2015 Journalism Prizes
Watch the Award Ceremony Here
Greg Jaffe: Reporting on the Presidency
Foundation Chairman Red Cavaney presents the Gerald R. Ford Journalism Prize for Distinguished Reporting on the Presidency in 2015 to Greg Jaffe
Greg Jaffe, White House Reporter for The Washington Post, has won the 29th Annual Gerald R. Ford Journalism Prize for Distinguished Reporting on the Presidency. The $5,000 award recognizes journalists whose high standards for accuracy and substance help foster a better public understanding of the Presidency.
The 29th Annual Gerald R. Ford Journalism Prizes for Distinguished Reporting in 2015 will be presented by Red Cavaney, Chairman of the Gerald R. Ford Presidential Foundation, at the Foundation’s Annual Dinner on Monday, June 6, 2016, in Grand Rapids, Michigan.
When announcing their decision to award Greg Jaffe the Gerald R. Ford Journalism Prize for Distinguished Reporting on the Presidency in 2015, the judges issued the following statement:
“During a time of intense divisiveness in Washington, DC, journalists are increasingly challenged to transcend routine partisan back-and-forth in political coverage. But Greg Jaffe of The Washington Post, in his first year as a White House correspondent, repeatedly overcame that divide in his even-handed, analytical coverage of President Obama during his final months in office. Jaffe was able to muster a variety of sources inside and outside the White House, both critical and admiring, to explain the President’s evolving view of the proper role for American intervention in world conflicts. Jaffe also reported and wrote — from a White House that values highly the potentially transformative power of public remarks — notable insider accounts of high-profile Obama speeches, on American exceptionalism and the influence of Christianity in American public affairs. These well-sourced reports gave his readers remarkable insight into the President’s inspiration and unique approach that often disrupted conventional political thinking. In his reporting, Greg Jaffe is comfortable with both policy and politics. He manages to illuminate without burning and to include dissident voices without offense. For this work, Greg Jaffe is the deserving recipient of the Gerald R. Ford Prize for Distinguished Reporting on the Presidency for 2015.”
This year’s winner:
Greg Jaffe has been a reporter for The Washington Post since 2009. He began covering the White House for the Post in 2014. From 2000-2013 Greg covered the Pentagon and the U.S. military for The Wall Street Journal and The Washington Post, travelling regularly to Iraq and Afghanistan. In 2009, he and David Cloud of the Los Angeles Times co-authored “The Fourth Star” about the lives of four Army generals — John Abizaid, George Casey, Peter Chiarelli, and David Petraeus—and the roles they played in the Iraq War.
Jaffe shared a Pulitzer Prize in 2000 for a series on defense spending and won the Gerald R. Ford Prize for Distinguished Reporting on National Defense for coverage in 2002 and 2009. He’s a graduate of Williams College in Williamstown, MA. His first job in journalism was with the Montgomery Advertiser in Montgomery, AL. There he co-authored a series on the questionable fundraising tactics of the Southern Poverty Law Center, the nation’s wealthiest civil rights charity and that was a finalist for the 1994 Pulitzer Prize in Explanatory Journalism. Jaffe grew up in Northern Virginia and lives in Arlington, VA. with his wife and two children.
The Gerald R. Ford Presidential Foundation sponsors the Gerald R. Ford Journalism Prizes for Distinguished Reporting on the Presidency and Distinguished Reporting on National Defense to recognize and encourage thoughtful, insightful, and enterprising work by journalists covering the presidency and national defense. The Foundation is a private, nonprofit, nonpartisan corporation whose programs are supported entirely by contributions and bequests in an effort to honor President Ford’s sustained commitment to public service.
Andrew deGrandpre: Reporting on the National Defense
Foundation Chairman Red Cavaney presents the Gerald R. Ford Journalism Prize for Distinguished Reporting on National Defense in 2015 to Andrew deGrandpre
Andrew deGrandpre, a senior editor with the Military Times network in Washington, DC, has won the 29th Annual Gerald R. Ford Journalism Prize for Distinguished Reporting on National Defense. The $5,000 award recognizes journalists whose high standards for accuracy and substance help foster a better public understanding of National Defense.
The 29th Annual Gerald R. Ford Journalism Prizes for Distinguished reporting in 2015 will be presented by Red Cavaney, Chairman of the Gerald R. Ford Presidential Foundation, at the Foundation’s Annual Dinner on Monday, June 6, 2016, in Grand Rapids, Michigan.
