FRI., AUG. 16 – Two FRONTLINE projects received Online Journalism Awards (OJAs) during the Online News Association’s virtual ceremony this week. 

FRONTLINE, ProPublica and The Texas Tribune’s investigation “Unprepared” was recognized with an OJA in the “Explanatory Reporting, Large Newsroom” category. According to the ONA’s website, this award “honors excellence in sustained and ongoing explanatory journalism through digital means.”

By 2023, it was widely understood that the law enforcement response to the school shooting in Uvalde, Texas, was deeply flawed. Using a trove of unreleased investigative files, the FRONTLINE, ProPublica and The Texas Tribune report built on what The Texas Tribune, ProPublica and other media outlets had previously reported and produced a startling and exhaustive new investigation that ultimately revealed what no one else had: States across the country are providing insufficient training for law enforcement to confront a mass shooter, leaving critical gaps in preparedness between children and the officers expected to protect them.

The OJA-winning project is part of a larger editorial collaboration between FRONTLINE, ProPublica and The Texas Tribune into the Uvalde school massacre that also included the December 2023 documentary Inside the Uvalde Response. 

FRONTLINE and The Washington Post’s documentary The Discord Leaks was also recognized with an OJA in the “Digital Video Storytelling, Long Form, Large Newsroom” category. According to the ONA’s website, this award “honors innovative work in telling stories through digital video, including animation.”

The Discord Leaks examines how a young National Guardsman allegedly leaked classified government documents onto an online chat platform. The collaborative, months-long investigation by FRONTLINE and The Washington Post reveals details about Jack Teixeira’s alleged leak of national security secrets, why he wasn’t stopped and the role of platforms like Discord.

Read a list of 2024 OJA winners here, and explore our award-winning storytelling below:

Unprepared (FRONTLINE, ProPublica, The Texas Tribune)

The Discord Leaks (FRONTLINE, The Washington Post)