YAF’s National Journalism Center Reveals 2025 Dao Prize Finalists

The National Journalism Center — a project of Young America’s Foundation — and the Dao Feng and Angela Foundation are pleased to announce finalists for the 2025 Dao Prize for Excellence in Investigative Journalism.

Prizes will be awarded for four categories: best local journalism, best multimedia reporting, best “DOGE” reporting on government waste, and best overall reporting or series. Submissions are judged according to five criteria: investigative depth, public interest, fairness and accuracy, style, and impact.

The winner for best overall reporting or series will receive a $100,000 prize and two submissions will win $10,000 each as runners-up. One submission will win $10,000 in the local category, one will win $10,000 in the multimedia category, and one will win $30,000 for the special annual prize–this year highlighting the best “DOGE” reporting on government waste.

Winners will be announced at the third annual Dao Prize Gala on November 19 held at The Waldorf-Astoria in Washington, D.C.

The finalists for Best Overall Reporting or Series are:

• Staff at The Federalist for their series on the Russia Collusion Hoax
• Katelynn Richardson and Megan Brock at The Daily Caller News Foundation for their series on the “Biden Administration’s War on Parents”
• Frannie Block and Jay Solomon at The Free Press for their series on “How Qatar Bought America”
• John Sailer and Chris Rufo at City Journal for their series on “Unmasking DEI”
• Madeleine Rowley at The Free Press for her series on “Biden’s Bungled Unaccompanied Children Program”
• Steven Robinson and Graham Pollard at The Maine Wire for their print and video series on “High Crimes: The Chinese Mafia’s Takeover of Rural America”
• Madeleine Kearns at The Free Press for her print and video series titled “She Was Arrested for Praying in Her Head”
• Tony Bartelme and Robert Scheer at The Post and Courier for their sprawling report on an F35 mishap titled “41 Seconds”
• Haley Strack at The National Review for her report on how “The CCP Cloned America’s Leading STEM High School”
• Ashley Rindsberg at Pirate Wires for his series on “The Ideological Capture of Wikipedia.”

The finalists for Best Local Journalism are:

• Tom Pappert, Michael Patrick Leahy and Christina Botteri at The Tennessee Star for their series on Kilmar Abrego Garcia’s infamous traffic stop that led to human smuggling charges
• Tom Pappert, Michael Patrick Leahy and Christina Botteri at The Tennessee Star for their series on the “Covenant Killer Manifesto”
• Tony Bartelme and Glenn Smith at The Post and Courier for their print series “Deadly Helene”
• Laura Crimaldi, Yvonne Abraham, Francis Storrs and Gordon Russell of The Boston Globe for their series “Sandra Birchmore put her trust in police. They broke it.”
• Steven Robinson and Graham Pollard at The Maine Wire for their print and video series on “High Crimes: The Chinese Mafia’s Takeover of Rural America”
• Bethany Blankley at The Center Square for her reporting on the “Northern Border Crisis.”

The finalists for Best Multimedia Reporting are:

• The Staff of Six Rivers Media for their print and video series on Hurricane Helene
• Mary McCants at The Daily Caller for her documentary about non-affirming parents losing their kids titled “Separated”
• Steven Robinson and Graham Pollard at The Maine Wire for their print and video series on “High Crimes: The Chinese Mafia’s Takeover of Rural America”
• Madeleine Kearns at The Free Press for her print and video series titled “She Was Arrested for Praying in Her Head”
• Reagan Reese and Mary McCants at The Daily Caller for their print and video on the “Abbey Gate Survivor.”

The finalists for Best “DOGE” Reporting are:  

• Thomas G. Catenacci at The Washington Free Beacon for his report “DOGE Finds $2 Billion in Taxpayer Funds Earmarked For Stacey Abrams-Linked Group”
• James Varney at Real Clear Investigations for his report titled “Despite Warnings, Biden’s Energy Department Disbursed $42 Billion in Its Final Hours”
• Luke Rosiak at The Daily Wire for his report titled “Inside The Now-Shuttered Federal Agency Where Employees Lived ‘Like Reigning Kings’”
• Nolan W. McKendry at The Center Square for his report titled “US Taxpayer Funds Went to Foreign Competition for Domestic Shrimpers”
• Tyler O’Neil at The Daily Signal for his series titled “Your Money, Their Agenda: The Left’s Taxpayer-Funded War on Trump”
• Mia Cathell at The Washington Examiner for her report titled “Who is Funding The Anti-ICE Activists in LA.”

About the Dao Prize:

The Dao Prize, funded by the Dao Feng and Angela Foundation and launched in conjunction with the National Journalism Center, is an annual award founded to recognize excellence in investigative journalism. Dao Prize-winning journalism stands out for accuracy and courage.

The Dao Feng and Angela Foundation partnered with the National Journalism Center to honor truth-seeking journalists. As trust in media hovers near record lows, DAF and NJC believe it is essential to celebrate reporters who advance the public interest through robust investigative work. Too often, legacy media celebrate work that protects power rather than challenges it. The Dao Prize will honor truth above all else.

Dao Feng He and Angela He started the Dao Feng and Angela Foundation with a passion for freedom. As immigrants from China, Dao Feng and Angela know firsthand the importance of a free press and hope to revive the American media’s spirit of curiosity, skepticism, and vigor.

About the National Journalism Center:

Since 1977, the National Journalism Center has trained aspiring journalists in the values of responsible, balanced, and accurate reporting.

NJC offers an intense, 12-week, in-person, paid internship in the nation’s capital, training aspiring reporters in the fundamentals of responsible, fearless, and truth-seeking journalism. The internship combines on-the-job training with once-weekly seminars featuring off-the-record briefings with distinguished journalists, public policy experts, and lawmakers.

At NJC, students spend an average of 30 hours weekly gaining practical, hands-on journalism experience at designated media work placements throughout the D.C. area. NJC students are matched with print, broadcast, or online media outlets based on the individual student’s interests and skills. The NJC provides a generous $1,500 tax-free monthly stipend, and provides housing scholarships for 20 qualifying applicants. Internships are full-time, five days a week. The National Journalism Center is accepting applications for its 2025 paid spring and summer internships!