T-Squared: Robert Downen wins Nyhan Prize for Political Journalism

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Robert Downen has been awarded the David Nyhan Prize for Political Journalism, which is named for a longtime Boston Globe journalist and recognizes U.S.-based journalists “who cover political and social policy in the public interest.”

Rob is the first Texas Tribune journalist to win this prize, which he is sharing with Mike Hixenbaugh and Antonia Hylton from NBC News. And he is the first Texas journalist to win the prize since Molly Ivins, in 2006.

According to the Shorenstein Center on Media, Politics and Public Policy at Harvard Kennedy School, which gives the award, the selection committee “noted all three reporters’ high degree of craftsmanship and care in reporting on what are often thorny and sensitive stories, while never shying away from holding those in power accountable when their actions fail to center the public good of their communities.”

The statement added: “Though all three are quite young, they have demonstrated an abiding interest in how national and local politics affects everyday people in the communities they cover, and the committee recognized them for their work to-date and the trajectory of their careers to come.”

Rob joined the Tribune in 2022 to cover threat to democracy such as extremism, disinformation and conspiracy theories. His work has shed light on the rise of Christian nationalism, efforts to vilify the LGBTQ+ community and the influence of far-right Texas oil billionaires on the state’s politics and leaders — including during the impeachment of their key ally, Attorney General Ken Paxton. In October 2023, Downen and photographer Azul Sordo revealed that the leader of one of the state’s most powerful political groups, Defend Texas Liberty, had hosted white supremacist Nick Fuentes at his office for several hours. Photos from the meeting, which were captured by the Tribune from across the street, sparked an outcry from some Republicans and calls for the Texas GOP to distance itself from one of its most important donor groups. Subsequent reporting unearthed even deeper ties between extremists and Defend Texas Liberty, and prompted the Texas GOP to pass a resolution that bans associating with antisemites.

On April 30, Rob will join the other winners, Mike and Antonia, whose podcasts “Southlake” and “Grapevine” delved into the backlash against anti-racism and critical race theory in Texas public schools, on a virtual webinar hosted by the Shorenstein Center. On May 18, Rob will be in conversation with Mike at BookPeople in Austin to discuss Mike’s new book, “They Came for the Schools: One Town's Fight Over Race and Identity, and the New War for America's Classrooms.”

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