Daily Memphian wins first for investigative reporting in state press awards
Tennessee Highway Patrol Captain Travis Plotzer (left) confers with Trooper Devonte Quinn (right) during a traffic stop on Interstate 40 on Oct. 18, 2023. (Mark Weber/The Daily Memphian file)
The Daily Memphian’s journalists took home first- and second-place awards in investigative reporting at the 2026 Tennessee Press Association awards, co-hosted by the University of Tennessee.
Reporter Jody Callahan received first place for his investigative work in “Everybody Speeds,” a four-story series looking into extreme speeding in Memphis. The judges for the contest called Callahan’s series a “fascinating read” and pointed to the stories’ sourcing and data as standout features.
Jody Callahan (Mark Weber/The Daily Memphian file)
In the series, The Daily Memphian found that speeding citations were falling even as fatal crashes increased, and it talked to city and state law enforcement officials, politicians and insurance representatives to understand the technology and factors behind Memphis’ speeding situation.
Callahan said the complex reporting process required many hours spent sifting through records to paint a clear picture of the data in the stories.
“It was a difficult series to tease out,” he said. “We had trouble getting accurate records from law enforcement, and when we did get them, it was a 9,000-page data dump that we had to parse to even figure out what was going on.”
Aarron Fleming (Mark Weber/The Daily Memphian file)
Taking second place in the investigative category was reporter Aarron Fleming for his coverage of overcrowding in the Shelby County Jail. The judges called Fleming’s articles about the conditions and multiple deaths in the jail “excellent, heartbreaking reporting.”
Another second place went to The Daily Memphian’s sports coverage, which featured work from John Varlas, Tim Buckley, Drew Hill, Frank Bonner II and Geoff Calkins.
The Daily Memphian won for nine stories, including pieces in which journalists looked back at historic athletes in Memphis and profiled coaches and fans central to Memphis’ sports scene.
The Daily Memphian also received accolades for its business reporting, taking home second place for best business coverage, which included reporters Geoff Calkins, Samuel Hardiman, Jane Roberts and Sophia Surrett.
The judges pointed to reporters’ coverage of FedEx and the impact of xAI as “top-notch work.”
Other work by The Daily Memphian was recognized in the following categories: Best News Reporting, Best Graphics and/or Illustrations, Public Service, Local Features, Best Sports Photograph, Best Education Reporting, Best Breaking News Coverage, Best Digital Presentation and Headline Writing.
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