Student Journalism Awards
AAPI Excellence: Did they send us here to die?
Kiran Misra | Pulitzer Center
ABOUT THE PROJECT: Through snapshots of women whose lives were suddenly uprooted when they were evicted from their homes, Kiran Misra examines New Delhi’s resettlement policy, devised in the name of urban development. Misra weaves together narrative details with thorough policy explanations that highlight the cultural significance and societal impact of the program.
JUDGES’ REMARKS: Compassionately reported and great use of details to advance the central premise of the story. The author is culturally attuned to the nuances of the society featured in the story. Misra clearly spent quality time with her subjects and was a keen observer. Great mix of anecdotes and data with a compelling lead.
Kiran Misra is a freelance journalist currently reporting as the Pulitzer Center on Crisis Reporting and the Chicago Council on Global Affairs' inaugural Richard C. Longworth Media Fellow
She reports on the mechanisms behind systems of political power and the people who are most impacted by them and primarily covers criminal justice, politics, and the South Asian diaspora.
She also serves as a Partnerships Officer for the United Nations World Food Programme.
Previously, Kiran was a David L. Boren Fellow and Pulitzer Center International Crisis Reporting Fellow in India. She holds a Masters of Public Policy with Honors from the University of Chicago Harris School of Public Policy and a Bachelors of Public Policy with Honors from the University of Chicago.
General Excellence: Young, small, but mighty
Jack Harris | Los Angeles Times
ABOUT THIS PROJECT: This feature piece captures the massive charm of its little subject: 10-year-old competitive skateboarder and Olympic-hopeful Sky Brown. Jack Harris breaks down the workings of the skating world to readers who might not be as familiar, while keeping Sky and her unique journey at the center of it all.
JUDGES’ REMARKS: A shining example of how to approach a feature, from setting the scene in the opener, great quotes and colorful details. Just the right length, too. Compelling story on a unique character. Even if the audience is not familiar with this world, the details take them there.
Jack Harris is a recent graduate of the Walter Cronkite School of Journalism and Mass Communication at Arizona State University who now works for the Los Angeles Times as a staff writer in the sports department.
A Phoenix native, his work has previously appeared in the Dallas Morning News, San Jose Mercury News and Arizona Republic, and has been honored by the LA Press Club, the Society of Professional Journalists and the Hearst Foundation.