Awards by Year

2012 Casey Medals

An investigation of violence-plagued public schools. A memorable narrative about an autistic young adult achieving independence. A shocking account of unprosecuted rapes on a Native American reservation. An intensive 360-degree examination of a city’s infant mortality crisis. Fresh and personal stories by youth who are undocumented, coming out as LGBT, or dealing with multiple mental health diagnoses. A series of columns about a surprising epidemic of childhood hunger. A photographic essay documenting the journey to recovery of a 9-year-old boy blinded by a stray bullet. 

These are the journalistic efforts that rose to the top in the 2012 competition for Casey Medals for Meritorious Journalism.

 

2011 Casey Medals

 From “Caught in the Crossfire,” Barbara Davidson’s heart-rending photos in the Los Angeles Times of those touched by gangland shootings; to the inevitable consequences of a nation rocked by recession in “Invisible Families” by The Seattle Times; to the exacting reporting and eye-opening findings of Patricia Wen’s “The Other Welfare” for The Boston Globe, the winners make the unseen visible, motivate action and uphold the high standards the Casey Medals set for exemplary journalism on the dilemmas of children and families.

2010 Casey Medals

The Dallas Morning News’ glimpse into the plight of two new parents facing an unimaginable decision, KING 5 Television’s unraveling of a family’s two-year fight against a state’s error and WBEZ-FM/Chicago Public Radio’s comprehensive look at the dropout crisis are among the winners of the 2010 Casey Medals for Meritorious Journalism. The medals are presented by the Journalism Center on Children & Families and funded by The Annie E. Casey Foundation.

2009 Casey Medals

The Boston Globe’s examination of a state’s failure to save a young girl from a life of neglect; KOLR-TV’s (Springfield, Mo.) remarkable three-year journey to tell the story of one young man trapped in a nursing home for the elderly; and the Akron Beacon Journal’s series on the economic story of our time are among the winners of the 2009 Casey Medals for Meritorious Journalism. The medals are presented by the Journalism Center on Children & Families and funded by The Annie E. Casey Foundation.

2008 Casey Medals

The Chicago Tribune's expansive investigation of child product safety, The Dallas Morning News's iconic photographs of people living at the margins of society and 20/20's compelling portrait of families looking for a better life in Camden, N.J., were among the winners of the 2008 Casey Medals for Meritorious Journalism. The medals are presented by the Journalism Center on Children & Families and funded by the center's primary funder, The Annie E. Casey Foundation.

Other news organizations taking top honors in the 14th annual contest included the Sarasota Herald-Tribune, Newsday, Houston's KHOU-TV, Seattle Post-Intelligencer, American RadioWorks, The Nation, The Oregonian and St. Petersburg Times. The Washington Post and Durham's Independent Weekly each won their second consecutive Casey Medal. More than 500 journalists entered this year's contest.

2007 Casey Medals

The Philadelphia Inquirer's thorough documentation of a city agency's neglect of children it was charged with protecting, Dateline NBC’s compelling profile of a first-year teacher, and The Washington Post's creative use of multimedia to enrich racial dialogue were among the winning entries in the 2007 Casey Medals for Meritorious Journalism.

Other news organizations taking top honors in the 13th annual contest were Los Angeles Times/West Magazine, The Seattle Times, MSNBC, Chicago Public Radio, The Sacramento Bee, The Roanoke Times, the Belleville (Ill.) News-Democrat, The Hartford Courant, KRIV-TV/Houston, Anchorage Daily News, San Francisco Chronicle and The Independent Weekly in Durham, N.C.

2006 Casey Medals

The Rocky Mountain News’s penetrating examination of dropouts; Mother Jones’ thorough investigation of the overmedication of children in state-run institutions; the Kindling Group’s longform portrait of a woman assisting pregnant teens; and The Commercial Appeals’ revealing stories and photographs about Memphis’ hidden crisis in infant deaths were among the winning stories in the 2006 Casey Medals for Meritorious Journalism contest

2005 Casey Medals

The Wall Street Journal's rich portrait of elderly parents struggling to care for their developmentally disabled children; the San Francisco Chronicle's moving photographs of an Iraqi boy's lengthy treatment at a California hospital for critical wounds suffered in the Iraq war; the Chicago Tribune's portfolio of incisive editorials about various child, family and education issues; and a disturbing report on NPR about foster children in New Jersey were among the winning stories in the 2005 Casey Medals for Meritorious Journalism contest.       

