Spencer S. Hsu of The Washington Post receives the $15,000 Ursula and Gilbert Farfel Prize, given in cooperation with Ohio University's Scripps College of Communication and the Farfel Endowment, for “Forensic Science.” The series exposed the Justice Department's use of flawed data in more than 20,000 criminal cases. Congress, the courts and the FBI have responded to the series, and now hundreds, if not thousands, of defendants will get another chance at justice.

JUDGES' COMMENTS: "Forensic Science" is investigative reporting at its most powerful, a story neither prosecutors nor the government wanted out that uncovered known flaws in forensic evidence used to convict thousands. Most importantly, Spencer Hsu exposed the Justice Department's trail of deception to keep the information hidden. It would have been easy to play up the melodrama in a story like this. But Hsu let the mountain of evidence tell the story with a clear, straightforward story. Line after line, he built outrage over the callous, irresponsible behavior of the Justice Department, saving his eloquent and understated narrative voice for the men wrongly convicted and imprisoned. He didn't overdramatize their anger, but instead gave his audience a glimpse into lives shattered with shoddy and inaccurate evidence. The results speak for themselves: two convictions vacated and a Justice Department review of 20,000-plus criminal cases that relied on flawed evidence. This project illustrates that in the face of overwhelming obstacles, such as decades old, redacted documents, an enterprising reporter can develop his own database that ultimately reveals a disturbing truth about flawed science. The inclusion of two video interviews with the principal subjects also brought an intimate and local voice to a story with national implications. His work changed the lives of not only a few, and revealed the value of relentless watchdog journalism.

The Denver Post receives $10,000 and a trophy for its coverage of the Aurora, Colo., theater shooting that left 12 dead and 58 injured.

JUDGES' COMMENTS: This entry demonstrates exhaustive, meticulous and comprehensive reporting in words and visuals in a compelling way under deadline pressure and across all platforms. The Denver Post's nimbleness, thoroughness and accuracy stood out on this two-front story: the murder rampage at the theater, and the public safety concern over the shooter's "wired" apartment. The overall coverage was exceptional on both print and digital fronts, including eyewitness accounts, a profile of the shooter, parallels with the Columbine massacre and infographics on the inside of the theater, the guns used by the shooter and his armored gear.

Patricia Callahan, Sam Roe and Michael Hawthorne of the Chicago Tribune receive $10,000 and the Roy W. Howard Award for “Playing with Fire.” Their series exposed how the chemical and tobacco industries waged a deceptive, decades-long campaign to promote the use of flame-retardant furniture. As a result, the U.S. Senate has held two hearings, the Environmental Protection Agency has begun a broad investigation and an industry front group exposed by the Tribune has folded.

JUDGES' COMMENTS: From the first sentence, introducing a doctor who misled legislators with phony testimony about a child's death, the Chicago Tribune's series "Playing with Fire" exposes the myth that fire retardants protect. They instead put us at risk of absorbing and ingesting toxins that undermine health. In stunning and exhaustive detail, the reporting team explains the myth's unlikely origins as Big Tobacco rebelled decades ago against the expense of developing a cigarette that would go out if you fell asleep on the couch smoking it. What, the industry asked, if instead the emphasis were on making the couch less likely to burn? What unfolded from there is a plotline worthy of Hollywood, as two industries – tobacco and chemical – bought into a strategy that put the idea of a self-extinguishing cigarette to rest for a generation. They collaborated behind closed doors to build a new market for flame-retardant furniture and home products – even as evidence mounted that those chemicals did little or nothing to slow a fire but did pose a risk of cancer and neurological impairment. At its heart, these stories are a tale of how, with manipulation and stealth, corporations and their handmaidens reshaped public opinion: Americans came to accept that flame-retardant products are a must. No more. These stories flipped the conventional wisdom, with almost immediate impact as government revisited regulations and manufacturers pledged to halt production of retardants linked to cancer. What also impressed our judging panel is the timeliness of the series. In 2012 – an election year with so much attention on the corrupting influence of money – the Trib's team documented an example that is textbook, and made it compelling reading.

Tim Nickens of the Tampa Bay Times in St. Petersburg, Fla., receives $10,000 and the Walker Stone Award for editorials on issues ranging from voter suppression to public health.

