We’re proud that the work of our journalists has been recognized with numerous awards.
Our journalism drives meaningful change — spurring new legislation, improving schools and inspiring readers to engage with their local communities. By influencing policy and sparking discussions in living rooms, we make a tangible difference. Here’s a glimpse of just some of our impact.
New law in Illinois to help parents of premature babies
Despite major advances over the past 50 years in the medical field’s ability to save the lives of premature babies, the support these babies receive after leaving the NICU is severely lacking. As Sarah Carr showed in her story on parents of premature babies in Illinois, the issue is not that therapies don’t exist, but that parents struggle to receive the early intervention support to which they’re entitled.
Families too often navigate the system entirely on their own — unaware or introduced too late to the support that’s available. Inequities are baked into every step of the process. Lower-income families are less likely to receive timely referrals, get screened and approved quickly, and connect with therapists for in-person sessions. Studies have shown that Black newborns are five times less likely than white ones to receive early intervention services.
After this story was published, Illinois State Representative Janet Yang Rohr proposed legislation that would require hospitals in the state to pass out materials and inform parents of premature low birth weight babies that they qualify for early intervention therapies. The legislation spells out that hospitals must also make a nurse or physical therapist available to explain their rights to families. That bill was later signed into law by Illinois Gov. JB Pritzker.
States mandate guaranteed recess for students
After Hechinger published several stories about schools restricting or withholding recess for elementary students, lawmakers in California, Oklahoma and Washington introduced legislation that would guarantee recess to young students.
Our investigations, including our well-read piece “Is recess a right or a privilege?” helped expose how common it is for elementary school students to lose recess time as a form of punishment, despite research showing that physical activity and play are vital for children’s development. At the time of our original reporting, up to 86 percent of teachers had denied or decreased recess as a punishment for behavior, forcing young children to stay inside, walk laps or sit and watch their friends play — in some cases simply for failing to finish their school work. Our reporting was cited by a California state senator who proposed a law requiring daily recess for K-8 students and repealing the state code that allowed for it to be withheld for disciplinary reasons. The California bill passed in March 2024.
University ends punitive debt collection following Hechinger investigation
In March 2021, Hechinger investigative reporter Meredith Kolodner published an investigation of New York State’s policy of suing its state university students for unpaid bills. For nearly three decades, under a little-known state regulation, New York’s attorney general has been allowed to sue students if a state public university claims these students owe tuition — even overdue library fines or unpaid parking tickets. On top of this, the state required students to appear in Albany to make their case, forcing some students — who may live hundreds of miles away — into default if they were unable to appear. From 2017 through 2019, about 3,000 lawsuits were filed every year, with an average of 2,500 ending in default.
Within months of our investigation, the State University of New York changed its debt collection practices. Kolodner’s article was cited by a SUNY trustee as part of the presentation of a resolution eliminating the policy of withholding transcripts from students with unpaid debts.
In addition, New York State Gov. Kathy Hochul signed a bill eliminating a 22 percent collection fee New York had been adding to the existing debt that students owed their colleges. And the New York attorney general’s office changed its policy of suing students with overdue tuition exclusively in Albany, instead filing suits in the counties where students reside, making it easier for them to defend themselves in court.
Driving change on the practice of colleges withholding of transcripts for unpaid debt
Our reporting on the practice of universities withholding transcripts for unpaid student debt sparked policy change across the country:
- In Massachusetts and Ohio, our reporting was cited in support of bills seeking to ban transcript withholding.
- The City University of New York cited our reporting in announcing the suspension of its transcript-withholding policy.
- In Colorado, sponsors of a proposed law to ban transcript withholding contacted us for data and resources.
- The issue also caught the attention of Democrat gubernatorial candidate Ben Downing, who called on then-Republican Gov. Charlie Baker of Massachusetts to support transcript withholding legislation. And Alma Matters, the Poynter Institute newsletter for college journalists, encouraged college news outlets to pursue similar stories about transcript withholding on their campuses.
Our coverage also brought to light the behind-the-scenes lobbying college and university associations have used to retain the power to withhold student transcripts, in contradiction to their public pronouncements that withholding transcripts was a last resort.
Then, our follow-up piece on students being in debt directly to their schools triggered significant reader response, including dozens of offers to help pay down the loans of one student profiled. (Several students in our transcript-withholding stories also have had unpaid balances covered by readers.)
Debt forgiveness for students who attended a for-profit beauty school
After a four-year legal battle, a for-profit cosmetology school that was the focus of a 2018 investigation by reporters Sarah Butrymowicz and Meredith Kolodner settled a class-action lawsuit challenging its practices. The reporters showed how the beauty school business model can help for-profit schools boost profits while students take on debt and hours of unpaid training for a low-paying career.
Current and former students of La’ James sued, accusing the school of delaying financial aid payments and causing them financial hardship in violation of the Iowa Consumer Fraud Act. (According to federal data, La’ James programs cost up to $20,000, while graduates earn between $23,000 to $30,000 annually.) Students will receive some financial relief, with the settlement forgiving more than $2 million in student debt. Student Defense, lawyers defending the students, credited Hechinger with bringing La’ James to their attention in the first place.
Hechinger story prompts creation of a dyslexia podcast
In Sarah Carr’s groundbreaking story with Scientific American, she addresses how many schools are failing to diagnose dyslexia, despite the disability’s prevalence in nearly 20 percent of the U.S. population.
One reason so many cases are missed is that thousands of schools still use a version of the so-called discrepancy model to test children for learning disabilities. The model has shaped decades of policy regarding whose literacy is considered vital and worthy of extra help and investment — and whose is not.
Researchers including Tim Odegard, whose story was central to our article, argue that reforming how the condition is defined and diagnosed (and providing the right kind of instruction) could help many more children learn to read. In part because of an accident of scientific history, however, this essential assistance has been far more available to kids who score higher on IQ tests and other cognitive measures.
Four decades ago, Odegard was one of the students who didn’t receive a dyslexia diagnosis, keeping him from getting the help he needed. However, as our story illustrates, he used determination and a terrific memory to overcome these hurdles.
After the story was published, at least 400 people reached out to Odegard and shared how this piece resonated with their own experiences. This gave him the push he needed to launch Dyslexia Uncovered, a podcast that delves into the historical roots, scientific insights and personal realities of dyslexia. As Odegard shares, “I can say with confidence that the Scientific American piece moved hearts and minds on this topic. Storytelling is the most popular tool we have to translate science into meaningful realities for individuals. Your piece created a much deeper awareness of the complications with the traditional ways of identifying individuals with dyslexia.”
Texas state representative pledges action following Hechinger story on pregnancy resource centers
For a story co-published with The 19th and The Texas Tribune, Hechinger investigated pregnancy resource centers and their influence on sex education curricula in Texas. Our findings showed dozens of the anti-abortion centers send employees into schools across the state to talk to students and, in some cases, teach sex ed.
But there’s scant evidence that the lessons they provide help reduce teen pregnancy or sexually transmitted infections. According to public health experts who reviewed the groups’ curricula at our request, the tactics that some of the groups use — such as inundating students with statistics and showing graphic pictures of STIs — aren’t effective in preventing or changing behavior.
These centers’ involvement in schools is not incidental; in some cases, center employees serve on the councils, known as SHACs, that decide which sex ed curriculum to adopt. We uncovered two cases where pregnancy center employees who also serve on SHACs voted in favor of their own courses. Motivated by our investigation, Texas state representative James Talarico said this practice appeared to be a “clear conflict of interest” and pledged to address this issue with his colleagues and is considering introducing legislation.