The A-Mark Foundation is proud to support and recognize journalists at every stage of their careers through the A-Mark Prizes for Investigative Reporting, the A-Mark Journalism Master’s Scholarships, the A-Mark College Journalism Scholarships, and the A-Mark Student Journalism Awards.
The stories on this page come directly from our grantees. Through their own words, they share how these programs have supported their education, amplified their reporting, and advanced their journalism careers. Included below are just a selection of the comments we receive.
2025
We received over 75 comments about our programs from the grantees and award recipients in 2025. The stories below are just a sample of those comments that we selected to share. Read our 2025 Impact Report for more details about our programs this year.
“Our investigation prompted immediate outrage from elected officials and more than a dozen bills at the state Capitol this year, including five substantial measures proposing financial relief and consumer protections for long-term care insurance policyholders and prospective buyers. Lawmakers introduced proposals to cap annual rate hikes and provide tax breaks for policyholders.”
– Jenna Carlesso, Connecticut Mirror, Connecticut A-Mark Prize 1st place (2025)
“Our stories led to Gov. Brian Kemp seeking $600 million in additional funding for the Georgia prison system to hire more officers, fix broken locks and deal with other issues. The governor’s request was ultimately approved by the legislature.”
– Danny Robbins, The Atlanta Journal-Constitution, Georgia A-Mark Prize 1st place (2025)
“The company fired the CEO we had been writing about. It put him on leave five days after our initial report. Moreover, our reporting has been meaningful to the people he admitted abusing in the 1980s, when he was a high school teacher, and I know current and former employees are very gratified that pervasive misconduct they witnessed has been addressed, at last.”
– Mike Rogoway, The Oregonian, Oregon A-Mark Prize 1st Place (2025)
“Winning the A-Mark foundation was also deeply impactful for me personally. And I have to say, even though I’m not one who is fueled by financial motivation, the money attached to the prize really made it feel special on a whole other level. It told me that there are still people and organizations out there who understand and appreciate the value of this work, and are willing to invest in it. Knowing the work is valued gave me more motivation to keep pushing journalistically.”
– Adam Stone, The Examiner News, New York A-Mark Prize 2nd place (2025)
“Winning the A-Mark prize was the most exciting and rewarding moment of my professional life thus far. I felt — and still feel — truly honored. It redoubled my commitment to producing quality investigations, knowing that hard work does not go unnoticed. I am so grateful to the A-Mark Foundation for the vote of confidence.”
– Jane Winik Sartwell, Carolina Public Press, North Carolina A-Mark Prize 2nd place (2025)
“In terms of how winning the prize impacted me, it was a great honor that came at a time when I was personally feeling pretty burnt out in this field. There are many reasons why this job is challenging and it often involves more criticism than praise. I didn’t realize just how much I needed to be told that I was doing a good job and that I deserved to be recognized for it.“
– Krista Johnson, The Courier Journal, Kentucky A-Mark Prize 1st place (2025)
“Our editors viewed the A-Mark Prize as further evidence this kind of investigative work is worth doing. We spent months digging through records to report and write this story, while also juggling other responsibilities. The award helps validate the value of that work and encourages continued support of it.”
– Dan Horn, The Cincinnati Enquirer, Ohio A-Mark Prize 2nd place (2025)
“In short, the prize strengthened both our craft and our capacity to produce high-impact investigative work. KARE 11 has long made investigative journalism a core mission. That commitment is industry leading and remains unwavering. But in an era of tightening newsroom budgets, the A-Mark Prize provided tangible reinforcement – helping us sustain innovation, invest in tools, and expand training opportunities that directly enhance our station’s ability to pursue accountability reporting.”
– A.J. Lagoe, KARE-TV, Minnesota A-Mark Prize 1st place (2025)
“We added the $2,500 award for the outlet directly to our investigative reporting fund, which covers project costs like records fees and travel for investigative work.”
– Emilie Munson, Times Union, New York A-Mark Prize 1st place (2025)
“The kind of work we do takes time and resources — sometimes a year or more of reporting and production. That requires trust and investment. Recognition like A-Mark’s, along with the accompanying financial support, helps make the next big investigation possible. It’s both a validation and an incentive to keep pursuing ambitious, difficult stories.”
– Trevor Aaronson, Audible & Western Sound, Florida A-Mark Prize 1st place (2025)
“Your investment creates opportunities for our student journalists to deepen their investigative journalism skills, sharpen their news writing and reporting, produce impactful cross platform news stories, and deepen a love of learning. Ultimately, your gift will reduce students’ financial stress and provide them with an on-ramp to participate in USC’s phenomenal academic and experiential learning programs.”
– Willow Bay, Dean of the University of Southern California Annenberg School for Communication and Journalism
“Scholarships like this are what have made it possible for me to pursue my master’s. This is legitimately life-changing for me because of the opportunities I can now consider that previously were prohibitively expensive for me. With everything going on in the world right now, I believe it’s more important than ever that we have good journalists on the ground, doing the work. I am immensely appreciative of A-Mark and [University of Georgia’s] efforts to support my mission to become one of those journalists.”
– Allison Mawn, A-Mark Journalism Master’s Scholarship recipient (2025-26)
“By investing in MCC’s Journalism program, the A-Mark Foundation directly contributes to the advancement of responsible journalism. As information moves faster and across more platforms than ever before, the need for well-prepared journalists has never been greater.”
– Dr. Richard Daniel, President of Mesa Community College