JUDGES' COMMENTS: Tim Nickens has a gift for channeling readers' outrage and forcing the issue with people in power without succumbing to the sarcasm and hyperbole too common in political discourse, and he does it in the real time of breaking news. He writes with passion, clarity and compelling logic. Regardless of his topic – voter suppression, water fluoridation, general malfeasance on the part of elected officials – he is quick-witted but not irreverent, hard-hitting but fair. He is also brave. This is what editorials look like when a strong writer combines dogged reporting and fearless advocacy.

James Carroll of The Boston Globe receives $10,000 and a trophy for columns that brought historical perspective to 2012's headline news.

JUDGES' COMMENTS: James Carroll's elegant style and historical depth of knowledge combine with his thoughtful, moral point of view to consistently provide his readers with a unique voice. He understands his community but also brings understanding and knowledge to those outside of it.

Michael M. Phillips of The Wall Street Journal receives $10,000 and the Ernie Pyle Award for “War's Wake,” a chronicle of America's newest post-war generation and the manner in which Iraq and Afghanistan have marked the nation's psyche.

JUDGES' COMMENTS: Our winner focused on the ordinary suffering that most people overlook and made us think about the impact of war in ways we had not before. The stories are imbued with compassion, which was one of the hallmarks of Ernie Pyle. He looks at how the families coped. It was a tribute to those who had died in action and all of the people who cared for them. The stories include coverage from the war zone and all the interviews that followed there and back in the United States. It's terrific.

Kenneth R. Weiss and Rick Loomis of the Los Angeles Times receive $10,000 and the Edward J. Meeman Award for “Beyond 7 Billion.” Their five-part series tackles the questions: “Can we live sustainably on this planet and for how long?”

JUDGES' COMMENTS: Kenneth R. Weiss and Rick Loomis delivered comprehensive, compelling, chilling and challenging work on a difficult and often denied subject: global population. Their five-part series for the Los Angeles Times, "Beyond 7 Billion," reflected first-class effort and skill on every level. They asked enormous questions and handled controversial subjects of faith and family, in context, with compassion and sensitivity. Weiss and Loomis struck just the right balance with eye-opening statistics and revealing photographs, respectfully personalized. The video summarizing the story was especially notable.

The New York Times receives $10,000 and a trophy for a portfolio of work that included “Snow Fall,” which chronicled the harrowing story of 16 expert skiers caught in an avalanche at Tunnel Creek.

JUDGES' COMMENTS: The New York Times' portfolio demonstrates a variety of fresh and engaging ways to tell stories and do excellent journalism in a digital world. "Snowfall," in particular, pulls you into the story and keeps you there - not with gimmicks but with carefully considered, even elegant techniques that guide you through a harrowing tale.

Lisa Krantz of the San Antonio Express-News receives $10,000 and a trophy for a portfolio that offered diversity of topic and approach, from rural Texas to the national political stage, and a mother's love for her soldier-son who was severely injured in Afghanistan.

JUDGES' COMMENTS: Lisa Krantz from the San Antonio Express-News showed us a microcosm – a significance piece of history that had likely been overlooked. Her entry included stories of individuals, stories of community, stories of time and place. Her ability to tell stories by capturing moments was consistent throughout her portfolio. Pelham, Texas, is a community that you could drive right past. Krantz stopped, explored the town, and introduced readers to the people who lived there. From her essay, the judges came away with a reminder of the tremendous tribute we pay our communities when we're able to dig deep and bring home stories of great importance.

In the spirit of the Scripps Howard Awards photo competition, not only was her essay compelling, but her other stories and singles showed diversity of topic and approach.

Lou Kilzer, Andrew Conte and Jim Wilhelm of the Pittsburgh Tribune-Review receive $10,000 and the William Brewster Styles Award for “Shadow Economy.” Their series demonstrates how almost anyone can set-up an offshore account and create a shell company.

JUDGES' COMMENTS: From Pittsburgh, Pa., to Bonny Island, Africa, tax havens protect trillions of dollars. This series employed deep and broad research to show the ease of hiding money in off-shore accounts, so easy in fact, your suburban next door neighbor could be harboring money from the government. In an innovative twist, for less than a thousand dollars these reporters set up their own shell company and bank account in Belize, a "tax haven."

Brandon Stahl of the News Tribune in Duluth, Minn., receives $10,000 and a trophy for “Methadone: A Costly Fix.” The series prompted calls for statewide reform in the treatment of drug addiction.

