John B. Oakes Award
The John B. Oakes Award for Distinguished Environmental Journalism, which carries a $5,000 prize, is given annually for news reporting that makes an exceptional contribution to the public’s understanding of environmental issues. The award was founded in 1993 by family, friends and colleagues of John B. Oakes (1913-2001), who was an environmental journalism pioneer, the founder of the modern op-ed page, and the editor of the editorial page for the New York Times from 1961 to 1976. It recognizes journalists whose work meets the highest standards of journalistic excellence. #OakesAward
2024 Oakes Award Winner and Finalists
“Deforestation, Inc.” by the International Consortium of Investigative Journalists (ICIJ) is the winner of the 2024 John B. Oakes Award for Distinguished Environmental Journalism. The in-depth investigative series exposed how a lightly regulated sustainability industry overlooks forest destruction and human rights violations.
The two finalists for the 2024 Oakes Award are:
-
“The Bat Lands,” by Staff at Reuters, for Reuters
The Reuters team is donating their prize winnings to the Committee to Protect Journalists. -
“In Harm’s Way,” by The Marshall Project
Honorable Mention:
- "As climate risks mount, the insurance safety net is collapsing," by Lois Parshley with support from the Economic Hardship Reporting Project published in Grist.
How to Enter
We will open for 2025 Oakes Award entries in March 2025.
About
John Bertram Oakes (1913-2001), the creator of the contemporary op-ed page and the editor who brought conviction and incisiveness to New York Times editorials, was a pioneer of environmental journalism. At a time when no newspapers had environmental reporters and the idea of an environmental beat did not yet exist, Oakes’ editorial page made the environment a prominent topic in the national debate.
John Oakes became an editorial writer for the New York Times in 1949 and was editor of the editorial page from 1961 to 1976. The Times’ Robert D. McFadden has written that, before Oakes took over, the paper’s editorials sounded “more like the advice of the family doctor than the boom of civic conscience.” Oakes reinvigorated the editorial voice, pushing his writers to take strong positions and articulate them with force. He received the George Polk Award in 1966 for bringing to the Times editorial page “a brilliance, an intensity and a perceptiveness” that made it “the most vital and influential journalistic voice in America.”
Oakes conceived the idea for another of his lasting contributions to journalism, the op-ed page, shortly before he became the editorial page editor. Although the concept of a forum for both outside contributors and Times columnists languished for years, caught up in debate within the paper over space and editorial control, the page Oakes eventually created has been adopted by newspapers all over the world. Oakes himself was a frequent contributor to the Times op-ed page until the mid-1990s. In 2000, he received the George Polk Career Award “for his singular journalistic achievements.”
The Oakes Award has always been conferred for feature reporting. Oakes himself, however, spent most of his writing career as an editorialist and essayist. He was a stylist of great eloquence; many of his editorials, such as those on President Kennedy’s assassination and the lunar landing, are classics of the period. Before becoming editorial page editor, Oakes also wrote a monthly environmental column for several years. (The column was his own proposal; when Times editors expressed doubt that readers would have any interest in the environment, he offered to write it for free. It was to become one of the most popular columns in the paper.) Some of Oakes’s favorite environmental subjects included parks and public lands; the “radical, inflationary, economically unsound, and environmentally degrading” policies of Interior Secretary James Watt; and government inaction on “the spread of aerial sewage in the form of acid rain.”
John B. Oakes was a nephew of Adolph Ochs, who became publisher of the New York Times in 1896. Oakes’ father, George Washington Ochs-Oakes, was mayor of Chattanooga, Tennessee, editor of the Philadelphia Ledger, and publisher of Current History magazine. In 1917 he changed his two sons’ surname, and modified his own, out of anger at the German atrocities of World War I.
A Rhodes scholar and the valedictorian of his graduating class at Princeton, John B. Oakes began his life in journalism in 1936 as a reporter for the Trenton Times in New Jersey. The next year he started reporting on politics and writing features for the Washington Post. During World War II he served in Europe as a counterintelligence officer, and for his service received the Bronze Star, the Croix de Guerre, and the Order of the British Empire. After the war he joined the New York Times as editor of Week in Review. He married Margery Hartman in 1945. They had three daughters, Andra, Alison and Cynthia; and a son, John.
