Filed
3:06 p.m. EDT
04.18.2025
The award-winning video series takes viewers into the lives and experiences of people impacted by the criminal justice system.
The Marshall Project’s Inside Story, an original video series distributed in partnership with Scripps News, has been nominated for a 2025 Peabody Award — one of the most prestigious honors in broadcast and digital media.
Inside Story — which brings critical news and information on the criminal justice system to incarcerated people in more than 1,400 prisons and jails across the country, as well as audiences on the outside — is among the nominees for public service. The show was among 68 nominees in news, public service, podcast and documentary, selected from more than 1,100 entries this year.
Inside Story’s second season thoughtfully brought attention to stories of delayed justice, redemption, imprisonment — and journalism’s power to bring healing in a family torn apart by the system. The series — hosted by Lawrence Bartley and directed by Donald Washington, Jr., both Marshall Project staff members who were formerly incarcerated — provides a 360-degree view of the system and the people whose lives it touches.
In addition to deeply reported investigations, the show features profiles of those who rebuilt their lives after prison, animated essays on the experience of the system, and interviews with people at the intersection of celebrity and criminal justice. Among them on Season 2 were actor and rapper Common and comedian Donnell Rawlings. Rapper G. Dep also sat down for an exclusive conversation days after his release from prison.
“This recognition is not only a celebration of TMP’s bold, original and innovative journalism, but also of the storytellers and communities who trusted us with their stories,” said Bartley, publisher of The Marshall Project Inside. “We are deeply honored to be among the other Peabody nominees.”
The Peabody Awards are known for amplifying “stories that matter,” and this year’s honorees span the most impactful programming across television, radio and digital media. Final winners will be announced on May 1, with an awards ceremony to follow in Los Angeles on June 1.
“The Marshall Project’s Inside Story features people who often go unheard and helps shine a light on critical issues facing our justice system,” said Matt Simon, Scripps News vice president. “As TMP’s national distribution partner, Scripps News was honored to be able to expand the reach and impact of these stories, delivering vital information to Americans — both incarcerated and not.”
Washington and Bartley developed the series during the pandemic. For Season 2, TMP partnered with Scripps to distribute the show on the network’s stations across the country.
“The Marshall Project’s partnership with Scripps was key to our wider distribution strategy for Season 2,” said Chief Strategy Officer Ebony Reed. “We are currently looking for more distribution partners and funders to support Season 3.”
Click here to learn more about Inside Story and watch Season 2.
