WSJ wins Scripps Howard biz journalism award

The staff of The Wall Street Journal won the William Brewster Styles Award for business/economics reporting and $10,000 for “Private Risk,” a series that revealed how technology firms fudge their finances, how private tech shares are traded in a shadowy market, and how millions of Americans own risky shares of private tech firms through their retirement funds with no idea about what they’re actually worth.

The Scripps Howard Awards were announced Tuesday.

The judges noted, “This yearlong series is masterfully researched and reported, rich with revealing anecdotes and granular detail. Going deep inside the world of technology and finance, the series documents in clear prose and insightful graphics the connection among Wall Street, Silicon Valley and Main Street. At stake are the retirement funds — and sometimes personal wealth — of millions of Americans whose mutual funds are invested in these startup tech companies. True valuations and real prospects are nearly impossible to discern, the series shows. These stories resulted in action by the government and major retailers. And they provided, most importantly, relevant education for investors and consumers.”

Finalists for the award were Mike Baker of The Seattle Times and Daniel Wagner of the Center for Public Integrity/BuzzFeed News for “The Mobile Home Trap,” an investigation into how unsuspecting buyers are locked into high-interest loans for rapidly depreciating dwellings.

Another finalist was Paul Ford of Bloomberg Business Week for “Code: An Essay,” which explains what code is, what its future looks like, and demystifies the culture, quirks and tools of the 18 million people around the world who create it.

Recipients of the journalism awards will be honored in Scottsdale, Arizona, on April 28. See all of the winners here.