager, Local News & AI, Associated Press
• Aldana Vales, Audience Experiences Director, Gannett – USA Today Network
• Amanda Strydom, Senior Programme Manager, Code for Africa
• Amy Walters, Senior Producer, Al Jazeera’s podcast, The Take
• Andrew Losowsky, Head of Community Product, Vox Media
• Angela Misri, Assistant Professor of Journalism, Toronto Metropolitan University
• Angelica Peralta Ramos, Data Journalism Team Leader
• Annemarie Dooling, VP, Audience Growth & Experiences, USA TODAY NETWORK
• Ariana Tobin, Crowdsourcing and Engagement Team Editor, ProPublica
• Ariel Zirulnick, Consultant
• Ashleigh Graf, Copy Chief, HuffPost
• Ashley Hoffman, Senior Newsletter Strategist, Philadelphia Inquirer
• Benjamin Brock Johnson, Executive Producer, WBUR Podcasts
• Benét Wilson, Director, Poynter-Koch Media and Journalism Fellowship
• Brandy Zadrozny, Senior Reporter, NBC News
• Brittany Grant, Director, Audience Development, ESPN
• Caithlin Mercer, Associate Director of the Journalist Fellowship Programme, Reuters Institute for the Study of Journalism
• Carolyn Fox, Managing Editor, Tampa Bay Times
• Celia Wu Director, Education & Learning, Legitimate.net
• Christina Prignano, Senior Editor for Multimedia Storytelling, The Boston Globe
• Christine Loureiero, Digital Editor, Toronto Star
• Christine Portela, Director of News Operations, Local News, Univision
• Clara Dominguez, Director of Partnerships and Strategic Initiatives, Voice of America
• Clara Soteras, Director of SEO and Product, El Nacional
• Claudia Bracholdt, Deputy Head of Video, ZEIT ONLINE
• Corinne Chin, Director of News Talent, Recruitment, The Associated Press
• Cristi Hegranes, CEO, Global Press
• Dan Cooney, Social Media Producer/Coordinator, PBS NewsHour
• Dariela Sosa, Founder, COB, former CEO, Arepita
• Delano Massey, Managing Editor of Local, Axios
• Ellie Miller, Director of Newsletter Strategy, Hearst Newspapers
• Elizabeth Gabriel, ONA Board Member, Early Career Officer
• Ellen Przepasniak, Senior Audience Editor, Chicago Tribune
• Emma Löfgren, Deputy Managing Editor, The Local Europe
• Eric Lubbers, Chief Technology Officer and Co-Founder, The Colorado Sun
• Ethan Toven-Lindsey, VP, News, KQED
• Flor Coelho, New Media Research and Training Manager, LA NACION
• Greg Emerson, Product & Communications Consultant
• Hannah Yakobi, Editor-in-Chief and Founder, FAJO Magazine
• Isadora Varejão, Engagement Producer, Retro Report
• Janice Neil, Associate Professor, Toronto Metropolitan University
• Jason Tuohey, Managing Editor, Yahoo News
• Jenna Pirog, Visual Enterprise Editor, Investigations Unit, The Washington Post
• Jesse Pesta, Deputy Editor, Climate and Environment Desk, The New York Times
• Jonah Kessel, Deputy Director of Opinion Video, The New York Times
• Jonathan Kealing, Chief Network Officer, Institute for Nonprofit News
• Judith Pereira, Culture & Arts Editor, The Globe and Mail
• Kate Travis, Science Journalist & Digital Consultant
• Kim Fox, Director of Reader Experience, Hearst
• Kristen DelGuzzi, VP/Editor in Chief, US Chamber of Commerce
• Kyle Whitmire, State Political Columnist, AL.com
• Laura Amico, Independent, San Antonio Express- News
• Laura Hertzfeld, Content Strategy Consultant
• Leezel Tanglao, Senior Managing Editor, Digital, DMN
• Margaret co*ker, EIC & Co-founder, The Current
• Meena Thiruvengadam, Writer, Editor and Digital Content Consultant
• Megan Griffin-Greene, Service Journalism Editor, The Washington Post
• Megan O’Toole, Journalist, Bellingcat, Pulitzer Center
• Micah Johnston, Sports Editor, Macon Melody
• Michael Bolden, CEO and Executive Director, American Press Institute
• Michelle Brister, Head of Audience Development, The Telegraph
• Nadra Nittle, Education Reporter, The 19th
• Nation Hahn, Senior Advisor and Strategist, Nation Co.
• Nikita Mandhani, Senior Video Producer, BBC News
• Nikita Roy, Host, Newsroom Robots podcast & Harvard Innovation Lab
• P. Kim Bui, Strategy Consultant and Freelance Researcher / Writer
• R.L. Nave, Editor-in-Chief, Reckon
• Rekha Shanmugam, News Planning Producer, AJ+ / Al Jazeera Media Network
• Rich Jaroslovsky, SmartNews
• Robert Hernández, Professor of Professional Practice of Journalism, USC Annenberg
• Robin Wolaner, Retired CEO
• Ross Maghielse, Deputy Managing Editor, Innovation & Development, The Philadelphia Inquirer
• Samia Madwar, Senior Editor, The Walrus
• Sarah Wright-Killinger, Executive Director, WebMD
• Scott Peter Smith, Chief Digital Officer, Mail & Guardian
• Shannon Busta, Audience Editor, Opinion, The New York Times
• Sharif Durhams, Managing Editor, Atlanta-Journal Constitution
• Shweta Gulati, Social Video Producer, National Geographic
• Sonali Verma, Consultant
• Stephanie Wilson Chapin, Strategic Partner Lead, News, YouTube Canada
• Stuart Coxe, Executive Producer, Antica Productions
• Suzanne McBride, Dean, Columbia College Chicago / Chicago Sun-Times
• Tahiat Mahboob, Journalist & Producer (Independent), HBO, NBCUniversal, Warner Bros. Discovery
• Tamar Charney, Audio Consultant, formerly with NPR
• Tara Kelly, Data Editor, European Journalism Centre
• Terra Tailleur, Assistant Professor, University of King’s College
• Terry Bertling, Senior Lecturer
• Tina Trinh, Video Producer, Voice of America
• Tonia A Cowan, Graphics Director, The Wall Street Journal
• Troy Thibodeaux, Director of Product and Services, AP
• Valerie Chen, Freelance Multimedia Journalist
• Vicki Haddock, Managing Editor, CalMatters
• Xiaotian Zhang, Executive Producer, The Wall Street Journal
• Zachary Kucharski, Executive Editor, The Cedar Rapids Gazette

Learn more

• Explore all 2024 finalist and use the hashtag #OJA24 on social media to discuss your favorite projects from the past year’s best work.
• Register for 2024 Online News Association Conference to learn, network and celebrate with the leading thinkers and innovators in digital news this Sept 18-21, in Atlanta. The OJAs ceremony and luncheon on Friday, Sept. 20, require a separate ticket—$65 for ONA members and $90 for non-members. Limited hotel rooms are available through Aug. 21 in ONA’s discounted block at the conference venue, the Hyatt Regency Atlanta.
• Subscribe to the ONA Weekly newsletter for updates on ONA programs throughout the year.

Note: Judges were recused from reviewing and discussing entries from their own organizations. For 2024, judges selected overall finalists for the new Excellence in AI Innovation category instead of by newsroom size. No finalists and winners were selected for the category Digital Video Storytelling, Series, Small/Medium Newsroom.