Melvin Claxton, a Pulitzer Prize-winning journalist and pioneering figure in investigative reporting, will be among the 20 distinguished honorees at the Investigative Reporters & Editors 50th Anniversary Gala in September.
The event will pay tribute to some of the most influential figures in the field, celebrating decades of groundbreaking journalism that has shaped public discourse and exposed corruption at the highest levels.
Claxton, a former board member of the V.I. Source, holds a historic place in journalism as the only Black journalist ever named in a Pulitzer Prize for Public Service gold medal citation. He won journalism’s highest honor for his 1995 series exposing corruption in the Virgin Islands’ criminal justice system.
In 2003, Claxton was the lead reporter and writer of a Detroit News series, which was a finalist for a second public service Pulitzer. He has won dozens of national journalism awards over his distinguished career.
Joining Claxton as honorees at the Gala are some of the most legendary names in investigative journalism, including Bob Woodward and Carl Bernstein, whose Washington Post reporting on the Watergate scandal helped topple a U.S. president and became a gold standard for investigative journalism.
Also being recognized is Lowell Bergman, the longtime producer for CBS’s 60 Minutes and a key figure behind several major exposes, including the landmark investigation into the tobacco industry, dramatized in the film The Insider.
James Steele, half of the legendary investigative duo Barlett and Steele, will also be honored. Alongside Donald Barlett, Steele reshaped investigative business journalism with a string of deeply researched, award-winning series for The Philadelphia Inquirer and later Time Magazine.
“To be honored alongside such legendary reporters is both humbling and deeply affirming,” Claxton said. “Investigative journalism is not just about uncovering wrongdoing – it’s about giving voice to the voiceless, holding power to account, and ensuring that democracy works for everyone.”
In recent years, Claxton has turned his attention to the next generation of journalists. He created the Itty Bitty Book App, an innovative digital tool designed to improve K-12 literacy and introduce high school students to the practice of investigative reporting.
The IRE gala is expected to be one of the most significant gatherings in the organization’s history, not only honoring pioneers but also underscoring the enduring importance of investigative reporting in a rapidly evolving media landscape.
IRE Executive Director Diana Fuentes said the stars of journalism being honored “exemplify the power and future of journalism, the very foundation of democracy.” The IRE, based in the U.S., is the world’s largest organization of investigative reporters and editors.
The Gala will be held in New York City’s Gotham Hall on Sept. 15. Co-chairs of the event are Paul Sagan, chair of ProPublica; AG Sulzberger, publisher of The New York Times; and Judy Woodruff, senior correspondent at PBS NewsHour. Tables for the event start at $10,000 and run as high as $100,000. Funds raised at the event go toward the nonprofit organization’s vital training programs.
St. Croix Source
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