The Online News Association (ONA) is proud to announce the finalists in the 2025 Online Journalism Awards (OJAs), the premier global prizes that have set the bar for excellence and innovation in digital journalism since 2000.
Each year, the awards remind us just how powerful journalism can be. From Blue Ridge Public Radio’s coverage of Hurricane Helene to a global investigation of the tobacco industry by The Examination and its partners, they reflect journalism’s highest calling—to illuminate, to hold power to account and to serve democracy.
Volunteer screeners and judges representing a diverse cross-section of the industry reviewed and selected the finalist projects from over 1,200 entries representing 92 countries. In the General Excellence category, the finalist organizations across four newsroom sizes include Bellingcat, The Boston Globe, Cal Matters, Center for Investigative Reporting, Civil Eats, Documented, The Investigative Journalism Foundation, Minnesota Star Tribute, ProPublica, The Pudding, Spotlight PA, The Texas Tribune and The Washington Post.
Four awards come with a total of $45,000 in prize money, courtesy of The University of Florida College of Journalism and Communications, the University of Oregon School of Journalism and Communication’s Agora Journalism Center, John S. and James L. Knight Foundation and SmartNews. These awards honor science reporting, community-centered journalism, investigative data journalism, service journalism, climate change reporting and general excellence.
Winners in 17 of the 24 categories of the 2025 OJAs will be announced Thursday, Aug. 28, 2:30 p.m. EDT, during a virtual awards event co-hosted by ONA board member Imaeyen Ibanga and Executive Director/CEO Niketa Patel.
- Breaking News
- Digital Video Storytelling
- Excellence in Audio Digital Storytelling
- Excellence in Collaboration and Partnerships
- Excellence in Newsletters
- Excellence in Science Reporting
- Excellence in Social Justice Reporting
- Excellence in Sports Reporting
- Excellence in Technology Reporting
- Excellence in Visual Digital Storytelling
- Explanatory Reporting
- Feature
- Innovation in Revenue Strategy
- Online Commentary
- Student Journalism Award
- The Al Neuharth Innovation in Investigative Journalism Award
- Topical Reporting: Race, Ethnicity, Gender and Identity
RSVP for the 2025 virtual winners announcement event
Winners in the remaining set of categories will be announced Friday, Sept. 12, in New Orleans at the Online Journalism Awards Ceremony and Luncheon, a special event during the 2025 Online News Association Conference (ONA25).
- Topical Reporting: Climate Change
- Excellence in AI Innovation
- Excellence in Social Media Engagement
- The University of Florida Award in Investigative Data Journalism
- Knight Award for Public Service
- Gather Award in Community-Centered Journalism
- General Excellence in Online Journalism
The ceremony will also celebrate the 2025 recipients of four individual honors: Impact Award, Rich Jaroslovsky Founder Award, ONA Community Award and James Foley Award for Conflict Reporting.
Tickets to the ceremony and luncheon are available through the ONA25 registration portal, either as an add-on to a conference pass or as a standalone purchase.
Bundle a ticket to the OJAs with ONA25 registration
Full list of 2025 finalists
The honorees in the 2025 OJAs represent some of the most ambitious, courageous and impactful work in the field. Explore the finalist projects.
