This weekend, the Yale Daily News Foundation awarded its annual Scot Haller Prize, recognizing exemplary student journalism published in the last year across the News’ many sections.

Every spring, beginning in 2021, editorial desks at the News may nominate up to three entries authored by News affiliates. Entries also include multimedia pieces and features in the Yale Daily News Magazine. A panel of News alumni and other journalists determine first, second and third place winners. 

The prize was established in 2021 and honors Scot K. Haller ’77, a former arts editor for the News, who was an award-winning journalist when he died at age 35. 

Winner, Scot Haller Prize: Ben Raab ’26 for “A ‘new type of Russian politician’: Alexey Navalny’s rise from Yale World Fellow to Kremlin watchdog”

Navalny, who died at 47 in February, lived on Yale’s campus as a world fellow in fall 2010, and used the University’s resources to develop his skills as an activist.

Runner-up: Evan Gorelick ’25 for “Faculty report reveals average Yale College GPA, grade distributions by subject”

Seventy-nine percent of Yale College grades were in the A range for 2022-23 — nearly identical to figures released by Harvard College.

Third place: Tigerlily Hopson ’25 for “FEATURE: Past Due”

Why did it take 186 years for Reverend James W. C. Pennington to receive a Yale degree?

In addition to the student winners, the Yale Daily News staff of 2023-24 was awarded a Special Citation “for its tireless and essential multimedia coverage of the spring 2024 campus protests.”