Pulitzer Center Update

Justin Fenton, Baltimore Sun Staff Win MDDC Awards

Jenkins and members of his squad were praised for their work getting guns off the streets in an October 2016 police department newsletter. Baltimore, Maryland. October, 2019. Image by Baltimore Police

Jenkins and members of his squad were praised for their work getting guns off the streets in an October 2016 police department newsletter. Baltimore, Maryland. October, 2019. Image by Baltimore Police 

Last week, between May 11 and 15, members and supporters of the Maryland-Delaware-DC Press Association (MDDC) came together virtually to recognize the winners of the MDDC Awards, which celebrates print and online work completed in 2019. MDDC considered nearly 1,900 entries from 52 member publications among 85 categories.

The Pulitzer Center-supported project Cops and Robbers, which examines corruption in a Baltimore police department plain clothes unit, won awards in the design, news-driven illustration, public service journalism, and news video categories. For the project, The Baltimore Sun team interviewed more than 50 people, including current and former police officers, prosecutors, defense attorneys, and victims.

“This entry stood heads and shoulders above the others in this category. The scope of this package is incredible and the sources and information the newspaper accessed paint a stark picture of the Baltimore PD and the reasons corrupt cops were able to escape detection for years," a judge said.

To learn more and read a press release, please visit the MDDC website. To see all the winners and nominations, please watch the MDDC Awards YouTube playlist here.