Two instructors at the Newmark Graduate School of Journalism were part of a team at Newsday that won a prestigious George Polk Award for the investigative series Long Island Divided.
TC McCarthy, who teaches in the Interactive program and is the director of digital technology at Newsday, oversaw the technical development of the interactive storytelling, including the comprehensive interactive maps, profile cards,and data visualizations.
Ann Choi, also an instructor in the Interactive program and now a data journalist at THE CITY, was a lead writer and reporter on the story and oversaw and edited much of the data.
The series, published last fall, took three years to produce and “exposed an endemic pattern of discrimination by suburban Realtors, steering homebuyers of color away from white enclaves in violation of federal and state law,” according to the news organization.
The revelations spurred Gov. Andrew M. Cuomo, Attorney General Letitia James, and the New York State Legislature to promise investigations into this illegal practice. The piece also led to new state legislation passed in November that gives the state authority to revoke or suspend a real estate agent’s license if they are found guilty of this practice.