General Excellence in Online Journalism, Large Newsroom
- Boston Globe
- Minnesota Star Tribune
- The Washington Post
General Excellence in Online Journalism, Medium Newsroom
- CalMatters
- Center for Investigative Reporting
- ProPublica
- The Texas Tribune
General Excellence in Online Journalism, Small Newsroom
General Excellence in Online Journalism, Micro Newsroom
- Civil Eats
- Documented
- The Investigative Journalism Foundation
- The Pudding
Breaking News, Large Newsroom
- How the Assassination Attempt on Donald Trump Unfolded, The Wall Street Journal
- Pops, screams and then blood: On the scene at the Trump rally shooting, The Washington Post
- The Fall of Assad, Al Jazeera Media Network
- Trump Shooting, The New York Times
Breaking News, Small/Medium Newsroom
- Fatal plane crash leaves Northeast Philadelphia community shaken, The Philadelphia Inquirer
- Hell or High Water: BPR Coverage of Hurricane Helene, Blue Ridge Public Radio
Digital Video Storytelling, Long Form, Large Newsroom
- Del Rio, Texas: How a race for sheriff became a referendum on immigration, ProPublica, The Texas Tribune
- The Rise and Fall of Terrorgram, FRONTLINE (PBS), ProPublica
Digital Video Storytelling, Long Form, Small/Medium Newsroom
- Fast fashion giant Inditex wants to be sustainable. But is it?, Context from the Thomson Reuters Foundation
- One Year Since Israel Killed Hind Rajab. Why Has the US Ignored the Murder of a 6-Year-Old Child?, Zeteo
Digital Video Storytelling, Series, Large Newsroom
- Start Here, Al Jazeera Media Network
- The New Immigration, ProPublica, The Texas Tribune
- ZIP Codes with Imaeyen, AJ+, Al Jazeera Media Network
Digital Video Storytelling, Series, Small/Medium Newsroom
- Behind the Counter, STAT
- Dare to Ukraine, The Kyiv Independent
- Gig workers rising, Context, from the Thomson Reuters Foundation, Rest of the World
- Point of No Return – Season 2 TV3/3Cat
Digital Video Storytelling, Short Form, Large Newsroom
- India’s Harrowing World of Human Egg Brokers, Bloomberg News
Digital Video Storytelling, Short Form, Small/Medium Newsroom
- No finalists and winners were selected in this category.
Digital Video Storytelling, Social Media, Large Newsroom
- Elon Musk Doge: Two short vertical videos on the errors we uncovered, The New York Times
- View From Above, Business Insider
- What Happens When Undersea Internet Cables Snap?, The New York Times
Digital Video Storytelling, Social Media, Small/Medium Newsroom
- Criminal Justice 101, The Marshall Project
- Making Foreign Policy Accessible: Experts on Video for a Digital Audience, Council on Foreign Relations
- The Evolution of U.S. Executions, The Marshall Project
Excellence in AI Innovation, Large Newsroom
- From iPhone Reviews to JFK: WSJ’s AI Tools Enhance Journalism, The Wall Street Journal
- Rethoric unpacking, law navigation and Olympic coverage: AI doing the heavy lifting (with journalists still in control), LA NACION
Excellence in AI Innovation, Medium Newsroom
- AI Innovation, San Francisco Chronicle
- Using AI to reveal illegal narco-trafficking airstrips deep in the Amazon, Mongabay
Excellence in AI Innovation, Small Newsroom
- ChatMigrante: an AI powered tool that supports migrants with accurate, personalized guidance through their migratory process, Factchequeado
- The Pudding
Excellence in Audio Digital Storytelling, Daily/Weekly News
- At the McGill encampment: Calls to divest from Israel, CBC News: Front Burner
- The Bay, KQED
Excellence in Audio Digital Storytelling, Limited Series
- 40 Acres and a Lie, Mother Jones, Reveal, Center for Public Integrity, PRX
- Cruzando Líneas – Crossing Lines, Season 2, Conecta Arizona
- Levittown: How Deepfake Porn Moved Faster Than the Law, Bloomberg, Kaleidoscope, iHeart Podcasts
- NPR’s Embedded: Supermajority, NPR, Nashville Public Radio (WPLN)
Excellence in Audio Digital Storytelling, Ongoing Series
- An Arm and a Leg, Public Road Productions, KFF Health News
