AUSTIN (KXAN) — KXAN and Nexstar Media Group’s months-long project exploring education solutions amid the coronavirus pandemic has been honored with an international award.

The Constructive Institute and Solutions Journalism Network honored the project with the Future of Journalism Global Award 2020 for its company-wide initiative – Pandemic PASS or FAIL. This multi-platform project took an in-depth look at students and families disproportionately affected by the COVID-19 pandemic and explored solutions that could help overcome barriers to learning.

“We are truly excited to win this international award for a project that was built around a serious topical issue for communities around the country,” said KXAN Vice President and General Manager Eric Lassberg.

The Constructive Institute is an independent organization based in Denmark that focuses on helping news organizations apply constructive reporting through fellowship programs, training, and research. The Solutions Journalism Network, an independent non-profit, trains journalists on reporting about solutions to a problem, assessing in detail how effective that solution is and whether it could be effectively applied elsewhere. Together, these organizations present the Future of Journalism Global Award each year to a journalistic project which “embodies constructive journalism approaches, including solutions focused frame on their reporting.”

KXAN’s Pandemic PASS or FAIL project included coordination with more than 90 Nexstar journalists across the country. The project produced more than 50 stories for on-air and online, including Spanish-language content, as well as 13 live engagement events. The stories were utilized in a variety of ways by 115 stations.

“We’re grateful for the international recognition of our reporting on a topic that’s affecting many families and communities everywhere,” said KXAN News Director Chad Cross. “KXAN is dedicated to serving the public by sharing information about these ideas being implemented. We’ve seen how raising awareness about potential solutions can start impactful conversations.”