‘Shielded’ investigation into police misconduct wins WXYZ in Detroit prestigious duPont-Columbia Award

CINCINNATI, Jan. 29, 2026 (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) -- The E.W. Scripps Company’s (NASDAQ: SSP) local ABC station in Detroit, WXYZ-TV, has been honored with one of journalism’s top honors – the Alfred I. duPont-Columbia Award – for “,” its two-year-long investigation that revealed systemic failures in preventing police officers with repeated misconduct from being rehired. 

Across 19 reports, investigative reporter Ross Jones and the WXYZ team exposed how police officers in Michigan, having been found by their own departments to have committed serious misconduct, were routinely hired by other law enforcement agencies. The investigation revealed these movements often happened without the knowledge of the public or the new communities these officers were hired to serve. 

The station’s reporting was used as a roadmap for new legislation, led the state to suspend officers’ law enforcement licenses and triggered the criminal conviction of another.



“This is public service reporting at its finest and a shining example of Scripps’ mission to serve people with in-depth, fact-based information about their communities,” said Dean Littleton, executive vice president of media broadcast operations at Scripps. “The WXYZ team’s relentless pursuit of the truth not only uncovered a systemic problem but also provided the catalyst for a solution. We could not be more proud of their work.”

This is the third duPont-Columbia Award for the WXYZ team. The duPont-Columbia Awards, administered by Columbia University’s Graduate School of Journalism, are among the most prestigious honors in journalism, recognizing outstanding reporting in the public interest. View the full list of 2026 winners .

Media contacts: Molly Miossi, The E.W. Scripps Company, 513-977-3713,

About Scripps

 (NASDAQ: SSP) is a diversified media company focused on creating connection. As one of the nation’s largest local TV broadcasters, Scripps serves communities with quality, objective local journalism and operates a portfolio of more than 60 stations in 40+ markets. Scripps reaches households across the U.S. with national news outlets Scripps News and Court TV and popular entertainment brands ION, ION Plus, ION Mystery, Bounce, Grit and Laff. Scripps is the nation’s largest holder of broadcast spectrum. Scripps Sports serves professional and college sports leagues, conferences and teams with local market depth and national broadcast reach of up to 100% of TV households. Founded in 1878, Scripps is the steward of the Scripps National Spelling Bee, and its longtime motto is: “Give light and the people will find their own way.”