Ottavia Spaggiari, the Knight Chair in Inclusive Journalism at Florida A&M University’s School of Journalism & Graphic Communication, has been recognized with two major national awards for her latest contributions to investigative reporting.
Her in-depth report, “Nowhere to Go: Inside the Texas Boarding Home System Where Abuse, Neglect and Exploitation Are Widespread,” which uncovered systemic failures inside the Texas boarding home network, earned the 2026 Donald Robinson Memorial Award for Investigative Journalism from the American Society of Journalists and Authors, one of the organization’s highest honors for public‑interest reporting.
Published by In These Times in collaboration with Type Investigations, the story was also republished by the Texas Observer, expanding its reach across national and global audiences and providing insights on revelatory patterns of mistreatment affecting some of the state’s most vulnerable residents.
“In this vacuum of care, boarding homes can fill a crucial gap. But experts say patchwork regulations and lack of oversight also make residents susceptible to isolation, neglect, abuse and financial exploitation,” Spaggiari writes in the article.
Spaggiari’s reporting additionally received second place in the 2026 John Bartlow Martin Awards, presented by the Medill School of Journalism at Northwestern University. The Bartlow Martin Awards are among the country’s most prestigious honors for public‑interest magazine journalism, celebrating work that brings attention to marginalized communities and overlooked injustices.
Demonstrating her belief that “wherever there is a human being, there’s always a good story to tell,” Spaggiari continues to advance inclusive journalism and serve as a role model for her students by actively engaging in investigative and collaborative projects that center communities historically excluded from mainstream media coverage.
More information on the ASJA Awards is available here.
More information about the John Bartlow Martin Awards is available here.
