Two Miami Herald series are sharing first place in this year’s Esserman-Knight Journalism Awards, which honor local reporting in South Florida. A total of six reporting teams will share $23,000 in prize money for their work in public service journalism, according to an announcement Wednesday.
The late South Florida auto dealer Ron Esserman, his wife, Charlene, and their children Jim, Susan, Lisa and Laura created the awards in partnership with the Knight Foundation in early 2020 to invest in local journalism. This year’s awards drew 61 nominations — almost three times as many as the first year.
Sharing first place was a series by immigration reporter Monique O. Madan documenting conditions for Immigration and Customs detainees throughout the pandemic. Over the course of the year, Madan interviewed more than 370 people behind bars to detail living conditions and expose gaps in immigration procedures. Her story of a Cuban detainee led to his release after 11 years in ICE custody.
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