Dakar newsperson Monika Pronczuk has been reporting for months on secretive, controversial agreements between the U.S. and African countries that facilitate deportations of third-country nationals from the U.S. This one stood out for different reasons: It was an exclusive all-format scoop by the AP in a country where journalists are not allowed to operate. The reporting demonstrated AP’s reach into even the most difficult places and gave a detailed account of the impact of the Trump administration’s policies globally.
More African countries are signing deals to accept third-country deportees from the U.S. under the Trump administration’s deportation program even as it continues to raise legal and human rights questions. One of them is Equatorial Guinea, a tiny oil-rich nation in Central Africa. Because it is run by an authoritarian government it is notoriously hard to report on the ground. But when Pope Leo visited the nation last month, dozens of journalists were allowed to travel there to cover his visit, including Pronczuk, who used this opportunity to visit the hotel where over 30 asylum seekers deported from the U.S. were being held against their will. At the Bamy Hotel, owned by the president’s family, she interviewed an asylum seeker for several hours, despite a government minder following the deportee. Pronczuk also managed to get visuals of the hotel and used a video dispatch to explain the key issues about the situation there. Top Stories editor Brad Foss deftly edited the text to round out the presentation.
Pronczuk’s strong reporting had real-world impact, triggering a response and action from the UN refugee agency.
The judges praised Pronczuk’s ingenuity and bravery in newsgathering and achievement in producing the all-format story.
For rare, impactful and exclusive reporting, Pronczuk wins this week’s Best of AP — Second Winner.
Related articles
