Investigative Awards

Over the last decade, POGO’s investigations have garnered a variety of industry awards. These include recognition from the Society of Professional Journalists, the Society for Features Journalism, Military Reporters and Editors, the Society for Advancing Business Editing and Writing, the National Headliner Awards, The Ambies, the Signal Awards, and the New York Festivals Radio Awards.

2026

Society of Professional Journalists

DC Dateline Award Finalist: ICE, Inc.: The Top Companies Profiting from Trump’s Immigration Crackdown; Private Prison Giant Hired ICE Detention Chief; Stephen Miller’s Financial Stake in ICE Contractor Palantir; Meet the ICE Contractor Running Deportation Flights; $99,999 DHS Contracts Balloon Under Kristi Noem’s Directive

2025

Anthem Awards

Silver: Human and Civil Rights: Bad Watchdog Season 2

Davey Awards

Gold: Bad Watchdog Season 2

EPPY Awards

First Place, Community Service Project/ Reporting: "Operation Counter-Mold: The Hidden Battle in Military Homes" (co-published with Rolling Stone)

Military Reporters and Editors

Winner: “From Toxic Mold to Rampant Fraud: How Privatizing Military Housing Became a Nightmare for Soldiers” (co-published with Mother Jones); “‘Operation Counter-Mold'”: The Hidden Battle in Military Homes” (co-published with Rolling Stone)

National Headliner Awards

Third Place: Bad Watchdog Season 2

New York Festivals Radio Awards

Finalist: Bad Watchdog Season 2

Signal Awards

Gold: Bad Watchdog Season 2

Gold: Bad Watchdog Season 2, Episode 6 – “The Real Threat”

Society for Features Journalism

Third Place: Bad Watchdog Season 2

Judge’s comments: “Good watchdog reporting like this never goes out of style. That it’s continually needed is a different type of statement, but the series feels essential given the current news about immigration and deportation. The only bad thing about this podcast: You want a sequel with the same dogged reporting and diligence about our world right now, well, right now.”

Society for Advancing Business Editing and Writing

Honorable Mention: “From Toxic Mold to Rampant Fraud: How Privatizing Military Housing Became a Nightmare for Soldiers” (co-published with Mother Jones)

Judge’s comments: “Kladzyk exhaustively chronicled the widespread problem of mold and fraud in US military housing — an issue that directly affects thousands of people in the services. The story had exemplary reporting and tremendous impact with federal lawmakers taking notice and the U.S. Defense Department announcing the launch of a system to enhance military housing accountability.”

2024

New York Festivals Radio Awards

Silver: Bad Watchdog

The Ambies

Finalist: Bad Watchdog

2023

Society of Professional Journalists

DC Dateline Award Winner: “Accounting’s Big Lie — and How to Fix It”

Military Reporters and Editors

Winner: “Air Force Leaders Defy Congress’s A-10 Mandates”; “Air Force Leaders Threatened by Relevant, Factual A-10 Information”; “Let a Stinger be a Stinger. A new design isn’t needed”

2019

Society of Professional Journalists

Finalist: “Drilling Down: Big Oil’s Bidding” ; “Oil Companies Are Having Their Cake and Eating It, Too”; “Exxon Underpaid U.S. in Offshore Oil Dispute, Report Says”; “When All Hell Breaks Loose: Years After Deepwater Horizon, Offshore Drilling Hazards Persist”; “Rollback: The Trump Administration Proposes to Thin Offshore Drilling Safety Rules”; “Big Oil Rules: One Reporter’s Runaround to Access ‘Public’ Documents”

Finalist: “Amazon Pushes ICE to Buy Its Face Recognition Surveillance Tech” (co-published with The Daily Beast)

Society of Environmental Journalists

Honorable Mention: “Drilling Down: Big Oil’s Bidding” ; “Drilling Down: Oil Companies Are Having Their Cake and Eating It, Too”; “Exxon Underpaid U.S. in Offshore Oil Dispute, Report Says”; “When All Hell Breaks Loose: Years After Deepwater Horizon, Offshore Drilling Hazards Persist”; “Rollback: The Trump Administration Proposes to Thin Offshore Drilling Safety Rules”; “Big Oil Rules: One Reporter’s Runaround to Access ‘Public’ Documents”

2018

Society for Advancing Business Editing and Writing

Winner: “Drilling Down: Big Oil’s Bidding” ; “Drilling Down: Oil Companies Are Having Their Cake and Eating It, Too”

2017

Society of Professional Journalists

Finalist: “Drug Money”

2015

Society of Professional Journalists

Robert D.G. Lewis Watchdog Award: “Department of (In)Justice”

Winner: “System Failure”

Winner: “Revolving Doors, Relaxed Ethics”

Sigma Delta Chi Award: “Drug Problems: Dangerous Decision-Making at the FDA”