Margie Mason

Investigative reporter, Associated Press

Margie Mason was one of four Associated Press reporters behind Seafood from Slaves, an investigation into forced labour in the Asian seafood industry. The team combined interviews with captive workers, trade records, shipment tracking and supply-chain observation to connect exploitation on remote islands with products reaching consumers in the United States. According to the Pulitzer citation, the reporting helped free about 2,000 people, bring perpetrators to justice and inspire reforms, earning AP the 2016 Public Service prize. Her contribution illustrates the value of patient evidence gathering where isolated workers and multilayered commerce make accountability particularly difficult to establish.