Past Winners and Finalists
- Year
- 2023
- Result
- Winner
- Organization
- Aga Khan University, Aga Khan Agency for Habitat
- Journalists
- Andrew Tkach
- Work
- "Voices from the Roof of the World Season Two,”
- Year
- Result
- Finalist
- Organization
- The New York Times Magazine
- Journalists
- Noah Gallagher Shannon
- Work
- “What Does Sustainable Living Look Like? Maybe Like Uruguay
- Year
- Result
- Finalist
- Organization
- The Times-Picayune and NOLA.com
- Journalists
- Tristan Baurick and Ted Jackson
- Work
- The Last Days of Isle de Jean Charles: A Louisiana Tribe's Struggle to Escape the Rising Sea,”
- Year
- Result
- Organization
- Journalists
- Work
- Year
- 2022
- Result
- Winner
- Organization
- ProPublica, TIME, Univision Noticias and Truly CA KQED
- Journalists
- Elizabeth Weil, Mauricio Rodriguez Pons
- Work
- Postcard from Thermal: Surviving the Climate Gap in Eastern Coachella Valley
- Year
- Result
- Finalist
- Organization
- The Intercept
- Journalists
- Sharon Lerner
- Work
- Tracking the Invisible Killer: Trump EPA Invited Companies to Revise Pollution Records of a Potent Carcinogen
- Year
- Result
- Finalist
- Organization
- The Washington Post
- Journalists
- Hannah Dreier and Andrew Ba Tran
- Work
- FEMA’s Disasters
- Year
- 2021
- Result
- Winner
- Organization
- The Oregonian/
- Journalists
- Rob Davis, Tony Schick and Lylla Younes
- Work
- The Cutting: Investigating Industrial Logging in Oregon
- Year
- Result
- Organization
- OregonLive
- Journalists
- Work
- Year
- Result
- Finalist
- Organization
- ProPublica and The New York Times
- Journalists
- Abrahm Lustgarten
- Work
- Where Will Everyone Go?
- Year
- Result
- Finalist
- Organization
- NPR's Invisibilia
- Journalists
- Alix Spiegel
- Work
- Two Heartbeats a Minute
- Year
- 2020
- Result
- Winner
- Organization
- The Oregonian/
- Journalists
- Rob Davis
- Work
- Polluted by Money
- Year
- Result
- Organization
- OregonLive
- Journalists
- Work
- Year
- Result
- Finalist
- Organization
- Los Angeles Times
- Journalists
- Susanne Rust, Carolyn Cole, Ali Raj and Lorena Iniguez Elebee
- Work
- American Fallout
- Year
- Result
- Finalist
- Organization
- The Washington Post
- Journalists
- Team of Washington Post journalists
- Work
- 2°C: Beyond the Limit
- Year
- 2019
- Result
- Winner
- Organization
- Inside Climate News
- Journalists
- Georgina Gustin, Neela Banerjee, John H. Cushman Jr. and Paul Horn
- Work
- Harvesting Peril: Extreme Weather and Climate Change on the American Farm
- Year
- Result
- Finalist
- Organization
- ProPublica and The New York Times Magazine
- Journalists
- Abrahm Lustgarten
- Work
- Fuel to the Fire
- Year
- Result
- Finalist
- Organization
- The Desert Sun
- Journalists
- Ian James and Zoë Meyers
- Work
- Poisoned Cities, Deadly Border
- Year
- 2018
- Result
- Winner
- Organization
- The New York Times
- Journalists
- Eric Lipton, Coral Davenport, Danielle Ivory, Barry Meier and Hiroko Tabuchi
- Work
- Trump Rules: A Historic Drive to Rollback Environmental Protections -- Part 1, Part 2, Part 3, Part 4, Part 5
- Year
- Result
- Finalist
- Organization
- The Post and Courier
- Journalists
- Tony Bartelme
- Work
- Scum: Toxic Algae is a Growing Menace
- Year
- Result
- Finalist
- Organization
- Quartz
- Journalists
- Akshat Rathi
- Work
- The Race to Zero Emissions
- Year
- 2017
- Result
- Winner
- Organization
- Reuters
- Journalists
- M.B. Pell, Joshua Schneyer
- Work
- Unsafe at Any Level: Exposing the Hidden Hazards of Lead Poisoning Across America
- Year
- Result
- Finalist
- Organization
- The Center for Public Integrity
- Journalists
- David Heath, Jim Morris, Jie Jenny Zou (CJS '13)
- Work
- Science for Sale
- Year
- Result
- Finalist
- Organization
- The Washington Post
- Journalists
- Todd C. Frankel, Jorge Ribas, Michael Robinson Chavez, Peter Whoriskey
- Work
- Mobile Power: Human Toll
