Investigate Midwest wins top honor for uncovering environmental impact of Nebraska governor’s global hog empire
Judges from the Society of Environmental Journalists praised the investigation as a 'masterful' job of investigative reporting that uncovered the 'hidden environmental impacts' of a hog farm empire linked to groundwater contamination and childhood cancer.
Our collaborative series with the Flatwater Free Press on Nebraska Governor Jim Pillen’s global hog enterprise, water quality issues surrounding his operations, and his political influence over agricultural policy has won first place in Explanatory Reporting from the Society of Environmental Journalists (SEJ). Judges praised the series, co-written by senior reporter Sky Chadde and Flatwater Free Press reporter Yanqi Xu, for its “masterful" investigative reporting that uncovered the hidden environmental impacts of Pillen’s hog empire.
Despite facing personal attacks, including those targeting reporter Yanqi Xu’s nationality, the team’s relentless pursuit of truth earned high praise from judges, who commended their tenacity in uncovering the hidden consequences of the governor's industrial-scale hog farming operations.
Yanqi Xu and Sky Chadde painstakingly sifted through thousands of records to uncover the hidden environmental impact of an industrial-scale hog farm empire owned by a state governor and its role in contamination of groundwater with a substance linked to childhood cancer.
Judges' comments
Earlier this year, the series also received the top business reporting award in the government (small division) category from the Society for Advancing Business Editing and Writing (SABEW) in its 2024 Best of Business awards. This recognition underscores the critical importance of investigating the intersection of politics, business, and environmental health.
Investigate Midwest received multiple honors at the 2026 Iowa Newspaper Association Awards, recognizing both investigative reporting and newsroom-wide excellence in agricultural coverage and visual storytelling.
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