The Center Square’s Enterprise and Investigative Unit launched in November. Just six months later, its editor is a national award finalist.
Arthur Kane, who leads our investigative unit, was named a finalist by the Center for Integrity in News Reporting’s (CFINR) 2026 Investigative Reporting award. The recognition came for The Center Square’s coverage of the “Congressional Perks” series, our investigation into the benefits and privileges available to members of Congress, which has grown 21% for House members and 40% in the Senate.
CFINR judges work to one standard: impartial, objective, and fair news reporting. That is the same standard that guides everything The Center Square publishes.
Because of loyal readers and generous supporters just like you, our news team delivers the accountability journalism you want to see: news with a taxpayer perspective, no ideological lean, no advocacy.
The contest drew nearly 400 entries from 35 states this year, more than triple the entries from the year before. Judging was supervised by the Newspaper Managers Association, with eight state press association executives on the panel.
Art Kane, center, enterprise and investigative editor for The Center Square, stands on stage during the 2026 Center for Integrity in News Reporting Awards ceremony. Photo: Courtesy of Center for Integrity in News Reporting
This recognition of Art's work is not an outlier. The investigative team was built to follow the money, hold power accountable, and deliver journalism that serves taxpayers.
It exists because supporters believed deeper, document-driven accountability work was worth funding. Six months in, that investment is already drawing attention from a national panel that judges journalism on its merits. There is more in the pipeline, with investigations and stories that bring light to otherwise ignored, but critical issues that impact you and your communities.
You can follow the team’s latest work at The Center Square’s investigations page.
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Chris Krug
Publisher & CEO, The Center Square