Halls of Shame & Honor

The Nellie Bly Award for Investigative Reporting recognizes the work of those who dedicate their lives to informing, and thus empowering, the public. While Bly was known for many accomplishments, as an Albany-based institution, this award was inspired by Bly’s journey to Albany in 1888 when she went undercover to expose widespread corruption in New York State government. By posing as a lobbyist, she was able to demonstrate that it was possible to “purchase” the state legislature to pass or kill any bill (for $1,250).  Rather than pay the sum, Bly returned to her paper, Pulitzer’s New York World, to inform the public about her experience.