Excellence in Audio Digital Storytelling, Use of Audio Storytelling
- Special investigation: He went by ‘Champagne’ on Rikers Island. Here’s what 24 women allege he did, WNYC, Gothamist
Excellence in Collaboration and Partnerships
- Addicting Emerging Markets: Investigating the Tobacco Industry’s Shift to the Global South, The Examination, Salud con lupa, La Bot, Initium Media, Organized Crime and Corruption Reporting Project, New Arab
- Gaza Project, Forbidden Stories and its partners including: AFP, ARIJ, Bellingcat, Der Spiegel, Der Standard, Die Zeit, FakeReporter, France 24, Le Monde, +972 Magazine, Paper Trail Media, Radio France Internationale, Tamedia, The Guardian, The Local Call, The Seventh Eye/Shakuf, ZDF
- Death and Deterrence in the Rio Grande, Lighthouse Reports
- Unsolved, St. Louis Public Radio, APM Reports, The Marshall Project
Excellence in Newsletters, Portfolio
- Boston Globe Opinion Newsletters
- Los Angeles Times
- MIT Technology Review
Excellence in Newsletters, Single Newsletter
- Building Your Block, Southern California Public Radio, LAist
- My Group Chat, NJ Advance Media
- The Logoff, Vox
- The Wild, Los Angeles Times
Excellence in Science Reporting, Large Newsroom
- A Hidden Paradise Under Threat, Associated Press
- Oil companies leak toxic gas across Texas — making local residents sick, The Examination, Houston Chronicle
- The Vanishing Islands That Failed to Vanish, The New York Times
Excellence in Science Reporting, Small/Medium Newsroom
- Guardians of the Deep, Honolulu Civil Beat
- Selling a Mirage: The Delusion of “Advanced” Plastic Recycling, ProPublica
- Unreasonable Risk, ProPublica
Excellence in Social Justice Reporting, Single Story
- Abandoned at Sea, The Associated Press
- American Dreamers: Self-Deporting From the U.S., The Recount
- Sold for Sex, The Oregonian / OregonLive
- “You’re Here Because of Your Tattoos,” Center for Investigative Reporting
Excellence in Social Justice Reporting, Portfolio
- Breaking the Nets, The Wire
- Savior Complex, InvestigateWest
- Swept Away: When Cities Take Belongings From Vulnerable Residents, ProPublica
- The Brutality of Sugar, The New York Times
Excellence in Social Media Engagement, Large Newsroom
- Dealing the Dead, NBC News
- Instant Olympic Recaps: Little Swimmers and Runners in Paris, The New York Times
- WP Universe, The Washington Post
Excellence in Social Media Engagement, Medium Newsroom
- CalMatters Voter Guide on TikTok, CalMatters
- New Dino Alert!, National Geographic
- Perils of Hospital Drug Tests During Pregnancies, The Marshall Project
- The Baltimore Banner
Excellence in Social Media Engagement, Small Newsroom
- Bringing critical information to immigrants during an emergency, Borderless Magazine
- Capital B’s Instagram
- Hell or High Water: BPR’s Hurricane Helene Coverage, Blue Ridge Public Radio
- Mississippi Today TikTok
Excellence in Sports Reporting, Large Newsroom
- Paris Olympics, The New York Times
Excellence in Sports Reporting, Small/Medium Newsroom
- Misfire: Divided over deer season, LehighValleyLive.com
Excellence in Technology Reporting, Large Newsroom
- Arrested by AI, The Washington Post
- The Hidden Power Costs of AI, Bloomberg
Excellence in Technology Reporting, Medium Newsroom
- Zero Trust: Inside Microsoft’s Cybersecurity Failures, ProPublica
Excellence in Technology Reporting, Small Newsroom
- Ehtesab in Afghanistan: an app’s struggle to survive under the Taliban Recorded, Future News
- Kept in the Dark, The 74
- The Cost of Convenience, Philippine Center for Investigative Journalism, PumaPodcast, Commoner, Pulitzer Center
Excellence in Visual Digital Storytelling, Large Newsroom
- A Hidden Paradise Under Threat, The Associated Press
- How social media set the stage for right-wing political victories, Bloomberg News
- Hurricane Helene, The Washington Post
- Israeli tactics in Gaza and their human toll, The Washington Post
