The Washington Post Accepts AARP Award for Excellence in Journalism on Aging — Large Category

Christopher Rowland of The Washington Post accepted the AARP Award for Excellence in Journalism on Aging for the large news category at the National Press Foundation's Annual Awards Dinner on Feb. 20, 2025. For The Washington Post, Christopher Rowland, Douglas MacMillan, Peter Whoriskey, Todd Frankel, Yeganeh Torbati, Julie Zauzmer Weil and Steven Rich created the Memory Inc. series, which investigated deaths at assisted living facilities, which – unlike nursing homes – are not federally regulated. Since 2018, more than 2,000 people have wandered away from assisted-living and memory-care facilities unnoticed or been left unattended for hours outside. Nearly 100 have died, and state inspectors frequently found evidence of neglect. “Not only is the narrative haunting, but the videos are chilling and cannot be unseen. It is a reminder why the full digital package – reporting, writing, legal work and security video cameras — is critical to impact and effective storytelling. The project involved multiple highly talented journalists,” NPF judges said. This is The Washington Post’s second consecutive win in this category after Tara Bahrampour won for her series on octogenarians defying stereotypes. Dave Altimari and Jenna Carlesso of the CT Mirror won in the 2023 small outlet category. The AARP Award was established in 2023 to recognize excellence in reporting on issues related to aging and encourage journalists to cover the challenges and opportunities for people and society in the face of significant demographic trends. NPF is solely responsible for the content. This video was produced within the Evelyn Y. Davis studios.