ProPublica and NPR Win Alliance for Women in Media Award

March 4, 2015, 2:25 p.m. EST

The Alliance for Women in Media Foundation has named ProPublica and NPR's investigation of the military's efforts to identify the bodies of missing soldiers the winner of its Gracie Award for outstanding investigative program or feature.

The report, led by ProPublica's Megan McCloskey and NPR's Kelly McEvers, examined the Pentagon's failing efforts to timely recover and identify those missing in action from World War II, Korea and Vietnam. Even though the Joint POW/MIA Accounting Command, or J-PAC, has a yearly budget of more than $100 million, the agency has identified an average of 72 people a year. At that rate, it would take them more than 600 years to finish the job.

After we published, Defense Secretary Chuck Hagel announced sweeping reforms overhauling the MIA effort. The two agencies in charge of the mission were abolished. Tom Holland, J-PAC's longtime scientific director, was let go.

Congratulations to Kelly, Megan and all the winners.

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