Via Investigative Reporters and Editors: “Journalists who helped free enslaved laborers, improved the safety net for injured workers and brought about reforms for failing schools serving mostly black youth, are being honored as winners of the 2015 Investigative Reporters & Editors Awards. This year’s winners come from a mix of new and established media, with many of the winning entries involving collaborations between teams of reporters from a wide range of news organizations.“ This year’s entries show that fearless investigative reporting continues to thrive in an era of industry change,” said Ziva Branstetter, chair of IRE’s Contest Committee. “The judges were impressed by examples of strong investigative work being done in all mediums and markets. These award-winning projects prove that news organizations understand investing in investigative journalism is more important than ever.” This year’s winners were selected from among more than 550 entries. Two organizations,ProPublica and NPR, teamed up for two award-winning projects. And three projects were singled out for IRE Medals, the highest honor the organization bestows. The awards, given by Investigative Reporters & Editors Inc. since 1979, recognize the most outstanding watchdog journalism of the year. The contest covers 17 categories across media platforms and a range of market sizes. Click here for a complete list of winners and finalists…”