Anna Wolfe

Mississippi is the poorest state in the country and one of the most politically corrupt. That’s unacceptable to Anna Wolfe, fearless reporter for nonprofit news site Mississippi Today. After years of digging, she disclosed that top state officials doled out $77 million of welfare funds to family, friends, and political supporters. She received a Pulitzer Prize for her exposé. Her work reflects journalism’s ideals, including protecting the trust that sources place in her. When a judge ordered her to turn over privileged documents in May, she and Mississippi Today appealed to safeguard that trust. “Anna Wolfe has become a hero to many Mississippians,” says Adam Ganucheau, Mississippi Today editor. “She cares deeply about people who are traditionally ignored or wronged and she’s not at all afraid to take their stories directly to the power brokers who prefer to operate in the shadows.” At a time when journalism is struggling to survive, Anna reminds us why it matters.

Woodruff is a senior correspondent and the former anchor and managing editor of PBS News Hour