When announcing their decision to award Andrew deGrandpre the Gerald R. Ford Journalism Prize for Distinguished Reporting on National Defense in 2015, the judges issued the following statement:
“In a year of compelling and diverse defense reporting entries, the judges selected Andrew deGrandpre of Military Times as the winner of the Gerald R. Ford Award for Distinguished Reporting on National Defense for reporting in 2015. As we approach the 15th year of the United States military forces engaged in combat in Afghanistan – America’s longest war – this comprehensive series addressed the complicated issues that have emerged in what is known as a grey zone conflict. The investigative stories by Mr. deGrandpre explored the blurred lines between reality, perception, accusation, and missteps in the rush to judgement that characterize military operations today. In the “Task Force Violent” series, the Military Times reporter deftly described the formation and deployment of a new elite Marine Special Forces unit to Afghanistan, and the subsequent “wrongful branding” of these highly trained and dedicated men as suspected war criminals. Although they were cleared of charges that they had inflicted mass civilian casualties when ambushed on a routine patrol, their military careers, and their psychological well-being was forever scarred. Mr. deGrandpre’s investigative research brought to the fore the shortcomings of multiple bureaucratic systems that were intent on assigning immediate guilt in the absence of the full accounting of actual events. This series captivated the reader, and the judges believed it would appeal to any audience, regardless of familiarity with Special Operations Forces. It also captured the lack of clear lines of responsibility and chains of command in this lengthy, multi-dimensional conflict. The issue of crimes against innocent civilians by U.S. military forces had become so politically charged that any accusation was given full credence before the facts were known. Mr. deGrandpre’s dogged reporting offers a balanced account of the myriad factors contributing to the breakdown of the system and provides a vehicle to restore honor to the Marines of Task Force Violent. In the full reporting of this often tense subject, Military Times has documented and examined the complex paradoxes that define our own military times.”
This year winners:
Andrew deGrandpre is a senior editor with the Military Times network in Washington, DC, the largest independent media organization covering the U.S. Armed Forces. He oversees investigations and enterprise storytelling.
DeGrandpre has covered national security issues since 2004, with a focus on the United States Marine Corps. His most recent investigative project, “Task Force Violent: The unforgiven,” is a five-part series examining the U.S. military’s betrayal of an elite special operations unit whose personnel were falsely accused of committing war crimes in Afghanistan. The work was recognized in 2016 with the Gerald R. Ford Presidential Foundation’s Award for Distinguished Reporting on National Defense.
As Marine Corps Times’ managing editor, a post he held from 2009 to 2014, deGrandpre led a months-long investigation into allegations the service’s top general abused his power to ensure several rank-and-file combat troops were punished for defiling enemy corpses. His team’s reporting, which raised troubling questions about the Pentagon’s willingness to thoroughly and objectively investigate a member of the Joint Chiefs of Staff, captured the attention of Congress and numerous mainstream media outlets. Consequently, Marine Corps Times was briefly removed from its sales location at Marine Corps Exchange stores worldwide; an order quickly reversed once the newspaper exposed the move was orchestrated in retaliation for its critical coverage of senior leadership. The effort was recognized in 2015 with the Military Reporters and Editors Association’s James Crawley Award.
Born and raised in Plattsburgh, New York, deGrandpre holds bachelor’s and master’s degrees in journalism, the latter from Northwestern University’s Medill School of Journalism.
The Gerald R. Ford Presidential Foundation sponsors the Gerald R. Ford Journalism Prizes for Distinguished Reporting on the Presidency and Distinguished Reporting on National Defense to recognize and encourage thoughtful, insightful, and enterprising work by journalists covering the presidency and national defense. The Foundation is a private, nonprofit, nonpartisan corporation whose programs are supported entirely by contributions and bequests in an effort to honor President Ford’s sustained commitment to public service.Gregory Korte: Reporting on the Presidency Honorable Mention
Gregory Korte, White House reporter for “USA TODAY” has won an Honorable Mention for the 28th annual Gerald R. Ford Journalism Prize for Distinguished Reporting on the Presidency. The award recognizes journalists whose high standards for accuracy and substance help foster a better public understanding of the Presidency.
The 28th annual Gerald R. Ford Journalism Prizes for distinguished reporting in 2014 were presented by Foundation Chairman Red Cavaney and Foundation Trustee Carla A. Hills at the Foundation’s Annual Dinner on June 1, 2015 at The Capitol Hill Club in Washington, D.C.
When announcing their decision to award Gregory Korte the Honorable Mention Gerald R. Ford Journalism Prize for Distinguished Reporting on the Presidency in 2014, the judges issued the following statement:
“In his first year on the White House beat, Gregory Korte of USA Today made a significant impact. By marshaling overlooked and untapped resources, including databases and websites, Korte generated unique stories that concentrated on administration actions rather than administration words. Following White House claims that the President was using executive orders less frequently than many predecessors, Korte carefully reported that the administration had used a similar, but lesser-known tool, the executive memorandum, more aggressively than any previous president. For his work, Korte has been awarded honorable mention for distinguished reporting on the presidency.”
