The Appeal Is A Finalist for the 2024 Online Journalism Awards

As college students at pro-Palestinian encampments began being arrested en masse in April 2024, The Appeal created the only national prosecutor tracker. This was recently shortlisted for a Breaking News award by the Online Journalism Awards.

The Appeal’s team of reporters and editors surveyed the lead prosecutor in every district with campus arrests or encampments to inform readers if/how they planned to charge student protestors. This became a vital resource for journalists and students, shifting the national conversation from police actions to the power of prosecutors.

Initially published, within 24 hours, on April 26, the tracker captured arrests and responses from more than 50 prosecutors and smaller city-level offices. This project continued to be updated weekly, ultimately contacting more than 120 prosecutors responsible for charging nearly 3,000 arrested students. 

This project was republished by Teen Vogue and cited by dozens of local and national outlets.