2004 Casey Medals

The Boston Globe’s wrenching profile of a mother who gave up her two sons for adoption; The Oregonian’s incisive look at how massive cuts in mental health services led to the suicide of a 22-year-old woman with schizophrenia; the Los Angeles Times’ stunning photographs of the journey taken by a Honduran boy who slipped into the United States in search of his mother; and an evocative MSNBC documentary about four homeless families were among the winning stories in the 2004 Casey Medals for Meritorious Journalism contest.

2002 Casey Medals

Stories of obese children, the treatment of mentally ill teens and an Internet package on teens who “age out” of foster care were among the top winners of the 2002 Casey Medals for Meritorious Journalism. The awards, first presented by the Casey Journalism Center on Children and Families in 1994, recognize distinguished coverage of children and families in the United States. This year’s contest attracted more than 200 entries.

2001 Casey Medals

Investigations of domestic abuse protection orders in Pennsylvania and dental care for poor children in Alabama, and a profile of families without health insurance were among the top stories honored in the 2001 Casey Medals for Meritorious Journalism. The awards, first presented by the Casey Journalism Center on Children and Families in 1994, recognize distinguished coverage of children and families in the United States. Top honors in the print categories went to: the Detroit Free Press, the Chicago Tribune, The (Cleveland) Plain Dealer, the Mobile (Ala.) Register, the York (Pa.) Daily Record and The Chicago Reporter. Top broadcast honors were awarded to: Dateline NBC, PBS Frontline/Oregon Public Broadcasting, KHOU-TV/Houston and Radio Diaries/National Public Radio.

2000 Casey Medals

New York's Newsday, ABC’s “Nightline,” the Portland Press Herald/Maine Sunday-Telegram and The Hartford Courant were among the top winners of the 2000 Casey Medals for Meritorious Journalism. The awards, which were first presented by the Casey Journalism Center in 1994, honor distinguished coverage of disadvantaged children and families in the United States.

 

1999 Casey Medals

An Orange County Register story on children who live in decaying residential motels scattered throughout one of the richest counties in America was awarded first place in the large circulation newspaper category of the 1999 Casey Medals for Meritorious Journalism, which honor distinguished coverage of disadvantaged children and their families. The Register also took first place in photojournalism for the story of “Motel Children.”

Six other first-place awards were made in print and broadcast categories to journalists from The Anchorage Daily News, The Fairbanks Daily News-Miner, The Journal News (White Plains, N.Y.), Denver Westword, KPNX-TV (Phoenix) and Lichtenstein Creative Media.
 

1998 Casey Medals

A Washington Post series on the human consequences of welfare reform and an Arkansas Democrat-Gazette investigation of the state’s juvenile justice system tied for first place in the large circulation newspaper category of the 1998 Casey Medals for Meritorious Journalism, which honor distinguished coverage of disadvantaged children and their families.

Seven other first-place awards were made in print and broadcast categories to journalists from The San Jose Mercury News, The Oakland Tribune, The Pittsburgh Post-Gazette, The Stuart News/Port St. Lucie News (Stuart, Fla.), New Times Los Angeles, Nomadic Pictures and KTVU Channel 2 News (Oakland, Ca.).
 

1997 Casey Medals

The Milwaukee Journal Sentinel's comprehensive look at Wisconsin's welfare-to-work program and The New Yorker's clear-eyed portrait of a family struggling to survive just above the poverty line are among the winners of the 1997 Casey Medal Awards for Meritorious Journalism. The medals are presented by the Journalism Center on Children & Families and funded by the Annie E. Casey Foundation.   

1996 Casey Medals
1995 Casey Medals
1994 Casey Medals