Center's Takings Initiatives Project Wins First Place Award from Society of Environmental Journalists

WASHINGTON, D.C. — The Center for Public Integrity's Takings Initiatives Accountability Project was awarded first place in the outstanding online reporting category by the Society of Environmental Journalists. This marks the second time the Center has won SEJ’s annual award in the online reporting category.

Launched in August 2006, the Center’s Takings Initiatives Accountability Project investigated four initiatives on the November 7, 2006, ballots in Arizona, California, Idaho, Montana, and Washington that aimed to significantly alter land-use and environmental regulations in those states. The investigation revealed the groups who bankrolled, supported and opposed the measures and presented its findings online for citizens in those states and elsewhere to assess the subject matter and potential impact of the takings initiatives.

The SEJ judges said the Center did “an outstanding online investigation of land-use ballot initiatives that could have radically changed land-use and environmental regulations in five Western states. The team did a splendid job of using Internet tools to integrate an extensive financial investigation, interviews and analysis that uncovered the links between the initiatives and a single wealthy activist.”

“This award represents the Center’s in-depth and comprehensive investigative work and ability to provide useful, objective and timely information for the public on an important policy initiative,” said Center Executive Director Bill Buzenberg. “I am delighted to accept this award on behalf of the Takings Initiatives team and proud of our efforts to generate high-quality investigative projects that service the public interest and make our democracy more accountable.”

The annual SEJ award is the world's largest and most comprehensive award for journalism on environmental topics. It honors outstanding environmental coverage in 10 categories representing the best environmental reporting in print, on television, radio and the Internet and is judged by panelists of journalists and journalism educators.

The Center’s Takings Initiatives Accountability Project was made possible through the generous support of the Wallace Global Fund. The Center previously won an SEJ award in 2005 for its Politics of Oil investigation. All of the Center’s award-winning investigative journalism can be found at www.publicintegrity.org.

About the Center for Public Integrity

The Center for Public Integrity is a nonprofit, nonpartisan independent Washington, D.C.-based organization that does investigative reporting and research on significant public issues. Since 1990, the Center has released more than 400 investigative reports and 17 books. It has received the prestigious George Polk Award and more than 22 other national journalism awards and 16 finalist nominations from national organizations, including PEN USA and Investigative Reporters and Editors. In April 2006, the Society of Professional Journalists recognized the Center with a national award for excellence in online public service journalism for the fifth consecutive year. In October 2006, the Center was honored with the Online News Association’s coveted General Excellence Award. In March 2007, the Center was given a special citation for the body of its investigative work from the Shorenstein Center on the Press, Politics and Public Policy at Harvard’s Kennedy School of Government.