Mississippi Today’s Isabelle Taft, Kate Royals and Will Stribling won the 2023 Bill Minor Prize for Investigative Reporting, and several of the newsroom’s journalists won other honors during the 2023 Mississippi Press Association awards.
The prizes, awarded annually by the state’s print news association, recognize the best journalism of Mississippi’s newspapers and digital newsrooms. The 2023 prizes were announced at a Saturday luncheon in Biloxi.
Taft, Royals and Stribling won the state’s top 2023 investigative prize for their impactful “Shaky Science, Fractured Families” series that revealed how Dr. Scott Benton, the state’s only board-certified child abuse pediatrician, has broad power and limited oversight to accuse Mississippi parents of child abuse and testify for prosecutors in related cases.
“What a great read about a doctor who may be the only person that can declare that a child has been abused no matter what other officials are saying,” the MPA judges wrote of the investigation. “Wonderful quotes throughout and well thought-out. Outstanding research and the time needed to put this story together.”
Several other Mississippi Today reporters took home 2023 MPA awards. Below is a complete list of the winners and the awards they won:
- Sports News Story, first place: Rick Cleveland for “Rolling Fork tornado rebuild”
- Feature Story, first place: Molly Minta for “In the Mississippi Bible Belt, a family wrestles with raising trans kids in the Mormon church”
- Community Service Award, second place: Mississippi Today for series on state lawmakers’ deliberation of postpartum Medicaid extension
- News Package, second place: Taylor Vance for “Tate Reeves state plane usage”
- Breaking News Reporting, second place: Bobby Harrison and Adam Ganucheau for “White-appointed court system for Blackest city in America”
- Photo Series, third place: Eric J. Shelton for “Ocean Springs resident concerns”
- Sports Feature, third place: Rick Cleveland for “IBC winner”
- Feature Story, third place: Molly Minta for “Issaquena County college degrees”
- Planned Series, honorable mention: Molly Minta for “Turmoil inside a public university’s music department”
- Commentary Column, honorable mention: Adam Ganucheau
- Feature Photo, honorable mention: Eric J. Shelton for “The Dotsons’ dangerous water”
- News Package, honorable mention: Adam Ganucheau for “Bob Hickingbottom”
In addition to the MPA annual awards, the association inducted Mississippi Today sports columnist Rick Cleveland into its Hall of Fame in a Friday evening program.
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