AARP, National Press Foundation Awards Recognize Excellence in Journalism Focused on Aging

En español| Reporters from the Washington Post and the Connecticut Mirror on Monday were named winners of the National Press Foundation’s 2023 AARP Awards for Excellence in Journalism on Aging.

AARP and the foundation created the award this year to recognize the country’s best reporting on issues important to people 50 and older. Each award includes a $5,000 prize.

In the large media category, the Washington Post’s Tara Bahrampour took the prize for stories on octogenarians who still work, older adults doing extreme sports and trans people coming out in middle age. The judges praised her reporting for its “honest look at what aging can be like as seniors push against limitations for fuller lives.”

Reporters Dave Altimari and Jenna Carlesso of the Connecticut Mirror won in the small/regional media outlet category for their investigative report, “Connecticut’s Elder Care Reckoning.”

The four-part series took an in-depth look at challenges facing the state’s long-term care system, including pressure on nursing homes and a growing home care industry that operates with little oversight.

Honorable mentions went to NorthJersey.com/USA Today Network New Jersey for its 12-part series “Aging in New Jersey” and to the Marshall Project for a report on the unique risks — and sometimes deadly consequences — faced by people with dementia when they interact with law enforcement.

“Through compelling storytelling and exhaustive research, the winning entries showed how much aging has changed and continues to defy stereotypes,” said Martha Boudreau, AARP’s executive vice president and chief communications & marketing officer. “At the same time, they shine a light on the persistence of age-related challenges that people continue to face.”

Read more about the winners, who will be honored Feb. 15 at the National Press Foundation’s 41st annual dinner.