In a year marked by polarization and political division, the AP White House team — Aamer Madhani, Darlene Superville, Will Weissert, Josh Boak and Chris Megerian — along with Gary Fields and Amanda Seitz — ventured into the heart of battleground states to capture the voices of Americans whose votes may shape the presidential election.
Spearheaded by Boak, this five-part series took readers beyond political soundbites that revealed a diverse and complicated electorate, from a Nevada ranch struggling to find workers to Georgia’s rural communities where some residents confided that the struggle for basic needs like food and shelter took precedence over civic engagement. From Arizona’s rising cost-of-living issues to Pennsylvania’s shifting demographics, each voice added layers to the national conversation.
The multiformat approach offered a ground-level view, which painted a portrait of America’s voters and resonated deeply with readers. Major outlets, including The New York Times and ABC News, quickly followed suit, amplifying themes the AP team first highlighted, such as the housing squeeze and the challenges facing nonvoters in poorer regions.
Judges were impressed by the nuance and insights in the closely reported stories.
The stories demonstrated AP’s reach and depth, with a concentration on actual numbers and interviews with real people that can be lost in the din of the daily campaign. They showed a respect for voters of different political views, the videos brought the stories to life, and the photos let people see the voices represented in the story.
For a timely capturing of the complex dynamics and sentiments of voters in battleground states, Josh Boak, Fatima Hussein, Darlene Superville, Aamer Madhani, Chris Megerian, Amanda Seitz, Gary Fields, and Will Weissert earn this week’s Best of the AP — Second Winner.
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