L.A. Times ‘Extreme Heat’ Investigation Honored with Covering Climate Now Journalism Award

The Los Angeles Times has won a Covering Climate Now journalism award for Extreme heat’s deadly toll, a multi-part investigation by Tony Barboza, Anna M. Phillips, Ruben Vives, Sean Greene, Paul Duginski, Genaro Molina, Madalyn Amato, Alex Wigglesworth and health data analyst Logan A. Arnold.

The report, which won in the Writing – Investigative Reporting category, explored the deadly consequences of global warming. The Times found that California chronically undercounts the death toll and has failed to address the growing threat of heat-related illness and death.

Judges praised the report as a “masterful, compassionate investigation of how climate-driven heat is causing misery, illness, and death in California, a state that prides itself on being a climate leader.” The competition judges also noted that “the reaction to the series was immediate, as the Los Angeles City Council, the state legislature, and the governor’s office instituted new rules and regulations to help Californians cope with extreme heat going forward.”

Covering Climate Now Journalism Awards honor journalists producing the strongest coverage of the “onrushing climate emergency and its abundant solutions.” Read more about the award competition at coveringclimatenow.org.

In April, the team behind the investigation also received the Batten Medal for coverage of climate change from the News Leaders Association in its annual competition.