Announcement from Executive Editor Sally Buzbee and Managing Editors Matea Gold, Krissah Thompson and Scott Vance:
We are delighted to share that “American Icon,” our ground-breaking series on the role of the AR-15 in American life, has been honored with the prestigious Katharine Graham Award for Courage and Accountability.
The award, given by the White House Correspondents Association, recognizes coverage of critical topics that fit the “human and professional qualities” exemplified by our own legendary late publisher. Drawing on the work of more than 75 Post journalists, “American Icon” revealed with unflinchingly precise reporting and arresting visuals the AR-15’s capacity to kill. It documented how gun manufacturers who were once skeptical that a weapon of war could sell on the domestic market embraced the AR-15 as a financial savior and, through savvy marketing, made it a best-seller. And it explained why a weapon so reviled by many Americans is revered by many others as a tool for self-defense, recreation and an expression of Second Amendment rights.
The judges took note of how two stories — one using 3-D animations to show the impact of AR-15 bullets on the human body and the other using never-before-published photographs from mass shootings — created a new roadmap for covering gun violence. “The Washington Post shows courage, sensitivity and originality in breaking with journalism industry norms to inform and show readers how the AR-15 weapon inflicts horrific damage to the human body,” the judges said. “The Post was transparent about its reporting methodology, and courageous in publishing graphic images of victims of mass shootings, including children, and the aftereffects on survivors and families. It handled the sensitive subject well, with prominent warnings to readers that the images may be disturbing, and conversations with the families of the victims ahead of publication about the paper’s methodology and intentions.”
You can read the full citation here. Please join us in congratulating the team behind this exceptional series.
