The California Press Foundation has announced Thomas Peele, investigative reporter at EdSource, as the 2024 recipient of the Jack Bates Award for distinguished service to the California Press.
The Jack Bates Award recognizes individuals who demonstrate exceptional leadership in addressing the challenges facing newspapers and contribute significantly to journalism education. Peele’s career and unwavering dedication to investigative reporting exemplify these ideals.
A Pulitzer Prize-winning journalist, Peele has been a steadfast voice for truth and accountability since launching his career in 1983 at a small weekly newspaper. He holds a B.A. in Journalism from Long Island University and an MFA in Writing from the University of San Francisco.
Peele earned the Pulitzer Prize for his work on the tragic Ghost Ship fire in Oakland and has garnered over 70 prestigious journalism awards. Among these are the McGill Medal for Journalistic Courage and the Tom Renner Award from Investigative Reporters and Editors for his coverage of organized crime.
In addition to his impactful reporting, Peele is the author of Killing the Messenger, which chronicles the 2007 assassination of Oakland journalist Chauncey Bailey. His 20-year tenure at the Bay Area News Group cemented his reputation as a leading investigative journalist before joining EdSource in 2020.
The Jack Bates Award will be presented at The California Journalism Symposium, taking place on December 5, 2024 at the Bahia Resort Hotel in San Diego.