AP delivers fast, comprehensive coverage of the Supreme Court’s Voting Rights Act ruling

Coverage of one of the U.S. Supreme Court’s most consequential decisions of the year showcased the AP at its best — fast on the breaking story, quick with insightful follow-up pieces and on the ground to gather reaction from people affected by the ruling.

Supreme Court reporter Mark Sherman knew the decision on a landmark Voting Rights Act case would come this term. He just didn’t know when. So, week after week, he prepared for it – a move that paid off.

Sherman assembled textbook preparation that included the scope and scale of the case to give readers insight into an issue that has been dominant in American life for more than half a century. Within minutes of the court’s decision, Sherman moved an alert and a full story, beating major competitors by more than 10 minutes. That led to strong search authority on the subject and helped set in motion a series of articles on the historic moment.

Advanced coordination with the live blog team allowed AP to launch live all-formats coverage minutes after the decision came down, with contributions highlighting the legal, political and cultural impact of the ruling.

Nicholas Riccardi on the national politics/democracy team and Washington-based graphic artist Kevin Vineys provided a detailed look at what the ruling could mean for congressional redistricting across the country and how many Black-majority districts could be wiped off the map.

Race and Ethnicity reporter Terry Tang, with help from colleague Matt Brown, followed with a story about how the ruling’s impact would shrink the ranks of the Congressional Black Caucus. Politics/democracy reporter Gary Fields and U.S. News reporter Kim Chandler explored how the ruling meant the practical end of a law that had stood for more than 60 years to protect the voting rights of racial minorities. The state government team’s David Lieb added an explainer on the state of play for redistricting around the country.

Rounding out the comprehensive coverage, the Race and Ethnicity, U.S. News, photo and video teams collaborated on a weekend story driven by the voices of Black voters across the South, capturing their reaction, mood and resolve as they faced the prospect of their states suppressing their political voice. Contributing to that effort were Chandler and reporters Leah Willingham, Jeff Amy, Jack Brook, Kristin M. Hall, Travis Loller and Safiyah Riddle; video journalists Sophie Bates and Stephen Smith; and photographer Rogelio V. Solis.

Judges were impressed with the comprehensive and exceptional coverage of a landmark court ruling over several days, from the breaking news to the weekend read, that drove high engagement.

For rapid response, breadth of coverage, and superb coordination and teamwork, AP reporters on several teams and departments win this week’s Best of AP – First Winner.