The Gerald R. Ford Presidential Foundation sponsors the Gerald R. Ford Journalism Prizes for Distinguished Reporting on the Presidency and Distinguished Reporting on National Defense to recognize and encourage thoughtful, insightful, and enterprising work by journalists covering the presidency and national defense. The Foundation is a private, nonprofit, nonpartisan corporation whose programs are supported entirely by contributions and bequests in an effort to honor President Ford’s sustained commitment to public service.
Watch the award presentation and remarks by Andrew deGrandpre here
Reporting on National Defense Honorable Mention
The team of Mike Hixenbaugh “The Virginian-Pilot”, Cynthia McFadden and Anna Schecter “NBC News”, and Jason Paladino “UC Berkeley Investigative Reporting Program” has won an Honorable Mention for the 29th annual Gerald R. Ford Journalism Prize for Distinguished Reporting on National Defense. The award recognizes journalists whose high standards for accuracy and substance help foster a better public understanding of National Defense.
The 29th Annual Gerald R. Ford Journalism Prizes for Distinguished reporting in 2015 will be presented by Red Cavaney, Chairman of the Gerald R. Ford Presidential Foundation, at the Foundation’s Annual Dinner on Monday, June 6, 2016, in Grand Rapids, Michigan.
When announcing their decision to award the Honorable Mention Gerald R. Ford Journalism Prize for Distinguished Reporting on National Defense in 2015, the judges issued the following statement:
“The judges would like to recognize the work of Mike Hixenbaugh of The Virginian Pilot, Cynthia McFadden and Anna Schecter of NBC News and Jason Paladino of the UC Berkeley Investigative Reporting Program for an honorable mention for their investigative series on the Navy’s MH-53E Sea Dragon helicopter, and how the death of a Norfolk-area Navy pilot, who had struggled to fix a known mechanical defect, led to the ultimate grounding of the entire fleet of helicopters. The persistence of Hixenbaugh and his team amplified this local tragedy to a national level, providing the information needed to prompt action by Navy leadership. The series also brought the issues of maintenance and logistics – often overlooked in favor of more glamorous topics such as modernization and operations – to the forefront of the dialogue on national security in terms of human costs, readiness, and acquisition.”
The Reporting Team:
Mike Hixenbaugh is a reporter for The Virginian-Pilot newspaper in Norfolk, Va., home to the largest Navy base in the world. He spent three years covering the military for the newspaper before joining its investigative team in 2016. The University of Akron graduate is a three-time Livingston Awards finalist, and in 2014 was named the best young journalist in Virginia.
Cynthia McFadden is a senior legal and investigative correspondent for NBC New. She was an anchor and correspondent for ABC News and co-anchored Nightline. McFadden has won numerous national and international awards for her work. A native of Maine, McFadden graduated Phi Beta Kappa and summa cum laude from Bowdoin College. She received her law degree from Columbia University.
Anna Schecter is an investigative producer for NBC News. She won two Emmy awards, a Peabody, and a George Polk award for her reporting on rape and sexual assault of Peace Corps volunteers for ABC. The investigation led to a congressional probe and a bill signed into law that mandates much better protection of volunteers. Schecter did her graduate operate at Johns Hopkins College of Sophisticated International Studies campus in Nanjing, China. She received her bachelor’s degree in Mandarin and French at Middlebury University in Vermont.
Jason Paladino is a reporting fellow with the UC Berkeley Investigative Reporting Program, where he’s spending the next year reporting on defense acquistions, including delays and cost-overruns and the sometimes deadly costs of a slow bureaucracy. Paladino graduated from the Berkeley’s Graduate School of Journalism.
The Gerald R. Ford Presidential Foundation sponsors the Gerald R. Ford Journalism Prizes for Distinguished Reporting on the Presidency and Distinguished Reporting on National Defense to recognize and encourage thoughtful, insightful, and enterprising work by journalists covering the presidency and national defense. The Foundation is a private, nonprofit, nonpartisan corporation whose programs are supported entirely by contributions and bequests in an effort to honor President Ford’s sustained commitment to public service.
About the Awards
Each year, the Gerald R. Ford Presidential Foundation awards two distinguished journalism prizes, one for reporting on the Presidency and the other for reporting on National Defense. These prizes, initiated in 1988, recognize reportorial excellence and the fostering of better public understanding of the presidency and national defense.
About the Gerald R. Ford Presidential Foundation
The mission of the Gerald R. Ford Presidential Foundation is to enlarge President Ford’s legacy in a world that desperately needs his example of leadership and service. As author James Cannon wrote, “From its beginning American democracy has had the good fortune to produce a leader, often from an unexpected quarter, whose character and actions fit the tide of history. So it was on August 9, 1974, when this good and honest man, this obscure and stolid workhorse of a Congressman from the heartland of the nation, came to the rescue of the American government. To Gerald Ford was given the responsibility to move America from untruth to truth, from darkness to light.”
Visit the Gerald R. Ford Presidential Foundation: www.geraldrfordfoundation.org.