Conservative documentary filmmakers Phelim McAleer and Ann McElhinney have announced the Shillman Journalism Prize, a national competition offering $17,500 in total prize money to young reporters who uncover stories they say mainstream media outlets have ignored or failed to cover properly.
The initiative will award $10,000 to the first-place winner, $5,000 for second place, and $2,500 for third place. The competition is open to legal U.S. residents who are under 25 years old as of December 31, 2026. Submissions will be reviewed by an expert panel that selects the top 10 entries, after which public voting determines the three winners.
McAleer and McElhinney, married investigative journalists originally from Ireland, said their project aims to inspire a new generation of reporters at a time when confidence in American media has reached historic lows. Their previous work includes producing a play about the October 7, 2023 Hamas attack on Israel that was staged at the Kennedy Center, and the film Gosnell: The Trial of America's Biggest Serial Killer, based on convicted Philadelphia abortion doctor Kermit Gosnell.
What the Right Is Saying
McAleer defended the initiative, saying in a statement to The Daily Wire that mainstream media bias damages both America and the world. "Too often mainstream journalists seem more interested in covering up the news than covering it," he said.
The filmmakers encouraged young reporters to pursue old-fashioned journalism built on interviews, documents, public records requests, and FOIA filings. Their call to action urged applicants to look for stories in their own communities rather than traveling to exotic locations.
"We want a story that hasn't been told, or hasn't been told properly — the kind of story that is often sitting right on your doorstep, in your town, or in your state," McAleer said. He argued that journalism does not require dangerous conditions or significant resources and that truth-telling sometimes simply requires amplifying good work that has gone unrecognized.
What the Left Is Saying
Critics of the initiative argue that framing journalism prizes around coverage gaps in mainstream media risks politicizing the profession. Organizations including the Poynter Institute and the Committee to Protect Journalists have long maintained that editorial decisions about what constitutes newsworthy reporting should not be framed through a partisan lens.
Media reform advocates contend that while distrust in legacy outlets is understandable given historical failures, creating parallel journalism structures based on ideological grievances does not address underlying problems in local news coverage or newsroom diversity. They note that many underserved communities lack any dedicated reporters regardless of political leanings.
Progressive journalism watchdogs have also questioned whether the prize's emphasis on stories mainstream media "actively wants covered up" sets appropriate editorial standards for emerging reporters. They argue that mentorship programs focused on investigative skills and ethical reporting would better serve young journalists than competitions premised on institutional failure.
What the Numbers Show
According to Gallup's 2025 survey data, only 28% of Americans express confidence in mainstream media — a new low and a 12-percentage-point decline from 40% five years earlier. The poll found just 8% of Republicans, 27% of independents, and 51% of Democrats report confidence in American news organizations.
The Reuters Institute's Digital News Report for 2025 indicates that trust in news remains below pre-2016 levels across Western democracies. Local newspaper employment has declined approximately 80% since 2005, according to the Bureau of Labor Statistics, with more than 2,500 papers closing since 2004.
The Shillman Journalism Prize competition requires participants to submit original reporting through Substack's platform, with submissions judged on originality, documentation quality, and newsworthiness.
The Bottom Line
The launch of the Shillman Journalism Prize reflects ongoing tensions between segments of the public and established media institutions. With Americans' confidence in mainstream journalism at historic lows across party lines, initiatives targeting young reporters represent one approach to addressing perceived gaps in coverage.
The competition's structure — expert panel review followed by public voting — creates a two-stage selection process that could favor stories with broader appeal over traditional news values. Young journalists interested in applying have until December 31, 2026, to be under the age requirement and must be legal U.S. residents.
Whether such prizes genuinely expand the range of stories told or primarily serve as platforms for particular perspectives remains an open question among media analysts.