Miami Herald journalists honored with prestigious Batten Medal for ‘Perversion of Justice’
Miami Herald investigative reporter Julie K. Brown and visual journalist Emily Michot have won the Batten Medal for Courage in Journalism for “Perversion of Justice,” their investigative series on Jeffrey Epstein and the Palm Beach financier’s sex trafficking ring.
The News Leaders Association (formerly American Society of News Editors) gives the annual award in honor of former Knight Ridder reporter, editor and chief executive James K. Batten, who died in 1995. Knight Ridder was the former parent company of the Miami Herald and other U.S. newspapers before McClatchy bought the media company in 2006.
The award, which comes with a $2,500 prize, recognizes “journalistic values Batten stood for: compassion, courage, humanity and a deep concern for the underdog,” said the NLA, which announced it and other winners and finalists Monday.
Over more than a year of reporting, Brown and Michot detailed the full scope of how Epstein, a wealthy New York hedge fund manager, avoided prosecution for molesting and trafficking scores of women and underage girls. The pair dissected a plea deal with the U.S. Attorney’s Office in Miami that granted Epstein and his associates — some of whom were unnamed — immunity.
In the course of the reporting, Brown and Michot tracked down many of the victims, who were listed anonymously in court records, and for the first time, presented their stories in their own voices.
After publication of their original series, Brown and Michot continued to cover the issue through the courts and the political arena. This included pursuing a lawsuit to unseal previously sealed records.
In the wake of their efforts, Epstein was arrested by federal authorities. In August 2019, Epstein, 66, died. He was found hanging in a Manhattan jail cell as he awaited trial.
“At numerous junctures the reporters could have moved on, but they stayed with the story despite a system designed to keep them at bay,” the judges said. “The results created national headlines that reverberate to this day. There are few better examples of the wealthy and powerful being held accountable for horrific behavior.”
“Perversion of Justice” has received several journalism awards, including the Sidney Hillman Foundation’s 2019 prize for journalism in service of the common good and the George Polk Award.
The NLA recognizes the best in print, digital, photo and video content in 11 categories, including the Batten award. There were a total of 455 entries which, because of the coronavirus pandemic, were for the first time not evaluated and debated by judges gathered in a single location.
“The finalists cited here exemplify the important and powerful work under way in newsrooms across the country, in defiance of the economic trends we hear so much about and in service of the First Amendment,” said NLA President Michael Days, a vice president of the Philadelphia Inquirer. “We are proud to recognize so much inspiring work that shines a light on the most important issues of our day around the country and the world.”
This story was originally published April 29, 2020 at 7:27 AM.
