In a world overflowing with data yet facing declining trust in information, it’s important to celebrate the people who support public understanding of key issues by making data meaningful and accessible.
The prizes: $10,000 each for the Impact Award, the Visualization Award, and the Breakthrough Award; $5,000 for the Student Award.
Who’s eligible: Anyone involved in bringing data-informed journalism to the public. Work on any platform is eligible, as long as it was made for the general public. You also don’t need to be part of an academic or research community to enter. Entries can include print, digital news, video, email newsletters, podcasts, social media, or any other form of mass communication.
The Categories
Fact Forward Impact Award
The Impact Award celebrates data journalism that makes a major contribution to society. This award is open to all forms of data-informed reporting, regardless of format or subject.
Fact Forward Visualization Award
The Visualization Award recognizes powerful visual representation and interpretation of data. Visualizations can include maps, graphs, short video clips, virtual reality, and motion and interactive graphics that derive clear insights from complex data. Entries may have a written component, but visuals should drive the story and effectively communicate its meaning.
Fact Forward Breakthrough Award
The Breakthrough Award honors the development and use of bold new tools, systems, methods, or processes in data journalism. Thanks to advances in technology, our ability to amass, explore, and explain large datasets is more powerful than ever, so we’re looking for journalists who compile, visualize, or analyze data in new and innovative ways. Also eligible: researchers, technologists, or entrepreneurs who create products or services that empower journalists and audiences to draw actionable conclusions from data.
Fact Forward Student Award
The Student Award honors a college student or recent graduate for the best use of data in student journalism. This award celebrates rising reporters who use social science methods to inform their communities and hold the powerful to account. They are paving the way for a more data-savvy future. (No self-nominations will be accepted for this award, unlike the others.)
FAQ
No. Human beings only. More than one person can be honored for the same project, but entries should name no more than five people per project.
No. Entries for the first Fact Forward Awards, to be given in 2027, must relate to work done in 2025 and/or 2026.
The journalism must have been presented in English.
A jury will judge the entries in each category. The jurors will recommend up to three entries to NORC leaders, who will select the final winners.
No. But they will be publicly recognized for their outstanding work.
No. Entrants should pick the category they believe is most appropriate. As with some other awards such as the Pulitzer Prizes, organizers reserve the right to move an entry from one category to another.
Yes, as long as it’s not for the same work.
Contact Lindsay Arends, vice president of Strategic Communications, at FactForwardAwards@norc.org.
