Statesman gets state's top honors for Uvalde coverage, Medicaid probe and more notable reporting
Austin American-Statesman journalists have received some of the state’s highest honors for their groundbreaking coverage of the Uvalde school shooting, an investigation into the state’s broken Medicaid waiver program, and news analysis and storytelling.
Texas Managing Editors announced the honors last weekend in Galveston at its annual conference.
Investigative reporter Tony Plohetski was named Star Reporter of the Year for the second time in three years and also will receive the Texas Headliner Foundation’s Charles Green Star Reporter of the Year Award for his Uvalde law enforcement accountability coverage.
“He rose to the challenge and produced scoop after scoop for the Statesman with gripping stories that provided not just the news, but important context and heart,” judges said. Plohetski “produced work that has influenced the national dialogue over school shootings.”
The Statesman’s Uvalde coverage also was recognized with two additional first-place prizes.
A team of photojournalists composed of Mikala Compton, Sara Diggins, Jay Janner, Aaron E. Martinez and Briana Sanchez received a first-place honor for a series of photographs from Uvalde.
"Sadness, anger, frustration, shock: These photos vividly capture the multitude of emotions that engulfed the town and the nation in the aftermath of a school shooting," judges said.
Plohetski, data reporter Caroline Ghisolfi and chief political reporter Ryan Autullo tied for first place in the Freedom of Information category with a reporting team from The Texas Tribune, The Washington Post and ProPublica that examined the law enforcement failures May 24 at Robb Elementary School.
"An incredible effort, the dogged work of reporters and editors across these newsrooms helped illuminate one of the most horrific events in recent memory and helped the public understand the failings at every level,” judges wrote.
Another top honor went to features writer Kelsey Bradshaw, who received the Michael Brick Award for Storytelling for a piece about early morning regular swimmers at Barton Springs Pool.
"Slow down, this story asks,” judges wrote. “Watch the sun come up, and rejoice in the routine."
Statesman Executive Editor Manny García said the recognition across multiple news departments and the number of rewarded journalists speaks to level of talent at the Statesman.
"The recognition is inspiring," García said. "We have an amazing team of journalists who produced groundbreaking work that exposed sham, government failures and the extraordinary failure by authorities in Uvalde. And the body of work extends to our talented visuals team, column writing, our dogged sports reporters and the creativity of our features staff."
Statesman Metro columnist Bridget Grumet earned second place for Star Opinion Writer of the Year for a body of work that included columns about a homeless man who suffered frostbite amputations after the 2021 winter freeze, a woman who nearly died because of Texas' abortion ban and the financial plight of military families who rely on food banks.
Grumet also earned third place in the general column writing category.
A team of journalists that included Plohetski, Ghisolfi and investigative reporter Nicole Foy received a second-place award in the Star Investigative Report category for their multipart series “Disabled & Abandoned” about neglect and injuries among clients in the state’s Medicaid community-based waiver system.
Additionally, the series, which also highlighted poverty wages paid to caregivers in the program, received a first-place award for team effort that also included photojournalists Sara Diggins and Jay Janner.
"This stunning investigation brings to light the tragic situations largely unknown to the public or lawmakers. It is also a standout for writing and presentation," judges said.
The series also received an honorable mention for community service reporting.
Sports columnist Cedric Golden received an honorable mention in the Celeste Williams Star Sports Reporter of the Year category.
Other Statesman honors included:
A second place to Diggins in news photography and an honorable mention in sports photography.
A third place to Autullo in feature writing for his journey to Costa Rica to chronicle the law enforcement hunt for Kaitlin Armstrong, charged in the murder of famed cyclist Moriah Wilson.
Entertainment editor Eric Webb received a third place for comment and criticism.
The Statesman received a third place in the newsroom of the year category.
An honorable mention went to Sanchez and video producer Nate Chute in video journalism.
This article originally appeared on Austin American-Statesman: Statesman wins honors for Uvalde shooting coverage, Medicaid failures