Excellence in Visual Digital Storytelling, Medium Newsroom
- Goons, azcentral.com/The Arizona Republic
- How to Watch a Baby, The Verge
- INSIDE DANIEL PERRY’S PHONE: The digital trail that led to a murder conviction and an extraordinary pardon, Houston Chronicle
Excellence in Visual Digital Storytelling, Small Newsroom
- Breaking the Nets, The Wire
- Shot From Above: The Dangerous Work of Drone Journalists in Gaza Bellingcat
- The Pudding
Explanatory Reporting, Large Newsroom
- House Poor, The Globe and Mail
- How the L.A. Fires Became So Devastating, The New York Times
- The New Immigration: How Recent Arrivals at the Border Have Changed the Country and Its Politics, ProPublica, The Texas Tribune
- Trade War Coverage, The Globe and Mail
Explanatory Reporting, Medium Newsroom
- America’s Mental Barrier: How Insurers Interfere With Mental Health Care, ProPublica
- Burned: A San Francisco Chronicle investigation of the underinsurance crisis now devastating wildfire survivors, San Francisco Chronicle
- Chases Unchecked: How state patrol pursuits make Georgia’s roads less safe, The Atlanta Journal-Constitution
- Toll Trap, The Dallas Morning News
Explanatory Reporting, Small Newsroom
- Saya de Malha: Robbing a Bank When No One’s Looking, The Outlaw Ocean Project
- The Bruen Era, The Trace
Feature, Large Newsroom
- How a largely debunked diagnosis keeps innocent parents in prison — and lives on in the courts today under a new name, tearing children apart from their families, ProPublica, The New York Times Magazine
- Unsafe Online, Bloomberg Businessweek
- Who is government?, The Washington Post
Feature, Medium Newsroom
- “Eat What You Kill,” ProPublica
- Inside Elon Musk’s ‘Digital Coup,’ WIRED
- L.A. Wildfires, Southern California News Group
- Lessons From a Mass Shooter’s Mother, Mother Jones
Feature, Small Newsroom
- Cold-Blooded, The Tributary
- Eroding Indigenous Sovereignty: How climate change complicates the fight for Tribal Nations to prove who they are, The Margin
- “Fifty Years After Boston’s ‘Busing Crisis'” – A Multimedia Editorial Series, The Emancipator
- They Were No. 1. The Ichiban Records Story, Atlanta History Center
Gather Award in Community-Centered Journalism, Overall Excellence, Community-Based & Rural Focus
- Informed, Included, Empowered: Spanish-Language Guides for Civic and Community Action, Enlace Latino NC
- How Chinese Americans in San Francisco Are Demanding a Seat at the Table, San Francisco Public Press
- The Georgia Public Service Commission, Grist, WABE
Gather Award in Community-Centered Journalism, Overall Excellence, Urban & National Focus
- America’s Mental Barrier: How Insurers Interfere With Mental Health Care ProPublica
- Crowdsourcing Rideshare Driver Lockouts, Bloomberg News
- MadLib Journalism to Shed Light on How Excessive Summer Heat Was Experienced in U.S. Prisons, Prison Journalism Project
- The Chicago School Board Voter Guide, WBEZ Chicago, The Chicago Sun-Times, Chalkbeat Chicago
Innovation in Revenue Strategy, Large Newsroom
- Boston Globe Media Tentpole Events
Innovation in Revenue Strategy, Medium Newsroom
- Building a sustainable media business during war, The Kyiv Independent
Innovation in Revenue Strategy, Small Newsroom
- El Tímpano’s Civic Partnerships Strategy, El Tímpano
- Silicon Prairie Startup Week, Nebraska Journalism Trust, Silicon Prairie News
Knight Award for Public Service
- Baltimore’s Overdose Crisis, The Baltimore Banner, The New York Times
- Dealing the Dead, NBC News, Noticias Telemundo
- Hell or High Water: BPR Coverage of Hurricane Helene, Blue Ridge Public Radio
- Poisoned pipes and painted walls: Oakland’s pervasive lead problem, El Timpano
Online Commentary, Package of Columns
- At The Brink, The New York Times
- Department of Government Efficiency’s (DOGE) rampage through the US federal government, WIRED
- Grievance Games, The Washington Post
Online Commentary, Personal Narrative
