Bloomberg News and ProPublica. are the winners of the 2026 University of Florida Award in Investigative Data Journalism, presented by the Online News Association.
Bloomberg News won for Zombie Debt, a series documenting how debt collectors revived long-forgotten second mortgages from the pre-2008 housing bubble to strip homeowners of equity — and sometimes their homes — often in violation of consumer-protection laws. The rule-breaking occurred with no consequences because the Trump administration effectively halted an ongoing investigation into the most active firms when it tried to dismantle the U.S. Consumer Financial Protection Bureau.
Bloomberg uncovered a profitable and deceptive playbook built around “zombie mortgages,” old second loans that had disappeared from homeowners’ lives. After the housing market collapsed, debt collectors bought these loans for pennies on the dollar, then resurfaced years later with demand letters and foreclosure threats. They claimed they were owed balances swollen by back interest. Yet, in case after case, records showed borrowers hadn’t received regular statements in years. Some even had tax forms showing the loans had been canceled.
The other finalists in the category were “Standards of Care” by The Boston Globe, “The True Cost of Data Centers” from Business Insider and “Toxic Fumes Are Leaking Into Airplanes” by The Wall Street Journal.
