PINF and Changing Ideas are delighted to announce this year’s cohort of tenacious journalists!
It’s been a highly competitive process, with 100 applications, but thanks to the thoughtful analysis by the judges — and the trustees of Changing Ideas — we now have a 2026 Tenacious Journalist cohort!
Nine exceptional journalists or organisations will receive a Tenacious Journalist Award for a range of exciting projects to begin soon. Over the coming months, the journalists will receive £10,000 and the support of regular one-to-ones with a PINF staffer and monthly calls with the whole 2026 cohort.
Below, we’re delighted to announce each journalist and, if relevant, the organisation they work for. Each one says a few words about what tenacity means to them.
We won’t reveal their projects yet — we look forward to sharing those throughout the year. Follow our BlueSky for regular links and updates as stories are shared.
Drumroll please...
Clare Carlile (and DeSmog)
To me 'tenacity’ is at the core of so much investigative journalism. It’s always incredible to see colleagues’ commitment to getting information to the public, whether that’s fighting endlessly for the disclosure of government documents, analysing thousands of data points to expose corporate pollution, or working with sources and whistleblowers to get their stories out.
Clare is an investigative reporter for the award-winning environmental outlet DeSmog. She specialises in food politics stories exposing blockers of climate and environmental action, from misinformation and the far-right to corporate malpractice and aggressive lobbying.
Clare was previously co-editor at Ethical Consumer Magazine. Her investigations have been covered by the BBC, Al Jazeera, The Financial Times, and The Guardian, among others.
Yemisi Bokinni
I’ve wanted to cover this story for over a year, and I’m thrilled to have the opportunity for in-depth reporting to finally make it happen. I also look forward to learning about the fantastic projects in this year’s cohort, and the important work they do. Many thanks to the selection committee for making this possible!
Yemisi is a medical doctor turned health and science journalist with degrees in Medicine and Human Genetics from King’s College London. She writes for the international features desk at British Medical Journal (The BMJ) and also for Nature Africa. A 2025 UN Foundation Press Fellow and member of the Association of British Science Writers, her reporting has been recognised for its depth and real-world impact. Her multimedia work includes short documentaries and podcasts, supported by the Royal Society of Chemistry, the Genetics Society, and others.
Ben Gartside
To me, tenacious journalism is finding and exposing serious problems within society, finding and identifying social ills in any given place. A great example of tenacious journalism recently has been that of Patrick Raden Keefe, in exposing the circumstances behind the death of Zac Brettler.
Ben is an investigative journalist specialising in print and magazine journalism. He has published major investigations into safety concerns at health providers, exposes of secret government communication campaigns and profiteering in the asylum sector.
Cormac Kehoe
To me, tenacious journalism is the relentless attempt to discover where power actually lies, how it works, and what its excesses are. The best examples of this are seen in the work of Democracy for Sale and Private Eye (UK), the likes of Drop Site News (US) and Haaretz (Israel) all publications who deal with the reality of truth, no matter how inconvenient it is to publish.
Cormac is an investigative reporter for The Fence, London Centric, and BBC Radio 4's the Naked Week.
Katharine Quarmby
For me, tenacious journalism is characterised by a terrier-like determination to uncover injustice wherever it is, from companies to government at all levels. One of the most tenacious journalists I have had the honour to know and work with is John Pring, who has a dogged determination to uncover disability injustice and to ask for accountability from those responsible. He has spent much of the last decade investigating the government neglect that has resulted in the deaths of hundreds of disabled people - also showing how long term work is often needed to uncover hidden harms.
Katharine is an investigative journalist and editor, focussing on climate reporting and environmental injustice, the care system and violence against marginalised groups. Her recent work has focussed on environmental cross-border journalism, looking at the harms of the asbestos legacy, pesticides and the aftermath of flooding, as well as the long-term impacts of the care system and adoption on adoptees. Katharine also writes fiction and non-fiction.
Max Peigne
To me, tenacious journalism means pursuing stories others ignore, whether for lack of time or independence. It means digging into complex wrongdoing and exposing powerful people whose resources far exceed those of their victims, and my own, while they try to evade scrutiny. It also means learning new skills when necessary to reach the truth and bringing hidden issues into the light to drive real change.
Max is a freelance journalist covering dirty money and corporate wrongdoing. He has investigated opaque oil deals, financial abuse at care homes, unequal access to medicines, online scams and illegal gambling. Some of his work has led to corruption probes and received awards as part of cross-border teams. He is a member of Investigate Europe, a cooperative of investigative reporters.
Rhys Everquill (and Leicester Gazette)
For us, tenacious journalism means being determined to find the truth, no matter the challenges. It involves digging deep into stories, asking tough questions, and not giving up, even when facing difficulties. This kind of journalism holds powerful people accountable and helps the public understand important issues. Ultimately, it plays a vital role in democracy by making sure all voices are heard, and all facts are presented. We're excited to be a part of the programme.
Rhys is a reporter and community organiser whose work has appeared in The Independent, Private Eye and Byline Times. They organise the Leicester Gazette's events and engage with communities across Leicestershire. The Leicester Gazette is a local, community-owned newspaper, free to access for all online and in print.
Adele Walton
To me, tenacious journalism means choosing to tell the human stories that often go unheard, with sensitivity and a duty of care to those with lived experience, particularly when it comes to online harms and Big Tech. It's about taking a chance on what matters over what dominates the news agenda, and committing deeply to telling stories that have long-term impact, rather than prioritising fleeting digital metrics.
Adele is the author of Logging Off: The Human Cost of Our Digital World and an online safety campaigner. As a freelance journalist reporting on social media and tech policy, Adele has written for The Observer, The Guardian, the i, The New Arab and many more. Her articles have been translated into five languages, and she regularly appears on Al-Jazeera, Sky News, BBC Radio and Channel 4 News.
Tom Wall
Tenacious journalism means not giving up in the face of official intransigence, sources getting cold feet and all the other inevitable frustrations of long-term investigations.
Tom is an investigative reporter. Throughout his career, he has sought to carry out public-interest investigations in order to expose injustices, give a voice to the voiceless and hold the powerful to account. He has worked for national newspapers and broadcasters. He is currently working part-time at the Bureau of Investigative Journalism.
In addition, Changing Ideas have granted The Ferret — an independent, investigative journalism co-operative based in Scotland — a similar amount for a project to take place over the same timeframe. Karin Goodwin from the Ferret will join the Tenacious Journalists cohort.
Karin Goodwin and The Ferret
Karin is one of The Ferret’s co-editors, and her reporting is largely about people, the planet and power imbalances. She’s worked for the Sunday Times, Sunday Herald and the Sunday National and contributed to outlets including The Guardian, Vice, iNews and the London Review of Books.
Congratulations to all the journalists. We can't wait to see what the cohort gets up to — and to see the evidence of positive social impact brought about by the work.
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