- Year
- 2016
- Result
- Winner
- Organization
- InsideClimate News
- Journalists
- Neela Banerjee, John H. Cushman, David Hasemyer and Lisa Song
- Work
- Exxon: The Road Not Taken
- Year
- Result
- Finalist
- Organization
- Climate Central
- Journalists
- John Upton
- Work
- Pulp Fiction
- Year
- Result
- Finalist
- Organization
- The International Consortium of Investigative Journalists and other media partners
- Journalists
- More than 80 journalists from two dozen news outlets around the world
- Work
- Evicted and Abandoned: The World Bank's Broken Promise to the Poor
- Year
- 2015
- Result
- Winner
- Organization
- San Jose Mercury News
- Journalists
- Lisa M. Krieger, Paul Rogers
- Work
- California Drought
- Year
- Result
- Finalist
- Organization
- InsideClimate News, The Center for Public Integrity & The Weather Channel
- Journalists
- David Hasemeyer & Lisa Song, Jim Morris and Greg Gilderman
- Work
- Big Oil, Bad Air
- Year
- Result
- Finalist
- Organization
- Milwaukee Journal Sentinel
- Journalists
- Dan Egan
- Work
- A Watershed Moment: Great Lakes at a Crossroads
- Year
- 2014
- Result
- On hiatus - no award given
- Organization
- Journalists
- Work
- Year
- 2013
- Result
- Winner
- Organization
- Chicago Tribune
- Journalists
- Patricia Callahan, Sam Roe and Michael Hawthorne
- Work
- Playing with Fire
- Year
- Result
- Finalist
- Organization
- Environmental Health News
- Journalists
- Marla Cone
- Work
- Playing with Fire
- Year
- Result
- Finalist
- Organization
- InsideClimate News
- Journalists
- Lisa Song, Elizabeth McGowan and David Hasmyer
- Work
- The Dilbit Disaster
- Year
- Result
- Finalist
- Organization
- USA Today
- Journalists
- Alison Young and Peter Eisler
- Work
- Ghost Factories
- Year
- 2012
- Result
- Winner
- Organization
- The New York Times
- Journalists
- Justin Gillis
- Work
- Temperature Rising
- Year
- Result
- Finalist
- Organization
- The Associated Press
- Journalists
- Jeff Donn
- Work
- Aging Nukes
- Year
- Result
- Finalist
- Organization
- The Center for Public Integrity and ABC News
- Journalists
- Ronnie Greene and Matthew Mosk
- Work
- Green Energy: Contracts, Connections and the Collapse of Solyndra
- Year
- 2011
- Result
- Winner
- Organization
- The Center for Public Integrity
- Journalists
- International Consortium of Investigative Journalists
- Work
- Dangers in the Dust: Inside the Global Asbestos Trade
- Year
- Result
- Finalist
- Organization
- The Times-Picayune, New Orleans
- Journalists
- Work
- Deepwater Horizon oil spill coverage
- Year
- Result
- Finalist
- Organization
- The Milwaukee Journal Sentinel
- Journalists
- Dan Egan
- Work
- Great Lakes, Great Peril: A Road Map to Restoration
- Year
- 2010
- Result
- Winners
- Organization
- USA Today
- Journalists
- Blake Morrison and Brad Heath
- Work
- The Smokestack Effect: Toxic Air andAmerica’s Schools
- Year
- Result
- Finalist
- Organization
- The New York Times
- Journalists
- Charles Duhigg
- Work
- Toxic Waters
- Year
- Result
- Finalist
- Organization
- The Center for Public Integrity
- Journalists
- Kristen Lombardi
- Work
- The Hidden Cost of Clean Coal
- Year
- Result
- Finalist
- Organization
- The Military Times
- Journalists
- Kelly Kennedy
- Work
- Poisoned in Iraq: How Open Air Burn Pits are Risking Your Health
- Year
- 2009
- Result
- Winner
- Organization
- Milwaukee Journal Sentinel
- Journalists
- Susanne Rust, Meg Kissinger and Cary Spivak
- Work
- Chemical Fallout
- Year
- Result
- Finalist
- Organization
- The Associated Press
- Journalists
- Martha Mendoza, Jeff Donn and Justin Pritchard
- Work
- PharmaWater
- Year
- 2008
- Result
- Winner
- Organization
- The Times Picayune of New Orleans
- Journalists
- Bob Marshall, Mark Schleifstein, Matt Brown and photographer Ted Jackson
- Work
- Last Chance: The Fight to Save a Disappearing Coast
- Year
- Result
- Winner
- Organization
