In a textbook collaboration between two AP reporting teams, the AP scored a major scoop on the Black Lives Matter movement.
Following a tip, Aaron Morrison, news editor on race and ethnicity, led a collaboration with law enforcement editor Mike Balsamo and Justice Department reporters Eric Tucker and Alanna Durkin Richer to verify that BLM activists were under federal investigation over allegations of fraud involving millions of dollars in donated funds.
By the time the story was ready for the wire, Morrison had drawn on his prior AP exclusive reporting on the movement to add historical context and details about a connected nonprofit foundation. The organization at the center of the story came to Morrison first to deny any wrongdoing, a reflection of the trust he had built.
Race and ethnicity reporter Graham Lee Brewer contributed research on past state-level investigations into the movement’s finances, providing additional depth to the scoop.
The judges praised the team for its sourcing, coordination, and speed on a high-interest, high-scrutiny topic.
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