Winner, 2026 Best of the West Project Reporting
PROJECT REPORTING
First Place: Lauren Kessler and Isaac Wasserman, Lookout Eugene-Springfield.
Lauren Kessler and Isaac Wasserman win first place with “Food insecurity in Lane County,” which examined how tens of thousands of people survive on the edge, often unsure from day to day where their next meal will come from.
“Spectacular, comprehensive, empathetic reporting and writing that rips apart the cruel D.C. stereotype of people who need food assistance,” the judge wrote. “Sad and yet life-affirming. Feels universal.”