- Endometriosis Ravaged My Body and Life. Why Did It Take So Long to Get a Diagnosis, Houston Landing
- Silence in Sikeston: No One Wants To Talk About Racial Trauma. Why My Family Broke Our Silence, KFF Health News, GBH’s WORLD, Retro Report
Student Journalism Award
- Elaine Massacre of 1919, University of Memphis, Institute for Public Service Reporting, WKNO-FM
- Waste Land, University of Missouri School of Journalism
The Al Neuharth Innovation in Investigative Journalism Award, Large Newsroom
- Abused by the Badge, The Washington Post
- Crowdsourcing Rideshare Driver Lockouts, Bloomberg News
- Fentanyl Express, Reuters
- Scam Empire, AmaBhungane Centre for Investigative Journalism, Amphora Media, Berlingske, Bird, CBC/Radio-Canada, CIReN, Context.ro, Delfi, Der Spiegel, Der Standard, Follow The Money, Infolibre, Investico, IRPIMedia, iFact, Le Monde, OCCRP, Paper Trail Media, Qurium, Radio Free Europe/Radio Liberty Ukrainian Service, Re:Baltica, Reporter.lu, Siena.It, SVT, Studio Monitori, De Tijd, The Guardian, Times of Malta, The Governance Monitoring Center, VG, YLE, ZDF
The Al Neuharth Innovation in Investigative Journalism Award, Medium Newsroom
- Failed to Death: A Chronicle Investigation, San Francisco Chronicle
- Misplaced Trust, Grist, High Country News
- Right to Remain Secret, San Francisco Chronicle
- Swept Away: When Cities Take Belongings From Vulnerable Residents, ProPublica
The Al Neuharth Innovation in Investigative Journalism Award, Small Newsroom
- CTA in Crisis, Block Club Chicago
- For the Child, Spotlight PA, Resolve Philly
- Open-Source Extremist Identifications, The Texas Observer, Bellingcat
- Unwelcome to America, The 74
Topical Reporting: Climate Change, Large Newsroom
- Weathered: Inside the LA Firestorm, PBS Digital Studios
Topical Reporting: Climate Change, Medium
- A $60 Billion-a-Year Climate Solution Is Sitting in Our Junk Drawers, Mother Jones
- Forest Feud: Washington’s fight over the old growth of tomorrow, The Seattle Times
Topical Reporting: Climate Change, Small Newsroom
- Dust Money, New Lines Magazine
- The health of the Negro River, Ambiental Media
Topical Reporting: Race, Ethnicity, Gender and Identity, Large Newsroom
- Indian Boarding Schools, The Washington Post
- The Green Book in New England, The Boston Globe
Topical Reporting: Race, Ethnicity, Gender and Identity, Medium Newsroom
- Embedded Bias, STAT
- I spent a week with Black Republicans, Mother Jones
- The Many Dangers Facing Transgender People in Prison, The Marshall Project
Topical Reporting: Race, Ethnicity, Gender and Identity, Small Newsroom
- Breaking the Nets, The Wire
- Bury me Whole, The Stoop
- Roots and Realities Series, The Trace
University of Florida Award in Investigative Data Journalism, Large Newsroom
- ‘Chaos’ In America’s Organ Transplant System, The New York Times
- Indian Boarding Schools, The Washington Post
- Visa Games, Bloomberg News
University of Florida Award in Investigative Data Journalism, Small/Medium Newsroom
- Chases Unchecked: How state patrol pursuits make Georgia’s roads less safe, The Atlanta Journal-Constitution
- Inside the Lakewood Church Shooting: The Lakewood Church shooter had encounters with more than 50 officers. Nobody stopped her, Houston Chronicle
- Life of the Mother, ProPublica
- Wasting Away, Tampa Bay Times, Pulitzer Center
Note: Judges were recused from reviewing and discussing entries from their own organizations. No finalists and winners were selected for the category Digital Video Storytelling, Short Form, Small/Medium Newsroom.
Thank you, judges
Judges for the OJAs are senior-level journalism professionals. They review semi-finalist submissions, as determined by screeners, and convene for live deliberation to determine the finalists and winners. Many judges have served as screeners in past years to build a clear understanding of the review process and the distinctions that make a journalism project OJA-worthy. Learn more about volunteering with the OJAs.
