The Objective is a finalist for two INN Awards!

An investigation published by The Objective is a finalist for two INNY Awards for Breaking Barriers and Best Investigation—Micro Newsroom, presented by the Institute for Nonprofit News. The INNY Award finalists were selected from a pool of almost 600 entries; this is the second finalist placement for The Objective. 

The story, reported by Alexis Allison, took two years of investigation and chronicles the experiences of nine employees — predominantly women — who experienced bullying and harassment by a top editor at a number of hyperlocal New York papers owned by Herald Community Newspapers. 

“I became a journalist because I wanted to hold people in power accountable,” Allison said. “In the last few years, I’ve noticed that we [the media] too, should be examined.”

“While I want to feel gratitude at some small semblance of justice seemingly being served, I only wish it didn’t have to take a public exposé for it to happen,” Rose Brennan, a former employee of The Riverdale Press, said. “The fact is Richner Communications [Herald Community Newspapers’ parent company], including CEO Stuart Richner, was aware of the problem for years.”

Michael Hinman, the editor at the heart of the investigation, continued to be promoted despite numerous employees filing complaints over seven years, ultimately rising to the role of executive director of Herald Community Newspapers. After Allison’s story was published, Hinman was suspended and subsequently departed from the publication. 

“The problem of Michael Hinman is a systemic one,” Raphael Lassauze, a former reporter at The Riverdale Press, said in follow-up coverage. “[He] is not a rarity nor an aberration…and if that doesn’t change, we’ll be out of good journalists — and will have to contend with the reporting of those willing to accept, if not defend, workplace abuse.” 

Lassauze left journalism altogether after the experience, saying “the stress of the job itself, but mostly him … has stretched into how I interact with the world. It broke a few things.” 

The Objective, founded in 2020, was created from a need to hold media outlets accountable for how newsrooms function and to push for more equitable reporting. Since then, we have published more than 300 stories focused on this goal, from recent coverage of the New York Times being cited 29 times to justify a Supreme Court decision limiting trans healthcare to Reveal laying off all Black unionized workers in 2023 after pledging “accountability”.  

“We started The Objective because we saw the need for real change in journalism — not just in coverage and language, but to ensure newsrooms are run equitably, too,” said Gabe Schneider, co-director of The Objective. “We partner with journalists who have valuable stories to tell, but can’t find a home elsewhere. This is one of those stories. Alexis’ reporting shows both the importance of fighting for transparency in our field, and reconfirms exactly why The Objective exists: to make the journalism field a more equitable place for journalists and the communities we cover.” 

Schneider was the lead editor for Allison’s investigation. 

“We’re also grateful for the dedication of the many hands that made this story possible over years — among them, the reporters and sources who shared their stories at considerable personal risk, our legal team at Lawyers for Reporters, and the story’s fact-checker, Siri Chilukuri,” he added. “We’re honored to be recognized for our efforts.” 

Alexis Allison is a journalist, teacher, and a current law student at The University of Texas. 

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For more information about The Objective and its work, contact us at contact@objectivejournalism.org. Subscribe to our newsletter to receive independent journalism straight to your inbox.

James Salanga is the co-director of The Objective and the podcast producer for The Sick Times.