"Labeled"

the burl osborne award — SHOWCASE SILVER winner

WFAA
Morgan Young, investigative reporter; Charles Carter, photojournalist; John Gibson, photojournalist
12/19/2025

WFAA’s "Labeled" meets the Burl Osborne Award criteria by exposing a Texas-based social justice issue that directly affects the rights and safety of vulnerable children. The investigation shows how outdated state laws and policing practices label missing children as “runaways,” reducing urgency, increasing detention, and disproportionately harming marginalized youth. It explains the legal and institutional mechanisms that allow this inequitable system to persist, rather than treating the problem as isolated incidents. Through sustained, trauma-informed reporting, the series combines data analysis with deeply human storytelling to reveal the real-world consequences of these policies. In doing so, Labeled exemplifies the kind of courageous, resource-intensive journalism the award honors—work that holds institutions accountable and pushes the public conversation toward reform.

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Submitted by Jason Trahan.