The Wall Street Journal wins Hinrich Foundation Award for Distinguished Reporting on Trade

Wall Street Journal reporters Liza Lin, Raffaele Huang, and Stu Woo created an exclusive series of stories revealing China’s 'Delete America' efforts to replace US companies’ technology with domestic alternatives; the lengths the Chinese government went to for a Huawei resurgence in spite of US trade restrictions; and an "underground network sneaking Nvidia chips into China."

The National Press Foundation judges were particularly impressed with The Wall Street Journal’s ability to obtain a 2022 Chinese government directive, called Document 79, which requires state-owned companies to replace US and other foreign software in their information technology systems by 2027. 

"China is known for vigorously protecting state secrets, making the Journal’s deep and compelling reporting on this issue especially impressive," judges said. 

The reporting has been cited by both Senate and House committees examining the threat of China to US interests, as well as by individual lawmakers in calls to tighten US export controls. 

Members of the winning team will accept the award at the NPF’s 42nd annual awards dinner on February 20, 2025. 

The Examination receives honorable mention 

NPF judges also elected to recognize The Examination, a non-profit newsroom reporting on global health, for an investigation into the harm to human health caused by the battery recycling industry in Africa. 

"The publication’s commissioning of testing of residents’ blood as well as soil samples revealed dangerously high levels of lead. Government officials have noted that those blood samples would not have been taken without the Examination’s urging," NPF judges noted, calling the series, "a well written, expansive investigation done at some personal risk to reporters."

A journalist in Cameroon was briefly imprisoned. 

The reporting of journalists Will Fitzgibbon, Christian Locka, Emmanuel K. Dogbevi resulted in Cameroon’s environment ministry ordering upgrades to one polluting factory, a court in the Republic of Congo ordering the immediate suspension of a factory, and Trafigura, a leading commodities trader, promising an investigation. 

About the award 

The Hinrich Foundation Award for Distinguished Reporting on Trade was created in 2019 to recognize exemplary journalism that illuminates and advances the public’s understanding of international business and trade. Previous winners include Bloomberg News, Nikkei Asia, The Washington Post, and The Wall Street Journal.

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