The Washington Post

DESCRIPTION

Washington Post journalists spent two years analyzing data and examining court records to produce the Post’s multipart series, but the heart of the project is searing accounts from the children who survived these crimes — the most vulnerable of sources. At every step of the reporting process, reporters Jessica Contrera and Jenn Abelson and photographer Carolyn Van Houten, while amassing ample on-the-record evidence, took extraordinary care to protect the privacy and dignity of these young survivors and their families. The journalists empowered these sources to make fully informed decisions about how much of their identity to reveal and assured that survivors and their families were prepared for their stories to be told publicly. The Post’s series was a model of transparency; it featured a story detailing responses it received from the hundreds of law enforcement officers and agencies it named, as well as an additional piece explaining to readers how Post journalists approached the ethical challenge of reporting on children who survived sex crimes.