Best original or exclusive reporting for a news website that provides new insights into an event or trend of international significance
AWARD DATE: 2011
AWARD NAME: Best Online Investigation of an International Issue or Event 2011
AWARD RECIPIENT: Vanessa Houlder, Megan Murphy, Benjamin Freese, Johanna Kassel, Christine Spolar (Financial Times); Jeff Gerth and Tom Detzel (ProPublica)
AWARD RECIPIENT AFFILIATION: Financial Times and ProPublica
AWARD HONORED WORK: ”Tax Wars: A Cross-Border Battle Worth Billions”
The Financial Times and ProPublica distinguished themselves by their thorough – and engrossing – investigation into a subject that would typically put most readers to sleep: taxes. The judges were impressed by this illuminating account of how banks took advantage of gaps in two countries’ tax laws and how the U.S. government lost billions in the process. The four-part series also delved into how a simple rule change, meant by the U.S. treasury, to cut paperwork turned into one of the biggest international tax breaks around. Interactive graphics and charts made this four-part series even more compelling.
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