Newsday wins 2 first-place global awards for 'Long Island Divided' investigative series

Newsday was a two-time winner and a finalist in two other categories at the International News Media Association Global Media competition.

Newsday earned one of 10 regional "Best in Show" prizes for "Long Island Divided," the paper's three-year investigation into discriminatory housing practices by real estate brokers, as well as an another first place prize for best use of video.

"Long Island Divided was a crucial project for Long Island and our region,” said Deborah Henley, editor of Newsday. “It was the result of an extraordinary three-year team effort. We aimed to reveal its depth and scope in our storytelling across all media platforms, particularly through powerful video and digital presentations. To be honored by INMA as Best in North America, Regional/Local Brands helps focus attention on the power strong local journalism has to keep these important issues at the forefront."

As part of the project, Newsday sent testers carrying hidden cameras and microphones to meet with real estate agents. The findings included evidence suggesting potential homebuyers were steered to neighborhoods based on race and some agents treated white and minority buyers differently, such as requiring mortgage preapproval from black customers but not white ones.

Newsday also received a pair of a pair of honorable mentions for a digital campaign to increase subscriptions and boost readership through social media and for a cross-platform campaign featuring reporters discussing the impact of their work.

The Global Media Awards competition, which highlights innovation and excellence in growing audience, brand, and revenue, attracted 922 entries from 262 news brands in 44 countries. The awards ceremony, which were scheduled for Paris, were instead broadcast globally on multiple channels.