The Markup’s investigative series on internet disparities, “Still Loading,” has won the Online News Association’s (ONA) Excellence in Technology Reporting award in the small and medium newsroom category. The award recognizes excellence in digital journalism focusing on coverage of technology, including pieces that address all aspects of technology, like culture, policy, and economic impact.
Still Loading
Dollars to Megabits, You May Be Paying 400 Times As Much As Your Neighbor for Internet Service
An investigation by The Markup found that AT&T, Verizon, EarthLink, and CenturyLink disproportionately offered lower-income and least-White neighborhoods slow internet service for the same price as speedy connections they offered in other parts of town
Judges described our investigative series as “a nearly perfect example of what modern tech journalism can be.” They also commented on the high utility of the series.
Our investigation found that four internet service providers—AT&T, Verizon, Earthlink, and CenturyLink—disproportionately offered lower-income, least-White, and historically redlined neighborhoods slow internet service for the same price as for speedy connections in other parts of town. The Markup was the first to show where inequitable effects of tier flattening (charging internet customers the same rate for differing levels of service) have occurred, and we published multiple resources that allow anyone to look into internet disparities in their own area.
We’re honored that ONA recognized The Markup’s ongoing coverage of internet disparities in 2023 alongside our original investigative package, which was published in late 2022.
You can read our entire Still Loading series here. This award also recognized the following pieces:
- Original Investigation: Dollars to Megabits, You May Be Paying 400 Times As Much As Your Neighbor for Internet Service
- Show Your Work: How We Uncovered Disparities in Internet Deals
- Story Recipe: Journalists: Investigate Which Neighborhoods in Your City Are Offered the Worst Internet Deals
- Interactive Map: See the Neighborhoods Internet Providers Excluded from Fast Internet
- Public Resource: Slow Internet? Find Out What Side of the Digital Divide You’re On
Congratulations to the team for the recognition of their hard work: Leon Yin, Aaron Sankin, Joel Eastwood, Gabriel Hongsdusit, Jeremy Singer-Vine, Paroma Soni, Dan Phiffer, Maria Puertas, Jill Jaroff, Ko Bragg, and Evelyn Larrubia.
Congratulations, too, to all of this year’s ONA award winners.
