The Young America’s Foundation’s (YAF) National Journalism Center and the Dao Feng and Angela Foundation have unveiled the finalists for the 2025 Dao Prize for Excellence in Investigative Journalism, with The Tennessee Star securing two spots in the Best Local Journalism category.
The Star’s CEO and Editor-in-Chief Michael Patrick Leahy, Executive Editor Christina Botteri, and Lead Reporter Tom Pappert were named finalists for two separate investigative series: one on what the organization called the “infamous” 2022 Tennessee traffic stop of Kilmar Abrego Garcia, and the other on the Covenant Killer Manifesto.
The 2025 Dao Prize will honor investigative journalism across four categories: local reporting, multimedia, government waste (“DOGE”) reporting, and overall reporting or series.
Entries are judged on investigative depth, public interest, fairness and accuracy, style, and impact.
The top prize is $100,000 for best overall reporting, with additional awards totaling $60,000 across the other categories. Winners will be announced at the Dao Prize Gala on November 19 at The Waldorf Astoria in Washington, D.C.
The other finalists nominated in the category for Best Local Journalism include Tony Bartelme and Glenn Smith at The Post and Courier, Laura Crimaldi, Yvonne Abraham, Francis Storrs, and Gordon Russell of The Boston Globe, Steven Robinson and Graham Pollard at The Maine Wire, and Bethany Blankley at The Center Square.
Now in its third year, the Dao Prize is awarded to “recognize excellence in investigative journalism,” which “stands out for accuracy and courage,” according to YAF’s National Journalism Center.
The prize is funded by the Dao Feng and Angela Foundation, created by Chinese immigrants Dao Feng He and Angela He, who launched the award to “revive American media’s spirit of curiosity, skepticism, and vigor.”
The full list of finalists for the 2025 Dao Prize is listed on Young America’s Foundation’s website.
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Kaitlin Housler is a reporter at The Tennessee Star and The Star News Network. Follow Kaitlin on X / Twitter.
well deserved