- The Los Angeles Times
- Journalists
- Judy Pasternak
- Work
- Blighted Homeland
- Year
- Result
- Winner
- Organization
- Harper’s Magazine
- Journalists
- McKenzie Funk
- Work
- Cold Rush: The Coming Fight for the Melting North
- Year
- 2007
- Result
- Winner
- Organization
- The Los Angeles Times
- Journalists
- Kenneth R. Weiss and his team
- Work
- Altered Oceans
- Year
- 2006
- Result
- Winner
- Organization
- Harper's Magazine
- Journalists
- Erik Reece
- Work
- Death of a Mountain
- Year
- Result
- Finalist
- Organization
- The Milwaukee Journal Sentinel
- Journalists
- Dan Egan
- Work
- Troubled Waters, the Great Invasion
- Year
- 2005
- Result
- Winner
- Organization
- Cascadia Times
- Journalists
- Paul Koberstein
- Work
- Year
- 2004
- Result
- Winner
- Organization
- The Detroit Free Press
- Journalists
- Staff
- Work
- Year
- 2003
- Result
- Winner
- Organization
- Mobile Register
- Journalists
- Ben Raines
- Work
- Year
- 2002
- Result
- Winner
- Organization
- Seattle Post-Intelligencer
- Journalists
- Robert McClure and Andrew Schneider
- Work
- Year
- 2001
- Result
- Winner
- Organization
- The Times-Picayune
- Journalists
- John McQuaid
- Work
- Year
- 2000
- Result
- Winner
- Organization
- Los Angeles Times
- Journalists
- T. Christian Miller
- Work
- Year
- 1999
- Result
- Winner
- Organization
- The Seattle Times
- Journalists
- Deborah Nelson, Jim Simon, Eric Nalder and Danny Westneat
- Work
- Year
- 1998
- Result
- Winner
- Organization
- The Seattle Times
- Journalists
- Duff Wilson
- Work
- Year
- 1997
- Result
- Winner
- Organization
- The Record
- Journalists
- Dunstan McNichol and Kelly Richmond
- Work
- Year
- 1996
- Result
- Winner
- Organization
- The News & Observer
- Journalists
- Pat Stith and Joby Warrick
- Work
Board of Judges
Chair
Emilia Askari is chair of the John B. Oakes Award Board of Judges. Askari is an environmental journalist and an educator who conducts research at the intersection of news literacy, social entrepreneurship, digital citizenship and games.
Members
Talia Buford, reporter for ProPublica covering disparities in environmental impacts. She was previously an environment and labor reporter at the Center for Public Integrity and an energy reporter for POLITICO.
Jeff Burnside, independent journalist who has spent more than 20 years working as an investigative reporter. He was most recently a senior investigative reporter for KOMO 4 News in Seattle.
Laura Kurtzberg, an assistant professor at Florida International University, a data analyst with the Pulitzer Center and the data visualization lead for Ambiental Media.
Hayley Smith, an environmental reporter with the Los Angeles Times.
Kenneth R. Weiss, a Pulitzer Prize-winning reporter who writes about science, environment and public health.
Susan Goldberg, president and CEO of the WGBH Educational Foundation, former editor in chief of National Geographic Magazine.
Bernardo Motta, associate professor of Journalism at Roger Williams University, an educator and researcher in community-driven, environmental justice, science and investigative journalism.
Anna Oakes, audio producer and editor at Hark Audio. She worked previously in Spain, at Revista Contexto and the Association for the Recuperation of Historical Memory. She is the granddaughter of John B. Oakes.
Mark Trahant, editor of Indian Country Today, and a member of the American Academy of Arts and Sciences. Trahant has been a professor at the University of North Dakota and the University of Alaska Anchorage and reports and comments on events and trends on Facebook, Twitter (@TrahantReports) and other social media.
Justin Worland, Washington D.C.-based senior correspondent at TIME covering climate change and the intersection of policy, politics and society.
Contact
212-854-5048
[email protected]
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