Ben Mauk, the Shirley Wormser Professor of Journalism and Media Writing in the Department of English at Case Western Reserve University, was recently selected as one of three English-language finalists for the True Story Foundation’s True Story Award—the first globally oriented journalism award.
Mauk was recognized for his 2024 magazine story penned “The Long Road from Xinjiang”, which was co-authored by Nyrola Elimä, an independent consultant and researcher with expertise in supply chain tracing.
Published in The New York Times, this story illustrates the childhood experiences of Hasan Imam living in a rural county in Xinjiang, China, and how fear of government surveillance forced him and his brother to hide from visiting Communist Party officials. Read the full story.
Chosen from over 950 global submissions, Mauk will present their work at the True Story Festival in Bern, Switzerland, in June. “The Long Road from Xinjiang” was also previously named a finalist of the Dart Award for Excellence in Coverage of Trauma.
