Raw Story's Alexandria Jacobson wins Sidney Award for investigation into postal crime

Raw Story investigative reporter Alexandria Jacobson has won the prestigious Sidney Award for her months-long investigation into violence against letter carriers and a recent spike in mail-related crime.

Jacobson's investigation, "Letter carriers face bullets and beatings while postal service sidelines police," prompted immediate reaction from federal lawmakers who called on Congress to pass legislation that helped enhance safety for postal workers and the mail itself.

“Jacobson’s meticulous reporting casts a light on the risks faced by letter carriers and the official indifference to their wellbeing on the job,” Sidney Award judge Lindsay Beyerstein said Wednesday. “This story makes it clear how the security of letter carriers affects not only the workers involved but all of us in terms of the scale of thefts and fraud.”

The Sidney Award is a monthly prize, sponsored by the Sidney Hillman Foundation, for "outstanding investigative journalism that exposes social and economic injustices" and given to only one investigation per month.

Other recent recipients of the Sidney Award include journalists from the Associated Press, New York Times, New Yorker, Washington Post, Wall Street Journal and San Francisco Chronicle.

"Alex's investigation combines the the best of data journalism and shoe-leather reporting into a decidedly human story that genuinely affects anyone who uses the U.S. mail," Raw Story Editor-in-Chief Dave Levinthal said. "In reporting this story, Alex faced numerous obstacles over several months and overcame them all."

Raw Story's investigative reporting has won several national awards in recent months, including a Best in Business Award from the Society for Advancing Business Editing Writing, a Folio Award from the Fair Media Council and an ION Award. In November, Editor & Publisher named Raw Story the "best news/political blog" of 2023.

Founded in 2004, Raw Story is America’s largest independently-owned political news site.

Long known for its rapid-fire breaking news reports and commentary, Raw Story has significantly expanded its investigative and enterprise reporting team. Hires during the past year include Levinthal, Executive Editor Adam Nichols, Assistant Managing Editor Kathleen Culliton, Night Editor David McAfee and investigative reporters Mark Alesia and Jacobson.