For most newsrooms, housing insecurity isn’t usually the most popular topic to read about online. But Charlottesville Tomorrow’s coverage of people struggling to find shelter was among our most read reporting in the last year.
Our readers appreciated the quality of the work and the way we represented those most impacted. We’re proud to announce that the Society of Professional Journalists Washington D.C. chapter also celebrated this impactful journalism.
Reporter Erin O’Hare and managing editor Jessie Higgins won in the 2024 Dateline Awards online breaking news category for their entry, “A tent community rises, as does understanding about housing insecurity.”
The contest was open to print, digital, and broadcast journalists in Washington, D.C., Northern Virginia and Maryland, and winners were announced June 11 at the National Press Club in Washington, D.C. Other winners included entries from The Washington Post, The Washington Blade, Washington City Paper and Street Sense Media.
Charlottesville Tomorrow’s winning coverage included a newsletter centered on the people who camped at Charlottesville’s Market Street park last fall; an in-depth story about a shuttered shelter that could have helped hundreds get off the streets and into housing; and reports on city policy decisions that will shape how Charlottesville addresses the related issues of housing insecurity and homelessness in the future.
Reporter Tamica Jean-Charles was also a finalist in the online features category, for a story about the complex legacy of a former local teacher and the school named for her.
Higgins, editor-in-chief Angilee Shah and Ashley Harper were finalists in the all divisions/blog category for their work on our 2023 Voter Guide.
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We’re thrilled to receive these honors from our colleagues in news. Still, the most important thing about what we do is how it impacts you. If you too think Charlottesville Tomorrow’s journalism helps our communities thrive, we’d be honored if you’d tell a friend to subscribe to our free email newsletters. Share this link!