The judging panels for the 2025 awards included:
- Laura Amico, Independent
- Alison Bethel, State Affairs
- Aditi Bhandari, Financial Times
- Kim Bode, Newspack (at Automattic)
- Patrick Boehler, Gazzetta
- Michelle Brister, The Telegraph
- Benjamin Brock Johnson, WBUR
- Shannon Busta, The New York Times
- Shira Center, Boston Globe Media
- Caiwei Chen, MIT Technology Review
- Eve Chen, Gannett
- Jason Chiu, The New York Times
- Lindsay Claiborn, Self
- Chris Coates, Lee Enterprises
- Flor Coelho, LA NACION
- Daniel Cooney, PBS NewsHour
- Stuart Coxe, Antica Productions
- Shirsho Dasgupta, Miami Herald
- Ariane Datil, The Philadelphia Inquirer
- Sherrie De Leon, NBC Universal
- Dwayne Desaulniers, Reuters
- Bethany Erickson. D Magazine
- Kara Estelle-Powers, Science Magazine
- Marissa Evans, The Investigative Project on Race and Equity
- Giovana Fleck, Global Voices
- Meena Ganesan, Vanity Fair
- Juan Graña, Bloomberg
- Megan Griffith-Greene, The Poynter Institute
- Adam Griffiths, SpaceNews
- Eba Hamid-Rivera, Civic News Company (Chalkbeat and Votebeat)
- Laura Hertzfeld, Self
- Ashley Hoffman, Dow Jones/Wall Street Journal
- Lee Horton, The Maine Trust for Local News
- Sirui Hua, NowThis Media
- Jonathan Kealing, Institute for Nonprofit News,
- Jonah Kessel, The New York Times
- Aaqib Khan, NDTV
- Scott Klein, Newspack
- Zack Kucharski, The Gazette, Cedar Rapids IA
- Sonali Kudva, Methodist University
- Travis Lazarczyk, The Portland Press Herald
- Pei-Yu Lin, The Kitsap Sun, part of the USA Today Network
- Yangli Liu, Seelove Technology
- Yuqing Liu, Minnesota Star Tribune
- Sandra Lopez-Monsalve, PRX
- Ross Maghielse, The Philadelphia Inquirer
- Tahiat Mahboob, TVO, CBC/Radio-Canada, CTV News, Global News, NBCUniversal, Warner Brothers Discovery, HBO
- Nikita Mandhani, Freelance
- Imelda Mejia, Texas Freedom Network
- Eleanor Miller, Hearst Newspapers
- Kasia Mychajlowycz, Globe and Mail
- Liz Kelly Nelson, Project C
- Kay Neufeld, Portland Press Herald/Maine Trust for Local News
- Amy Nordrum, MIT Technology Review
- Gaby Nunez, Multimedia Producer
- Momi Peralta Ramos, LA NACION
- Amy Peterson, The E’ville Good/The Estherville News
- Tony Plohetski, Austin American-Statesman
- Elaine Ramirez Prodos, Global Consulting
- Ryan Restivo, YESEO app
- Kyle Rickhoff, AlignSimple
- Julia Saqui, The Independent
- Simone Sebastian, Capital B
- Don Sena, Sena Publishing Inc.
- Salwa Shameem, Producer and Reporter
- Jason Shoultz, Steinberg Institute
- Christian Skotte, The 74
- Scott Peter Smith, Submedia, formerly Mail&Guardian, formerly Sunday Times
- Jim Snyder, Journalist
- Clara Soteras, AMIC
- Andrew Stanfill, The New York Times
- Amanda Strydom, Code for Africa
- Terra Tailleur, University of King’s College School of Journalism
- Yucheng Tang, ChicoSol
- Ariana Tobin, ProPublica
- Ethan Toven-Lindsey, KQED
- Aldana Vales, Gannett
- Isadora Varejão, Retro Report
- Amy Walters, Journalist and Podcast Producer
- Kristyn Wellesley, MNG/Tribune Publishing
- Matt Wheeland, Civil Eats
- Benet Wilson, Bankrate
- Kate Winkle, KXAN-TV
- Robin Wolaner, Time Inc./CNET
- Sarah Wright-Killinger, WebMD
- Celia Wu, Sammamish Local News
- Hannah Yakobi, FAJO Magazine
What’s next
Posted By
Karolle Rabarison
Categories
Announcement