Investigation Into Rogue Toxicology Lab Wins 2026 McElheny Award Reporting by the Chicago-based newsroom Injustice Watch exposed a lab tied to more than a dozen wrongful convictions for driving under the influence.

A sweeping investigation into a forensic toxicology lab, by the Chicago-based nonprofit newsroom Injustice Watch, has been selected as the winner of the 2026 Victor K. McElheny Award for Local and Regional Science Journalism. The investigation, “Fake Science, Faulty Methods, Misleading Testimony,” exposed problems with urine analyses at a University of Illinois-Chicago lab that may have led to dozens of wrongful convictions for driving under the influence of cannabis.

Injustice Watch’s reporting — built on more than 45 Freedom of Information Act requests, more than 100 interviews, and a review of some 8,000 pages of public records — alarmed criminal defense and forensic science communities and highlighted 18 new cases for the National Registry of Exonerations.

Award judges called the investigation a “stunning indictment of the oversight of forensic science” and applauded the skillful storytelling, which “weaved impactful scenes with science, accountability, and human stories that drove home what was at stake for the Chicago community.”

The investigation was reported by Maya Dukmasova, a senior reporter at Injustice Watch who focuses on judges and other key players in the court system, with a particular interest in opaque bureaucracies and unchallenged expertise. The story was illustrated by Injustice Watch visual reporter Verónica Martinez, a Chicago-based artist whose work touches on the Cook County justice system, police misconduct, and LGBTQ+ health.

The Injustice Watch entry was selected from a pool of nearly 100 submissions from local and regional outlets around the United States. Four other entries were honored as finalists: “Burned,” a multi-part investigation by the San Francisco Chronicle that exposed how outdated science used by the insurance industry leaves policyholders vulnerable to toxic chemicals; “Invisible Killer,” an investigation by The Columbus Dispatch that revealed how federal, state, and local policymakers have failed to protect Ohioans from cancer-causing radon; “Wasting Away,” a series by the Tampa Bay Times that revealed a pollution crisis impacting Florida’s rivers, lakes, and bays, and the regulatory gaps that allowed it to happen; and a series by Bridge Michigan on the impending species collapse of whitefish in Lakes Michigan and Huron — and the scientists racing to save them.

“It is incredibly encouraging to see such a strong pool of entries this year,” said Usha Lee McFarling, director of the Knight Science Journalism Program, which administers the McElheny Award. “Even as journalism faces so many economic and political challenges, we’re seeing local journalists who are stepping up to cover science issues and really making a difference in their communities.”

Named after the Knight Science Journalism Program’s founding director, the Victor K. McElheny Award was established to honor outstanding coverage of science, public-health, technology, and environmental issues at the local and regional level. The winning team will receive a $10,000 prize and will be honored in a ceremony at MIT. The McElheny Award was made possible by generous support from Victor K. McElheny and Ruth McElheny.

The Knight Science Journalism Program extends a special thanks to this year’s McElheny Award jurors: Jason Dearen (The Associated Press); Czerne Reid (University of Florida); Betsy Mason (independent journalist); Derek Kravitz (Consumer Reports); and Ashley Smart (Knight Science Journalism Program). The program also extends warm appreciation to its panel of screeners: Leslye Davis, Christian von Preysing-Barry, Liza Lin, Sarah McBride, Sara Reardon, and Rodrigo Pérez Ortega.

The 2026 Victor K. McElheny Award Honorees

Winner

“Fake Science, Faulty Methods, Misleading Testimony,” by Maya Dukmasova and Verónica Martinez (Injustice Watch)

Finalists

Burned (series), by Megan Fan Munce, Susie Neilson, and Sara DiNatale (San Francisco Chronicle)

The Impending Species Collapse of Whitefish in Lakes Michigan and Huron (series), by Kelly House (Bridge Michigan)

Invisible Killer (series), by Max Filby, Danae King, Samantha Hendrickson, and Samantha Madar (The Columbus Dispatch)

Wasting Away (series), by Zachary T. Sampson, Bethany Barnes, and Shreya Vuttaluru (Tampa Bay Times)