JUDGES' COMMENTS: Great community journalism highlights problems that people didn't know exist in their own backyard. Duluth News Tribune reporter Brandon Stahl did this with a disturbing series that revealed pervasive methadone drug abuses marked by hundreds of overdose deaths and an explosion of arrests despite a 60 percent increase in state funding for treatment during a period of five years. Over roughly the past decade, Stahl's reporting disclosed, 392 people in Minnesota died of methadone-involved overdoses, with close to 40 occurring in the region around Duluth. All told during that period, the number of methadone-overdose deaths nearly equaled those who died from firearms in the state. Stahl's digging found that the Duluth methadone clinic had more state and federal violations than any other clinic in Minnesota. Within days of his series appearing, the clinic was shut down. Stahl's superb series was the result of deep research and analysis that relied heavily on a state database of those who have died from drug-related poisonings. He also dug deep into medical records, medical examiner reports, police records and court files. All this was bolstered by extensive interviews with experts, as well as friends and family of those who had died from overdoses. Stahl's writing was clear and passionate, and the Duluth News Tribune translated complex data into clear-headed graphics that were easy for readers to digest. This problem would not have come to light if Stahl and the Duluth News Tribune hadn't invested the time and resources to inform its community. It was first-rate all the way.

Robert Wildeboer and Cate Cahan of WBEZ, Chicago Public Media receive $10,000 and the Jack R. Howard Award for “Grandma Can't Accept Your Calls.” The series exposed excessive phone charges for inmates at Cook County Jail and led to a 75 percent rate.

JUDGES' COMMENTS: WBEZ's series was impressive for its persistence and its impact. Over nine months, the stores peeled back a system that added millions of dollars to the city's coffers by taking advantage of a population you rarely hear about – the families of those in prison. As a result of their powerful reporting and compelling storytelling, the series drove significant changes in the way Cook County does business.

KMGH-TV in Denver receives $10,000 and the Jack R. Howard Award for “Investigating the Fire,” which uncovered governmental mismanagement of a wildfire that took three lives and destroyed more than 20 homes. The coverage called for adequate compensation for victims and statewide reform.

JUDGES' COMMENTS: The judges in this category honored KMGH in Denver with a first-place award as well as a finalist award. KMGH covered the story of the wildfire known as the "Lower Northfork Fire" with great skill and dedication. Three people died and the fire destroyed 22 homes. But KMGH didn't stop when the fire danger passed. The judges were impressed by the level of production and the professional tone of the storytelling, relying on demonstrable fact rather than hyperventilated emotion. This work was a great mix of shoe-leather reporting and telling the human side of such a terrible incident.

John Carlos Frey, John Larson and Brian Epstein of the PBS newsmagazine “Need to Know” and The Investigative Fund at The Nation Institute receive $10,000 and the Jack R. Howard Award for their collaborative series, “Crossing the Line at the Border.” Their documentation of abuses by the U.S. Border Patrol led members of Congress to call for an internal review, and the United Nations to address what it called “an international issue of concern.”

JUDGES' COMMENTS: The proliferation of digital recording devices is ushering in a new era of citizen-initiated news coverage. This entry demonstrates how a news outlet can credibly use video reports from eyewitnesses. Dogged fact-checking, top-notch investigation and balanced reporting brought a travesty to light.

The Wall Street Journal receives $10,000 and the Edward Willis Scripps Award for “Watched,” an ongoing project that exposes secretive ways personal information is tracked and used by corporate data-gatherers and government trackers.

JUDGES' COMMENTS: The privacy of ordinary citizens is critical to First Amendment protections. The Supreme Court has stated "anonymity is a shield from the tyranny of the majority … It exemplifies the purpose behind the Bill of Rights and the First Amendment in particular: to protect unpopular individuals from retaliation … at the hand of an intolerant society." Today's inexpensive surveillance technologies and data tracking systems invade our privacy. The Journal's reporting team – a new breed of computer-driven journalists – detect and expose the hidden ways in which our personal information is collected and used. This union of the technical and the traditional is designed to watch the watchers; thereby helping preserve First Amendment freedoms. This extensive body of work by the Journal is a free press at its best – evolving to meet modern-day threats to personal liberties unforeseen by our Founding Fathers. Vast amounts of data being collected and held by the government about ordinary citizens going about their daily, law-abiding lives is anathema to the First Amendment.