The Connecticut Mirror received 18 awards in the Connecticut Society of Professional Journalists’ 2023 state contest, including two of the annual contest’s three major recognitions.
Investigative reporters Dave Altimari and Jenna Carlesso earned the Stephen A. Collins Public Service Award for “Connecticut’s Elder Care Reckoning,” a four-part series focused on the issues in Connecticut’s nursing home and home care industries.
Judges called the series “well-researched and compassionately sourced” and said it “has done the public the great service of addressing the crisis of elder care before it’s too late.”
After the series ran, legislation to reform Connecticut’s elder care sector was introduced in this year’s legislative session and won final passage.
The series also received the National Press Foundation’s 2023 AARP Award for Excellence in Journalism on Aging, a Publick Occurrences award from the New England Newspaper & Press Association and first place for the small newsroom division in the 2023 Awards for Excellence in Health Care Journalism’s health policy category.
CTSPJ also awarded its Theodore Driscoll Award for Investigative Reporting to Altimari, Carlesso and Health Reporter Katy Golvala for “CT hospitals in peril.”
Their reporting outlined the precarious state of three Connecticut hospitals owned by Prospect Medical Holdings, which are in dire financial straits and last summer suffered a cyberattack that prompted Patrick Charmel, president and CEO of Griffin Hospital, to email Gov. Ned Lamont with concerns.
“This series emerged from a deep pool of investigative stories. This series employs a wide range of public records to tell a story of a dysfunctional and problematic health care system,” judges said. “The public records unfold to tell a story with political, sociological and medical implications. The reporters clearly understand the health care landscape and were able to find the right documents and data to uncover a serious and important problem.”
“We are honored to have received the Stephen A. Collins Public Service Award and Theodore Driscoll Award for Investigative Reporting, and that a host of our reporting and photojournalism was recognized by the Connecticut Society of Professional Journalists,” said CT Mirror Executive Editor Elizabeth Hamilton. “Holding government accountable is central to our mission — whether that means reporting on the need for changes in the elder care sector, problems involving a health care system or concerns about voter fraud. And we are proud that our work has helped lead to reforms.
“Congratulations to our staff and to our Connecticut journalism peers.”
The third major award, the First Amendment Award, was given to Hearst Connecticut Media Group reporters Jacqueline Rabe Thomas, Joshua Eaton and Brian Lockhart for “Transparency failures sow distrust in city marred by corruption,” which the judges called a “thorough look at Bridgeport’s long record of flouting FOI requirements.”
The Connecticut Mirror also won awards in the following categories:
Continuing Coverage: First Place, Bridgeport primary election, CT Mirror staff
Diversity Coverage: Second Place, “How CT’s college readiness system leaves students of color behind,” Jessika Harkay; and Third Place, “For people with disabilities in CT, a path toward workplace inclusion,” Erica Phillips
Education: First Place, “A Danbury charter school, approved but unfunded, causes tensions,” Jessika Harkay
Health: Second Place, Rockville Hospital, Katy Golvala and Jenna Carlesso
Government: Second Place, “How a GOP legislative ‘rat’ overrode home rule in a small CT town,” Mark Pazniokas; and Third Place, “Chris Murphy wants America to be less lonely, He thinks government can help,” Lisa Hagen
In-depth: First Place, “The forces that shaped a Hartford toddler’s life — and death,” Ginny Monk
Investigative: First Place, “How the battle for absentee ballots defined the Bridgeport election,” Andrew Brown, José Luis Martinez, Katy Golvala, Dave Altimari
Local Reporting: Second Place, “CT food deserts: In 24 towns, no stores accept food stamps,” José Luis Martínez
Religion: First Place: “Complaints after CT prison halts Muslim prayer services for weeks,” Jaden Edison
Reporting Series: Third Place, “High Water, High Anxiety,” Jan Ellen Spiegel
Feature Photo: Third Place: A father’s grief, and purpose; Shahrzad Rasekh
News Photo: Third Place: Corneliuz’s service; Shahrzad Rasekh
Photo Essay: First Place: “A Diaspora in Focus,” Yehyun Kim, Katy Golvala
Humorous Column: Second Place: “The U.S. Supreme Court and their BBFFS (best billionaire friends forever),” David Holahan